welcome to "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo. two earthquakes have shaken up people in japan. the latest with residents in the metropolitan tokyo area. analysts say the epicenter was off chiba prefecture. they haven't issued a tsunami advisory or warning. the quake hit at 9:05 p.m. local time. it registered magnitude 6.1 at a depth of ten kilometers.

people in chiba and neighboring prefek churz felt the tremor of 5 plus on the japanese scale of 7. no problems have so for been reported with the train lines or the airports in the tokyo area. tokyo electric power company says the earthquake did not damage fukushima daiichi and fukushima daini. earlier on wednesday, a smaller earthquake shook people in northeastern japan. it caused no damage. china's government says it wants to slow down the economy and focus on stability. national peoples congress closed its annual session in beijing on wednesday. the country's parliament approved the budget and policy plans for the coming year. they included half point reduction in the annual growth target. that announcement has gotten worldwide attention because china has been a key driver of the global economy. nhk world's kengo okamato is

covering the story in beijing. >> reporter: the congress delegates convene at crucial time for china. the communist party is setting the stage for major redistrict change this fall. after nine years at the top, president hu jintao and premier wen jiabao are freep preparing to turn power to a new generation. social stability has emerged as a key issue. the public is unhappy about inflation and the widening gap between rich and poor. wen said slowing the economy will help tackle these problems. >> translator: the purpose of slowing down our economic growth is to reform the economic structure of china. ultimately, the most important thing is improving standards of living in this country. >> reporter: the congress set a gdp growth target of 7.5%.

this is the first time below 8% since 2004. the first objective is to cool overheated sectors and keep a lid on inflation. long time, though, the new target signals are changing priorities. the government wants to heavily to expand production. if sales don't pick up soon, overextended automakers will go bankrupt. >> some factories, some firms in these industries with excess of supply, may shut down. this may be a painful process, a painful time but that's something that we have to experience. >> reporter: the changing labor market is another factor behind the lower growth target. cheap labor has played a major role in the country's rapid economic expansion.

the influx of migrant workers from rural to urban areas is slowing. coastal areas are suffering from a chronic labor shortage. at the same time, there aren't enough jobs for university graduates. more and more young people have to survive on part-time jobs. party leaders are also concerned about an impending decline in the working age population. a result of china's one-child policy. the number of people age 15 to 64 will start falling within a few years. this means that workers' productivity will have to be raised just to maintain current living standards. >> a large fraction of the population don't feel that they are leading a better life. so what we can do -- or what we should do right now is to reallocate capital to solve this structural problem.

>> reporter: given all the problems, a half point adjustment to the national growth target is hardly a solution its own. but after years of rapid growth, the downgrade is symbolic. china's leaders are signaling their determination to shift gears. the new focus is social stability. to achieve that, effective measures will be needed. for hu and wen, making a start on these issues will be their final and perhaps most important test. tokyo share prices extended their gains on wednesday, a key index closed above 10,000 for the first time in about 7 1/2 months. the nikkei average rose 151 points or 1.5% to finish at

10,050. shares were bought across the board due it a weaker yen. hopes of i u.s. economic recovery fueled a rise. autos and electronics led the advance. buying was spurred by receding worries about the european debt problems. that follows an additional bailout for greece which was finalized. market participants seem to be concerned about the rapid rise in share prices. the average price of gasoline at the pump in japan has hit a ten-month high. rising prices and a weaker yen are to blame. retail price per liter of gasoline averaged 152.6 yen as of monday or about $1.80. that's up more than 4% from the week before and the fourth straight weekly increase. the center says prices are expected to rise further as global crude oil prices remain high on tensions over iran. the president and chairman

of japanese electronicsmaker sharp are stepping down. the maker is bracing for the biggest loss in its history. that's $3.5 billion for the fiscal year ending this month. sharp's board of directors made the decision on wednesday. the company says the chairman will become corporate adviser. the president is to become the chairman. he will be replaced by executive managing officer takahashi okuda. >> translator: we expect a record loss in this business year. as president i feel responsible and apologize to our shareholders and customers. >> translator: sharp needs to reform its business model and create a new framework to compete globally for further growth. >> okuda said he will announce a new business plan soon with an eye on boosting overseas business.

their appointments become effective april 1st, the first day of the new fiscal year. their posts will become official at the shareholders meeting scheduled for june. here are the latest market figures. leon panetta arrived in afghanistan in an effort to ease growing criticism over the killing of afghan civilians by an american soldier. the u.s. embassy in kabul told nhk that panetta arrived in the southern province of helmand on wednesday. he's scheduled to meet president

hamid karzai and other senior government officials during his stay. a soldier went on a shooting rampage on sunday, killing 16 people, including 12 women and children. >> obviously we are deeply shocked and sadnd by the event that occurred there. again, i want to express our deepest condolences to the families, to the afghan people, to the villages that were impacted by this event. >> the defense chief earlier suggested that the death penalty could be considered for the u.s. soldier. editors at a prominent u.s. newspaper are criticizing the obama administration's recent deal with north korea. the north will receive american food aid after it agreed to a moratorium on a missile test and uranium enrichment. the washington post editorial board says the u.s. fell for the

north korean trick yet again. the post editorial said the agreement will not bring about inspections of north korea's arsenal. it called this a built-in trigger for them to renege. the newspaper predicted north korea will continue enriching uranium at undeclared sites away from the yongbyon complex. now to other stories we're looking at from around the world starting with the cease-fire in the gaza strip. israel and palestinian militants in the gaza strip called for a truce to their cross border clashes. the agreement was mediated by egypt. israel has been launching air strikes against gaza since friday as palestinians fired rockets in retaliation. 25 palestinians had been killed in the fighting. the truce was mostly observe the by -- on tuesday. but each side has warned

fighting could resume if the other attacks. syrian forces are reportedly laying land mines along the country's borders as thousands of refugees try to flee. the international group human rights watch says the syrian army has planted mines near the turkish border. it quotes witnesses saying the explosive devices are already hurting civilians. u.s. state department spokesperson victoria newland says they're fencing their own people in she called the action horrific. times have changed. in 1990, 120,000 sets were sold in the u.s. alone, but the figure recently plunged to 8,000

as a result of online reference services including wikipedia, google and britannica's own internet edition. the chicago based firm says it will focus on its online version. the nuclear crisis in fukushima forced 88,000 people to leave their homes. and government officials drew up a two-year plan to decontaminate the zone around the plant. they hope some evacuees will return, but many residents say they'll never feel safe again. nhk world hiroki yajima reports. >> reporter: this woman and her family spend these days far from home. she, her husband, his father and their two children rent an apartment in iwaki husband.

she and her husband landed jobs. >> translator: i'm just hanging on here. i don't know what my future will be. >> reporter: she lived in yamoka town for 16 years. on march 11th, everything changed. she and her family jumped in the car the day after and left town. >> translator: i believe that the nuclear plant was 100% safe. i'm so confused. and cannot resolve my feelings. >> reporter: she became concerned that her daughter yuka might have suffered internal exposure. a checkup revealed she was safe. still, yuka had trouble adjusting to her new environment. she didn't know her new neighbors.

it took six months for her to feel she fit in. yamada was allowed to visit her home last month. if only for a few hours. >> translator: i don't want to take her to her home, but still she wants to go. i'll videotape it instead. >> translator: give me the chance to go back once. >> translator: i want to figure out how i feel, then bring our things back here. and all the good memories that go along with them. >> reporter: yamada videotaped her home. she wanted to show her children what had become of it. yamada and her husband will stand by what they found when they opened their door. floors were were littered with their belongings. some kind of animal had

scratched the floors. dust covered everything. but their old piano was exactly as it was. their children used to spend hours practicing. ♪ local government groups checked their piano for radiation and then they took it back to their apartment. then she showed them what had become of their old place. >> translator: elderly people say they want to return soon, but for me, considering the children's health and our jobs, i cannot even imagine going home.

>> reporter: the japanese government hopes its decontamination work will encourage evacuees to return home. but many like the yamadas say what they this is gone. they want to start again somewhere else. hiroki yajima, nhk world. diplomats from japan are trying to reassure europeans that japanese food is safe. the european union restricted imports after the nuclear accident in fukushima. several hundred guests atended an event at japan's embassy in belgium. the ambassador told them the japanese people appreciate europe's support. he called on european union officials to ease their restrictions. he said japanese inspectors conduct strict testing of their own. >> i hope everything will go back to normal very soon. and to share everything with japan, we are very glad. >> i think that japan still has

a way to go, but i'm very confident that japanese people have the power and the strength to go on this very good road. >> they served sushi and other japanese foods and sake to try to convince guests of their message. experts say a major earthquake and tsunami will hit the pacific coast of central japan. many people say how the giant wave killed so many in last year's disaster in tohoku and they are determined to avoid the same fate. >> kindergarten children take part in a drill in yaizu, a city on the coast. wearing protective hoods, the young students prepare for a major earthquake. first, they climb to a higher location. then they put on life jackets. a bank in the same prefecture is

also depending on the jackets to protect customers and staff. 43 branches of this bank along the prefecture's coast are also taking the same precautions. at an emergency devices exhibition in february, five companies displayed newly developed life jackets. they're specially designed to protect people from tsunamis. pulling the strings or contact with water causes this jacket to inflate. children can attach this gear to their backpack. it helps keep them safe while traveling to or from school. many people at the exhibition took a good look at this device. >> translator: it is hard. >> translator: it is the jacket's main selling point. if it is too soft, it can't

absorb the impact from the rubble. >> reporter: a company developed it. they specialized in making cushions for cars and motorcycles. until now, they hadn't made life jackets. the company president said he decided to make the jackets after watching tv reports about the tsunami. >> translator: i thought if only they had worn something to protect their bodies, it could have saved lives. >> reporter: the device protects people from strong impact. the polyurethane foam is unyielding and watertight. it took them eight months to come up with a jacket that can withstand the force of surging water and debris. it shields a person's neck and head, preventing or minimizing

injuries caused by rubble. it also is four times more buoyant than conventional life jackets. not even 30 kilograms of extra weight can submerge this man. the jacket for adults weighs about 3 kilograms and costs about $370. lots of people have asked about it. recently a couple who lived near the coast came to inspect the jackets. they bought seven. one for each family member. >> translator: the jacket won't let the rubble hurt you. if you think of it as a form of life insurance, it isn't that expensive. >> translator: i hope we don't have a tsunami. but if our products help people survive, i would really feel i had done something worthwhile. >> an expert in disaster prevention says life jackets do save lives during emergencies.

but he says the first priority should be finding a safe place. time to check on some of the stories we gathered from broadcasters around asia. we begin tonight with this item sent by ddi, india. the indian government presented its railway budget on wednesday, outlining plans to modernize a nek and improve safety standards. speaking in new delhi, the minister said about $280 billion are needed over the next ten years for modernization and infrastructure development. decades old tracks in a large number of unmanned railway crossings caused deadly accidents across india every year. india's state run railway system is the world's third largest, with a network of about 64,000 kilometers. it carries around 23 million people and 2.6 million tons of freight every day. a tropical forest in eastern malaysia has been identified as one of the world's oldest. it will be transformed into a

new eco tourism destination. the national park in the state of han has been reported to be about 130 million years old. it is abundant in exotic species of fauna and flora. 20 limestone caves in the forest are said to be more than 200 million years old. the park is already equipped with facilities like camping sites and walkways for visitors. it will undergo further development. thailand's government is working to improve the quality of its service economy in a bid to remain competitive after the asean economic committee comes into effect in 2015. the commerce ministry designated three areas of elderly care, spas and restaurants. and initiated a campaign to raise standards to meet high international demands. the ministry says it will hold workshops to help the workforce improve their skills. in thailand, about 1 million businesses are engaged in the

service sector, one of the country's key sources of revenue. and let's get a check of the weather from mai shoji. >> thank you, michio. we have a troublesome aspect here in northern coast of australia. monsoonal troughs are impacting heavily the northwestern coast, especially in northern territory. we have a tropical low that will be maintaining its intensity as it travels inland. and it is not a fast moving system. so it will be accumulating lots of rainfall. we already have reports in channel island, 219 millimeters of rainfall accumulation in the past 24 hours, over a short span. heavy rain. and additional 250 millimeters or more could be possible. and that's going to move inland in northern territory as i mentioned. we have a tropical cyclone over water, that's just hovering over this area for a while now. but that's directly impacting much of the coastal areas in and

around port headland with very strong winds already and picking up high waves and it is indirectly also impacting much of the coastal areas here too. enhancing the monsoonal troughs there and leading to 250 millimeters or more rainfall accumulation forecasted in the next 48 hours. let's take a look at the track for tropical cyclone lua. if it does make a u-turn and makes a track this way, well, it is going to become a category 3 hurricane -- tropical cyclone, excuse me, and now already a category 2. so it has intensified and looks like it may even become stronger. and by the time it approaches the coastal areas here, could become a category 4, so we'll definitely keep you updated. the wind gusts are already reaching up to about 130 kilometers per hour. heading over to asia now, here in tokyo we felt quite a big

earthquake. weatherwise in tokyo, sunny and dry weather across much of the pacific side and the korean peninsula. in northern japan, in tohoku as well as hokkaido, fresh snow of 20 to 30 centimeters could be piling up, so that could lead to some surface avalanche and landslides as well as mud slides to be aware of. but rapidly this will be moving away from landmasses by thursday. we have a low pressure system that is going to be intensifying as it moves towards the northeastern china. and that will be dumping some snow. making appearance of snow here in inland china as well, and this rain band will be stretching all the way towards western japan by this weekend. in northern philippines, still ongoing story with some isolated thunderstorm possibilities to be touching down. and manila, temperaturewise, 30 degrees. tokyo, looking at 12. as well as shanghai. and seoul, 11 degrees. finally, we're looking at positive digits in ulan batur at

4r 4, but that's dipping down to minus 8 on saturday. heading over to the americas, we have a wave of systems that will be impacting much of the pacific northwest. and in the similar areas we already have reports of some heavy snowfall in the cascades. it could accumulate as much as 30 centimeters and then another storm system will be impacting much of the similar areas yet again with some snowfall as well as heavy coastal rain and gusts reaching up to as much as 80 kilometers per hour. towards the east, freezing rain here in new england. and showers will be skirting across much of texas and up towards the great lakes region. some could be heavy and isolated thunderstorms could have possibilities of popping up. now, take a look at your temperatures. warm, minus 1 in winnipeg. but 14 across much of the east as well. here is the extended forecast.

that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline." i'm miko kajima in tokyo. thank you for watching. bye-bye.