welcome to nhk world "newsline." north korea has asked the united states to send experts to observe the launch in mid-april of what they say will be a satellite. a senior north korean diplomat says he made the request directly to u.s. officials in germany at the weekend. the end of the north korean foreign ministry's north american affairs bureau ri gun spoke to reporters in beijing on his way home. he met with u.s. officials including former undersecretary of state thomas pickering at a

two-day seminar in germany. the u.s. says it believes the launch is really to test a long range ballistic missile. ri said he had told pickering that the truth will be clear if u.s. observers witness it in person. meanwhile, chief cabinet secretary osamu fujimura says the invitation will be declined to visit the site of the plan the rocket launch. a pro pyongyang group in tokyo convade the invitation on monday to the japan aerospace exploration agency. fujimura told reporters that such a visit would not be permitted. >> translator: the government is asking japanese nationals to refrain from visiting north korea and urging them to call off the launch. it would not be appropriate for japanese officials in charge of aerospace exploration to visit the site. >> senior japanese and u.s. diplomats have agreed on the steps they'll take if north

korea launches the rocket. they and representatives of several other countries are urging leaders in the north to cancel the launch. the diplomats say the plan violates u.n. resolutions and they say the security council should take up the issue. the chief of the asian and asean affairs bureau at japan's foreign ministry shinsuke sugiyama met u.s. assistant secretary of state kurt campbell and other officials in washington. they discussed a common approach on north korea. >> translator: if north korea goes ahead with the launch, it will clearly be in violation of u.n. security council resolutions. >> japanese and u.s. government officials plan to call on north korean leaders to cancel the launch at an upcoming meeting of g-8 foreign ministers. the ministers will meet next week in washington. japanese self-defense force units equipped with the pac-3 intercepter missile system have

arrived in okinawa ahead of a planned rocket launch by north korea. the first intercepter units arrived at japan's southern most prefecture of okinawa on tuesday. japan's defense minister last friday ordered the interception of any debris from the rocket. 700 personnel will be deployed to prepare for the launch. the defense ministry says intercepter missile units will be placed in several locations around okinawa and in the tokyo metropolitan area. it also says three aegis-equipped destroyers will be deployed in east china sea and the sea of japan. the japanese cabinet agreed to extend its sanctions on north korea for another year before they expire on april 13th. the current extension is due to the north's planned rocket launch and its failure to reinvestigate the fate of japanese nationals it abducted. the sanctions were introduced six years ago after pyongyang carried out missile and nuclear experiments.

members of the association of southeast asian nations have called for sanctions against myanmar to be lifted. they held a summit the day after the results emerged from the landmark bi-election in myanmar. pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi is set to take a seat in parliament. asean hopes myanmar's progress will be rewarded. patchari raksawong in our bangkok bureau is covering the story. >> asean leaders called the results of sunday's bi-election in myanmar a big step towards democracy. the possible lifting of economic sanctions was also on the agenda at the summit in cambodia. such a move would help them achieve their goal of better integrating asean economies. nhk world has this report from phnom penh. >> reporter: myanmar is the focus of unwanted attention about its human rights record. but today, the summit in the

cambodian capital of phnom penh was different. myanmar's president thein sein received a warm welcome after sunday's historic bi-election. asean leaders praised the vote won by pro-democratic leader aung san suu kyi. the development could boost asean's project to create an economic community by 2015. cambodian prime minister hun sen chaired the summit. he apparently believes removing sanctions from the asean economic area to be an important step forward. asean leaders agreed to call on europe and the united states to

lift sanctions against myanmar. they said the move would further promote democratic reform in the country. >> one thing that we are very much keen on just now is to ensure the sanctions against myanmar be immediately lifted. it is extremely important as a symbol, as a democratic divider for a country that has become the process of change, and it's the process of change must be acknowledged. >> reporter: myanmar has rich natural resources but its economy has been closed from much of the world. lifting economic sanctions would benefit not only myanmar but the asean economic area. nhk world, phnom penh. in afghanistan resentment against coalition forces is taking a new and deadly form.

the past three months witnessed a spike in incidence of afghan soldiers causing the deaths of coalition troops. nato commanders are responding with a new strategy to tackle this insider threat. nhk world's hideki yui reports. >> reporter: the international security assistant forces, 17 of is personnel have been killed by afghan forces so far this year. an isaf spokesperson on monday promised to address the problem. >> we believe these measures along with our improved security measures will reduce and hopefully eliminate this threat. >> reporter: the nato-led mission says it will closely work with the afghan government to protect its troops. background checks will be strengthened. isaf have hiring afghan soldiers

and police officers to take over duties from its own personnel. it aims to transfer full security control to the afghan government by the end of 2014. but taliban members are believed to be among the afghan recruits. isaf wants to take strong measures to keep those infiltrators out, but some observers point out other reasons why coalition troops face a heightened threat. they include the burning of copies of the koran at the u.s. base, as well as the shooting rampage by an american soldier that killed afghan civilians. some believe those encouraged ordinary afghan soldiers, not insurgents, to target coalition troops.

it may be difficult for international forces to prevent further violence against growing anti-u.s. sentiment. hideki yui, nhk world. >> that will wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. nuclear energy is powering china's economic growth. the country has 15 reactors in operation and is building 26 more. still, the nuclear accident in japan last year caused people in china to worry about safety. many are speaking out. nhk world na kota oda has more. >> reporter: it doesn't look like much, but the message is clear. this sign says the government can't prevent all accidents. workers here in southeastern china are breaking ground for a

pla plant that is due you to have four reactors. they're trying to reassure the public of their safety. residents of a nearby town are not convinced. >> translator: if the plant blows up, it will affect us. the government should be realistic and talk with us. >> translator: if the plant has an accident, like the one in fukushima, it will contaminate the river. so it will also contaminate the big cities downstream. >> reporter: everyone in town depends on the river for water. most earn their living from

farming. even scientists for developed nuclear weapons is against the plant. >> translator: the accident at the fukushima daiichi plant taught us that we don't understand nuclear power well enough. i want to warn the public and our leaders. >> reporter: concerned citizens are starting to convince their local representatives. county officials filed a petition against the construction. a local authority opposing the national project in china is almost unheard of. >> translator: if the fukushima nuclear accident hadn't happened, people here wouldn't be so strongly opposed.

i believe the government will cancel the construction. its priority should be the lives and health of residents. >> reporter: government officials want to increase china's nuclear power generating capacity by around eight fold from 2010 to 2020. they reportedly aim to have 17 reactors in operation. still, opposition from the people they govern may -- makota oda, nhk world, beijing. japanese lawmakers agreed to force the president of aij investment advisers to give sworn testimony on massive losses the company's clients have suffered. top officials of the lower house financial affairs committee reached the agreement on tuesday. they plan to ask asakawa for

additional details about $1.2 billion in client pension money his company lost. last week he testified before the committee as an unsworn witness. the sworn witness has to give testimony under the penalty of law. the panel is expected to hold a hearing on friday next week. a japanese government survey shows the average winter bonus hit a record low last year. this is the third straight year of decline. the labor ministry surveyed 33,000 companies nationwide with five or more employees. data collection began in 1990. the average bonus per employee paid by domestic firms fell nearly 2% in yen terms from a year ago. the amount is about $4500. the ministry says the decline is due to poor business performance mainly at small firms. the factors cited are that march disaster last year and the strong yen. japanese companies usually pay bonuses twice a year, once in june, and again in december.

in the politics of southern asia, it seems that for every silver lining there is a cloud. with u.s. forces killed osama bin laden last year, one consequence was a further strain in u.s./pakistan relations. it enflamed pakistan's resentment. pakistan moved away from the u.s. and closer to china. one effect of this is being felt by people living in pakistan. the region lives in the west of china. many have migrated to pakistan. ethnic tensions sometimes escalate into violence. but even across the border in pakistan, the uygurs no longer feel secure. many of them feel pakistan's closer ties with china led to them being harassed there as well. nhk world hideki yui reports

from islamabad. >> reporter: china and pakistan conducted joint military drill in pakistan. one exercise involved attacking a supposed terrorist organization hiding in the mountains. >> reporter: their target is an extremist organization called etim, which is fighting for uygur independence from china. >> those elements of etim who are operating in the border areas of southern afghanistan. >> reporter: many of pakistan's uygurs live in a community outside of the capital, islamabad. this man runs a shop.

he thinks chinese authorities are watching them with the pakistani government. four years ago, he set up an ngo to teach children uygur culture and language. but after they began speaking to the media about the differences between uygur and chinese culture, they started receiving threats. >> translator: i received death threats. they said i'm damaging the friendship between pakistan and china. a group of men came to our homes at night and demanded we stop giving the classes. >> reporter: last year, six members of the ngo were denied permission to board a plane at an airport. they were told they were on a government black list and could not leave pakistan. >> translator: our activities are legal. we should be removed from the

black list. stopping us from traveling infringes our rights. >> translator: the pakistani government says our activities are legal, but tee mademands us stop because the chinese government opposes our cause. >> reporter: the court said state security authorities concluded they were involved in anti-state activities and likely to flee to the united states in the near future. nhk asked the pakistan's interior ministry about the ruling, but the ministry declined to comment. >> translator: it is a great disappointment. we have nothing to do with china or terrorist organizations. we just want to protect uygur culture and language. >> reporter: few people would

deny that it is good when countries get along with their neighbors, but for the uygurs of pakistan, friendship with china is one reason for concern. hideki yui, nhk world, islamabad. >> hideki yui joins us from islamabad. hideki, how strong are pakistan/china relations today? >> right. pakistan's military donates to the country's politics. they have been strengthening ties with china as a source for weapons. in fact, china has become pakistan's number one supplier in recent years. the two countries growing ties extend to the energy sector. china is expected to build new nuclear power plants in pakistan. last year a pakistani cabinet member made remarks suggesting the country's attitude toward china. he said china's enemy is pakistan's enemy.

uygurs in pakistan view this with a sense of unease. >> going forward, do you think pakistan will deepen ties with china even further? >> i definitely think so. after the september 11 attacks in the united states, pakistan drew huge military and financial support from the u.s. in its fight against terrorism. but relations are deteriorating and it can't expect further u.s. help. this is one reason why china is increasingly important to pakistan. unless it improves ties with u.s., pakistan's dependence on china looks set to grow. >> thank you, hideki. nhk world's hideki yui. let's now take a look at the latest market figures.

the elements are once again battering japanese. residents have weathered a winter of record snow and avalanches. now an intense spring storm is sweeping across the country. powerful winds have caused three deaths and injured more than 300 people. a low pressure system over the sea of japan has brought strong winds to both the west and the east of the country. the west was hit by gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour. the low pressure system continues to develop and move eastward. airlines have stopped more than 700 domestic flights and some bullet trains have also been canceled. the storm has disrupted local trains too. traffic is also backed up in

many cities. the storm has brought havoc to tokyo's public transportation system. riina nikata reports from one of the capital's busiest hubs. >> reporter: some of tokyo's rail lines have stopped running. others are offering reduced services and many companies sent their staff home early. we're getting sudden bursts of strong winds and umbrellas thrown on the sidewalk here. many people aren't taking the train home. they're seeking other forms of transportation. >> translator: i rode my bike to the station, but i'm taking a taxi home because of the weather. >> we're trying to get to dinner tonight and we're completely stuck. we can't get on a bus. the tube stopped running and the taxi, i think, we have to wait about an hour. >> reporter: japan's meteorological agency advised people to stay inside. rina nakano, nhk world, tokyo. and from the weather team,

here is mai shoji. mai? >> thank you very much, gene. well, the peak of this stormy condition has passed in the kanto region. this storm is directing toward hokkaido moving in a northeasterly direction as it further develops. but the winds are still packing up here in kanto region. we have maximum wind reports here in tomogashima, 116 kilometers per hour, a record breaker for the month of april. even in tokyo international airport, 98 kilometers per hour has been reported. now, these winds are still going to be very, very strong. 100 kilometers per hour when it travels to hokkaido. and high waves are going to be picking up throughout wednesday, as much as ten meters in both coastal areas. rainfall accumulation could be staggering amounts as well. we're talking about 50 to 70 millimeters in just the span of one hour. so, still, it is going to be

impacting much of japan with severe conditions. this is what it looks like. you can see all these isobars very near each other. so winds are still really strong. and as it develops over hokkaido, it will be moving over northern japan region wednesday morning and still dumping heavy rain and also the upper cold air will be surging in towards this area, leaving behind the wintry pattern. so we may see snow accumulation as much as 40 centimeters into the next 24 hours. but southern and central portions of japan will see things clear out in the next 24 hours. let's head over to the americas. severe conditions and thunderstorm activity has been reported here in south plains. now, we are still going to be seeing severe -- similar thunderstorm activity including tornadoes in and around eastern texas as well as oklahoma and even in the ohio river valley

regions. damaging winds, large hail, still tornadic activity not ruled out. the pacific northwest will see coastal heavy rain, ongoing situation will trigger flooding conditions. temperaturewise, seattle at 10. we're looking at denver just at 6 degrees. really below average. here in oklahoma city, 26. new york, though, plenty of sunshine, at 17 degrees. let's head over to europe. few upper level low disturbances will be targeting much of the western half of europe. so things are going to be really messy around here. thundershowers will be targeting much of these regions. and also here, coastal rain will be targeting the northern scandinavian peninsula. things will be clearing out here in northwestern russia, though, diminishing snow showers to be seen in the next 24. but still moscow, just 4 degrees, kiev with all these warm surge of air, bringing up the temperatures. and now across much of the central and the west, looking

really fine. vienna reaching up to 22 degrees with chances of thunderstorms. rome at 18. where we really want that rain, it is not going to be really easing off that severe drought condition in the iberian peninsula, but any kind of rain is still welcomed here. madrid, 17 degrees. looking at lisbon at 16. here's your extended forecast.

once again, our lead story, north korea has asked the united states to send experts to observe the launch in mid-april of what they say will be a satellite. a senior north korean diplomat says he made the request directly to u.s. officials in germany at the weekend. the head of the north korean foreign ministry's north american affairs bureau ri gun spoke to reporters in beijing on his way home. he met with u.s. officials including former undersecretary of state thomas pickering at a two-day seminar in germany. the u.s. said it believes the launch is really to test a long range ballistic missile. ri said he told pickering that the truth will be clear if u.s. observers witness it in person. we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

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