welcome to "newsline." japan's prime minister is trying to find political consensus in a nation where that often does not come easy. noda is aiming to get the opposition to cooperate with his plan to raise the consumption tax. he says the money is urgently needed to maintain the country's social security programs. >> translator: i pledge an all out effort to tackle issues

including recovery from the disaster, dealing with the ongoing nuclear accident, and efforts to revive the economy. >> noda wants to double the sales tax to 10% by 2015. he says the extra revenue will be returned to tax pair payers in the form of health care, pensions and other benefits they enjoy. the prime minister must win over the opposition and the public if he's going to turn this plan into a reality. voters have been angry about wasteful government spending. noda says he promises tone act legislation to cut the salary of civil servants. as for the opposition, noda needs their cooperation because the house is divided. now prime minister noda might have to do more than just double j pan's sales tax if he wants to meet the goal of balancing the country's budget by the early

2020. the government released its long-term financial forecast tuesday. the calculations show the country's primary balance deficit will exceed $210 billion in fiscal 2020. that's quite different from the surplus that was promised. and it means japan will likely need to continue to boar reso it can meet its commitments to achieve a primary balance surplus bis the early 2020s. the government would have to raise the consumption tax rate by 16%. japanese leaders have made international pledges that the country will reach fiscal goals, but that might prove to be more difficult than previously thought. the foreign minister was also outlining the government's agenda at the opening session. he said he will put an end to japan's inward looking ways promising more active diplomacies. he said the active approach would be used to settle a key question facing the country. whether to join the trabs

pacific free trade pact. >> translator: japan will work together information on what the relevant countries are seeking through discussions. we will then make a decision on the pact from the standpoint of national interest. >> he referred to the issue of relocating u.s. bases in yolk na wa prefecture. he says he will continue efforts to win the support of local residents. >> translator: the government will do its utmost to gain support for the government's plan based on the principal that the u.s. military presence provides deterrence necessary for the defense of japan. >> iran also got a mention. he pledged that japan will play an active role in the international effort to get the country to banning the nuclear program. he says he will study what sanctions are most effective keeping in mind japan's need to maintain stable oil price.

scientists in the united states believe they've found a way to use embryonic stem cells to help people who are losing their sight. their treatment inproved the vision of two women who are considered legally blind. researchers from the university of california and scientists at the massachusetts-based company of advanced cell technology reported their results monday. the team used embryonic stem cells to develop retinal cells and doctors injected the new cells into the patients' eyes. the women suffer from different kinds of macular degeneration. three months later they could read progressively smaller letters on an eye chart. the team says the patients showed no immune system rejection or other side effects. more clinical trials are planned. members of the team say the results underscore the potential of stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine to help repair or replace damaged tissue. japan's space agency says it will offer scientists around the

world the chance to study asteroid samples obtained by one of its deep space probes. japan arrow space said on tuesday will solicit proposals for analyzing materials taken from an asteroid. the samples were brought to earth by a space probe in 2010. japanese researchers have already studied some of the material. they found that its chemical composition is similar to that of meteor particles found on earth. further research can help determine how it was formed and help provide clues about the birth of the solar system. the agency will accept proposals until march 7th. >> translator: the project is about to enter a critical stage. i hope the new research will bring asteroid studies to a new level. i hope researchers from around the world will take advantage of this opportunity. >> next, we go to bangkok to

find out what's going on in the region. >> the european union is moving to improve relations with myanmar in response to recent reforms. the block's most senior diplomat says she plans to visit myanmar in the coming months. >> reporter: the european union has agreed to ease some sanctions on myanmar and a visit by the eu foreign policy chief catherine ashton could follow as soon as april. myanmar will hold by-elections on april first. prodemocracy leader and her national league for democracy party have registered to take part. ashton says the eu will be closely watching the outcome of the vote. >> in consultation with her, i will visit in april after the elections when i hope we will have had the chance to review

what has happened and make decisions at an eu level and our response to what i hope will be continued progress. >> reporter: reforms have been gathering strength in myanmar. the government has released political prisons and signed a cease fire agreement to end the conflict with ethnic rebels. in response eu foreign ministers gathering in brussels on monday agreed to suspend bans on senior officials from myanmar including the president and his vice president. they said further easing of sanctions could follow by the end of april if the reforms continue. relations between myanmar and western nations are quickly thawing. the u.s. has also begun the process of exchanging ambassadors with myanmar. >> and now to pakistan, the

country the forging new regional tice as its delicate relationship with the united states sours. china is becoming an increasingly important ally and not only on a diplomatic level, but also culturally as well. and more pakistanis looking for economic opportunities are choosing to study chinese. >> reporter: this chinese language class is being held at a junior high school in the capital. elementary and junior high school in islamabad attended by children from wealthy families having to use chinese classes. students learn conversational chinese and writing from native

teachers three times a week. >> i really like chinese. i would like go to china and have a job over there. >> reporter: the frenzy to learn chinese stems from economic ties between the two countries that continue to grow every year. there has been a steady increase in chinese imports since the china-pakistan free trade agreement. pakistan continues to welcome new chinese businesses. in may, one of china's largest banks opened two branchs in pakistan to boost investment in the country. as the two countries strengthen ties, more businessmen are trying to poll ish their chinese language skills. the president is trying to promote a government led program

to teach chinese in schools. the president's home province of sindh announced in september that it planned to make chinese in schools from 2013. at present, the schools in sindh province must teach a total of four languages including urduh and english. if chinese is added students will have to study five languages at the same time. the province also has 5,000 public schools. securing enough chinese teachers will not be easy. at a meeting at this school many teachers oppose the interjection of chinese classes. >> translator: the kids already

have to learn so many languages. it will just be an additional burden for them. >> translator: the country can advance even if people don't speak a foreign language. >> reporter: the education ministry of sindh province has since dropped its plan to make chinese compulsory from 2013. instead it decided to gradually introduce the language into the school curriculum. >> we will of course, give them incentive and scholarships. the chinese language has become a necessity for us to join the mainstream of the international market. >> reporter: the pakistani government is trying to popul popularize chinese. despite some public concerns,

it's plan to promote the teaching of chinese is about to start a controversy. >> and that wraps up our bulletin. >> the prospects for building new nuclear reactors in japan have dimmed since the accident in late march at the fukushima daiichi power plant. even so the japanese government is sticking to the policy of trying to win over economies where demand in energy is surging. in the mideast, kingdom of jordan some people have high expectation for japanese nuclear technologies, but others are voicing concerns. we have a report from amman. >> reporter: even though it is surrounded by iraq, saudi arabia and other oil producing countries, jordan has no oil reserves of its own. the country relies on imports

for most of its energy. jordan has long harbored ambitions of owning nuclear reactors as a means of boosting power self-sufficiency. the plan gained momentum with a discovery there four years ago of huge deposits of uranium. which can be used to make nuclear fuel. the yellowish layer contains uranium ore. firms from many countries are offering to help jordan achieve its nuclear dreams. among them, japan has received praise from jordan for its technology. >> i would say there has been more or less shaken confidence -- confidence or distrust in the japanese technology. on the contrary, we will learn from the best lessons.

>> reporter: meanwhile concerns have begun to spread among residents near the planned construction site in the north of the country. ? june last year about 500 people took part in the rally against the nuclear plant. some even confronted diplomats from japanese embassy who are surveying the site. we asked one of the rally organizes to show us the site. he says he's worried there won't be enough water to cool the reactors because the location is so far inland. he says safety cannot be guaranteed as proven by the fact that a serious accident like the one in fukushima could happen in an sbrilized nation like japan. >> translator: even japan with

such high standards of technology is suffering from the nuclear accident. an accident in jordan, a country without technology would do irreparable damage. >> reporter: japan's nuclear policies are being questioned in the wake of the crisis in fukushima. the accident has heightened the debate in jordan, too. over the feasiblity of nuclear power and building a plant with the help of japan. >> with the march 11th disaster causing massive problems in japan related to the nuclear industry, yet japan's government's policy of exporting nuclear technology seems unchanged. is this a reflection of an economic opportunities? >> well, nuclear power is a billion dollar industry. and it's growing. the international atomic energy agency last september estimated

the number of nuclear reactors in the world could increase by up to 350 for 2030. nuclear power capacity could double and most of the demand would be from emerging economies. the united states, france, russia and south korea all countries with nuclear technologies are eager to export their reactors. japan is no exception. even after what happened at fukushima daiichi, the government still sees the export of nuclear reactors as part of its economic growth strategy. because a number of countries have the ability to build nuclear plants nations like vietnam and turkey are interested in japanese technology. one japanese nuclear association says the world will continue to rely on nuclear energy so it's japan's responsibility to contribute to improving nuclear

safety. >> translator: countries which are planning to build nuclear power plants have higher expectations for our technologies. we need to meet those expectations because japan is considered to be one of the leaders in the field of nuclear energy. >> how does the japanese public feel about the continued export of nuclear technology? >> well, what's clear is that public support for nuclear power has waned. an nhk poll showed 43% of japanese people want fewer nuclear power plants in the country. 33% said japan should abandon nuclear power altogether. the japanese government has already said it will reduce its dependsy on nuclear energy. but energy -- reducing the nuclear power at home while exporting it overseas is a double standard. they also say it's irresponsible

because we still do not know the main reason for the nuclear accident. >> translator: many people in fukushima are still suffering from how to deal with radiation and there are very concerned about what will happen to their health in the future. it is disgraceful to export the cause of the tragedy under such circumstances. >> prime minister noda said japan has a duty to share the lessons from the accident. if the government wants to export nuclear reactors nay need to keep and show how they're going to guarantee their safety. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> after battling inflation for

nearly two years, india central bank has decided to switch the policy. the new focus is economic growth. the reserve bank of india said on tuesday they will cut cash reserve requirements for banks to 5.5% from 6% effective on saturday. the step will allow banks to hold more cash on hand for lending and help stimulate the economy. though high prices are still a problem, the central bank said it needs to pump more money in the economy to reignite business investment. the rbi has raised its key interest rates as many as 13 times since march 2010 to try to contain inflation. the result is slower economic growth. sales of cars and other products declined because of rising interest rates. the pace of economic expansion dropped to a two-year low of 6.9% in the july to september period last year. with this latest step the rbi has demonstrated its intention to shift policy toward growth especially now as europe's debt

crisis fuels concerns about the economic outlook. the impact of the move was felt immediately in the local financial markets. stock prices in mumbai gained. the bank of japan has decided to keep itsz monetary policy unchanged. it wants to see the effect of the current easing credit measures on the nation's economy. the central bank made the decision at a two-day policy board meeting and theed on tuesday. the boj says japan's economic recovery has stalled because of a global slow down stemming from europe's debt crisis. it cites the yen's strength against the dollar and the euro. looking ahead the bank says the country's economy will return to a moderate recovery in the first half of 2012 in april. this will be due to economic growth in emerging nations and an increase in the demand for reconstruction from the disaster in march last year. the boj downgraded the economic growth forecast for fiscal 2011

from 0.3% to minus 0.4%. for fiscal 2012 from 2.2% to 2%. boj government told reporters that the sovereign debt crisis in europe poses the biggest risk to the economy. >> translator: if the situation worsens we might see a further contraction in the global financial markets. that will have a huge impact in and out of europe. especially on emerging economies. >> semiconductor manufacturer texas instruments says it will close two plants one in japan and one in the united states. the u.s. chip maker says the closures are needed to cut costs. t.i. said it plans to shut down the factories within 18 months. one is in southern japan. about 500 employees work there. the other plant in houston,

texas, both factories have been operating for over 30 years. t.i. reported a profit of almost 300 million for the october to december quarter marking a 68% drop from the previous year. the company blamed the result on a drop in demand for semiconductors after flooding hit come computer production in thailand. the international labor organization says unemployment around the world is down to slightly below 200 million in 2012 -- 2011. but it predicts the figure will likely rise again this year due to europe's credit crisis. the u.n. labor agency said in a report on tuesday that the jobless rate dipped .1% to 6% last year. despite the improvement, however, the report says about 27 million jobs have been lost worldwide since 2007. it also projects hard times for job seekers. >> have a very rapid solution to the euro debt crisis.

we could see an improvement of about one million in terms of a reduction in unemployment versus our baseline forecast. if the situation deteriorates further, we could see global unemployment rise above $204 million by the end of the year. >> the document warns the jobless rate among young people was especially high at 12.7%. it noted that many youth only have temporary jobs. the ilo calls for a concerted global efforts to contain europe's debt problems to help improve employment debt conditions worldwide. we have weather up next. >> welcome back. rest start off with asia. in japan the western seaboard is look for a wintry pattern to persist. that's going to be stagger accumulation of snowfall in some regions especially in the next

24 hours we're expecting about 80 sent meres. also upper cold air is just here in the southwestern area and we could expect even there in the next 24 to , 20 centimeters of snowfall to be accumulating. that's in the next 24 hours in the western half of japan. but the pacific side looking pretty clear. also clear in the majority of eastern continental asia. still lingering showers here in southeastern china. also foggy condition in the a.m. hours. scattered showers in the philippines as well as high waves reaching up to about four meters. staying in the low 30s in manila and bangkok. hong dock that's cold for you at 12 degrees. seoul at minus 5. that's going to be gradually improving towards the end of the week. tokyo at 9 degrees for the

tuesday high. let's head over to the americas and talk about the pacific northwest where another wave of pacific storm will be targeting the british columbia area as pacific northwest. that's going to be gusty conditions. gusts could reach up to 100 kilometres per hour with sustained winds up to about 60 kilometres per hour. very windy condition. high tides, high waves. these are all going to be very high ris income the coastal areas and also heavy rain as well as cascade areas. you're going to be targeted with very he have snow. also here that system will be moving towards the eastern canada and out in the water. but this is where we're going to be focussing on texas and louisiana especially. heavy rain, tornados, also a threat of large hail. so severe thunderstorms could be erupting in those areas. and temperaturewise houston at 21 degrees. oklahoma city well above average at 14. we're looking at sunny skies in

los angeles with 21 degrees in new york at 10. let's head over now in europe. the british isles they're going to be seeing much of the precipitation here will be rain not much of snow, but that rain band is going to be stretching all the way towards southern skand knavian peninsula midweek. we have this redeveloped low pressure system that's going to be triggering some thunderstorms as well as heavy rain and then cold air in this area will turn that rain precipitation into snow. but clearing here in the iberian peninsula. lisbon at 15. madrid at 13. london and paris a pair of 11. sometimes heavy rain there and moscow at minus 12 degrees. you're going to see some sunny spells in your wednesday high. here's your extended forecast.

>> that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline." we'll be back with more news in half an hour. thank you for watching. bye-bye. . .