welcome to nhk world "newsline." one-meter high waves have been measured on indonesia, sumatra island after an earthquake hit. an aftershock has shaken people in the region. the geological survey has issued a tsunami watch for the indian ocean. the survey says the quake struck at 8:38 utc on wednesday at a depth of 23 kilometers off aceh, sumatra. it covered a large area of the

indian ocean. a magnitude 8 aftershock hit two hours after the quake. indonesian authorities issued a tsunami warning soon after it hit. the tsunami warning center says a tsunami may reach large coastal areas, including indonesia, india, madagascar, but it lifted the tsunami watch for many areas, including australia and africa. a resident on an island near the quake's epicenter told nhk strong jolts continued very similar and were very similar to the earthquake that hit the area in 2004. off the northern sumatra reported people have evacuated to higher ground. a local reporter in banda aceh said the shops are back to normal. soichiro tanezawa told us people across the country are on alert.

>> reporter: right now i'm in the city of yogyakarta. i didn't feel any shaking here, but the big earthquake of 2004 is fresh in the minds of the people of indonesia. people here in yogyakarta are trying to find out as much information as they can. i can see on tv screens the people near the epicenter evacuating to higher ground. the president made a statement on television. nhk spoke by phone with a japanese diplomat in the city of medan. it is several hundred kilometers from the epicenter. he said he felt earthquakes strongly and had to hang on to his desk. he said he immediately ran out of the building. nhk staff based in banda aceh said she saw a big crack in the ground.

they said the shaking there lasted for about 30 seconds, but there was less damage inside the hotel. >> that was soichiro tanezawa from the island of java. in other news, members of north korea's ruling workers party have named the country's young leader kim jong-un as first secretary. it's a newly created post. they have designated his late fae father kim jong-il as the secretary. >> translator: the supreme leader of the party and the people kim jong-un has been named first secretary of the party. >> they named kim jong-un to the post because of the recognition being given to his father. kim jong-il died last december. this kind of move has happened before. north korea leaders named the country's founder kim jong-un's

grandfather eterm president after he died in 1994. north korea is completing the transfer of power from kim jong-il to his son. the supreme people's assembly will be held on friday. kim jong-un is expected to assume the country's top post, chairman of the national defense commission. in the middle of all these political events, north korean space officials are expected to carry out their much-anticipated launch. they say they're fueling up the rocket they're using to send a satellite into orbit sometime between thursday and monday. many countries question their intentions, though. they believe the north is testing its ballistic missile capabilities. the space officials say the launch will happen in to tongchang-ri. north korean authorities allowed journalists from about 20 countries into the satellite control center wednesday. it's located in the capital. the head of the control center

is from the korean committee of space technology. he told reporters the satellite is now loaded on the rocket. paek did not specify the exact date or time of the launch. the official in charge of the launch site said the rocket can be fueled quickly and automatically from equipment located beneath the launchpad. u.n. security council members are working on how they will respond if north korea goes ahead with the launch. u.s. ambassador to the united nations susan rice says members agree the launch would be a provocation. >> we think that as a consequence of that, should it occur, the council will need to convene and to respond credibly. >> the north launched a

long-range rocket in 2009. the security council adopted a statement condemning the act rather than a resolution which would have been stronger. china holds veto on the conference. they're likely to oppose any new resolution. analysts say delegates of western nations are still trying to draw concessions in in syria and do not want to create any more additional disagreements. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton and soichiro gemba will urge north korea to cancel the launch at the last minute. they should issue a statement condemning the launch. they will meet later in the day. >> translator: i believe it's important that g-8 foreign ministers send a strong message at the upcoming meeting. >> we believe that strength and security will not come from more

provocations, but from north korea living up to its commitments and obligations. >> gemba said the launch would hinder u.s. efforts to resume dialogue with leaders in pyongyang. south korea and japanese personnel are prepared to intercept anything that enters their air space. they said they've dealt with such provocations before. >> reporter: north korea tested its first mid-range ballistic missile in 1993. it had a range of 1300 kilometers, making it capable of reaching almost any part of japan, or its territories. the first launch of a long-range missile, the taepodong 1 took place in 1998. that missile flew over japan before falling into the pacific ocean. in july 2006, north korea carried out a series of tests over the sea of japan.

firing seven missiles at once. one of them, the taepodong 2 has a range of 6,000 kilometers. that means it is capable of reaching the mainland united states. three years later, pyongyang tested an improved version of its long-range taepodong 2. analysts believe north korea's missile development program has several objectives. one is to enhance its military power. the north korean government also views its missile test as a trump card in negotiations with the u.s. analysts also suspect north korea hopes to use missile technology exports as a source of revenue. >> earlier yuko aotani spoke on the latest development in korea who studies and teaches on the issues at the national institute for policy studies, or g.r. p.s., in tokyo.

>> one size says this is the rocket and the other says this is the missile launch. what is your opinion? >> north korea is likely to mount what they call a satellite on a missile. but i cannot say for certain whether it's really a satellite or not. the rocket itself is believed to be a variant of the taepodong 2 ballistic missile. an important point will be whether the north succeeds at putting a so-called satellite into orbit. previous attempts have failed. in 2009 the first and second stages of the booster ew well but the third one did not separate. if north korea succeeds this time in putting the satellite into orbit, it will mean the country is capable of delivering a lightweight payload to the continental united states. that would reinforce north korea's position when it negotiates with washington. >> what distinguishes this launch from the previous ones?

>> the fact that the missile would be launched to the south. on the past three occasions north korea launched the missiles to the east. since the earth spins to the east, the missile would have greater acceleration flying eastward, then why are the north koreans launching the missile to the south. my guess is they are trying to simulate a missile attack on the u.s. mainland. in order to attack the u.s. mainland, you have to launch a missile to the north. however, if you do so, the first stage of booster would fall over china, and the second one over russia. so you don't want to do that. as a result, the north koreans have decided to launch a missile to the south where it has a clear path over the ocean. >> so is the launch likely to succeed, do you think? >> well, north korea's launching more or less the same missile launched in 2009 so north korea is using the proven technology.

but then the missile flew more than 3,000 kilometers. however, in the past three taepodong flight tests, north korea has never succeeded in launching what they call a satellite. so the missile launch is likely to succeed, but what they call a satellite might not be put into orbit. anyway, this is their fourth attempt. so we'll wait and see what happens. china's ruling communist party has suspended a bo xilai, a senior member who used to be party member in chongqing and destined for better things. the xinhua news agency reports the party suspended bo on his political bureau. members suspect he was involved in serious violations of discipline. bo was a notable member of a

faction of the children leaders. a former close aide temporarily fled to the u.s. consulate in february to seek asylum. party leaders there dismiss bo as chongqing party chief. they said banishing him effectively ends his career. his wife is being investigated for the murder of a british citizen. neil heywood was found dead last november in a chongqing hotel. police were quoted as saying the murder was motivated by a fight over business interests. >> reporter: people have plenty to say about bo's suspension and his wife is expected in the involvement in the murder.

>> translator: i think he's a typical politician with a long list of scandals. >> i don't think the communist rty should have suspended him. we need a politician like him. >> the state-run agency is calling for chinese to stay united. they're asking him to join forces in the communist party's leadership. but the scandal won't just go away. especially given the fact that bo's wife, gu, is being questioned by british police. the british government is asking china to investigate heywood's death. now, foreign secretary is asking for china's action on the case. >> it should be investigated in itself, irrespective of political considerations. >> reporter: the issue involving

bo remains political. they hope they've minimized the impact by sidelining him and speeding up the heywood murder investigation. >> nhk in beijing. top officials with the united nations say more money is needed to avert a humanitarian crisis in northern africa. they're concerned about an area known as the is ahill region. it's south of the sahara desert. people are struggling through the worst drought in a decade. 50 million face food shortages and mal nutrition. the u.n. wants the country to donate $720 million. it's received half that amount so far. anthony lake says the world is indifferent to the crisis in the region, and that has to change. world health organization chan says many children will die unless more funds are provided. leaders of japan, there's

the music, leaders of japan and china are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the normalization of their nation's diplomatic ties. the chinese government sponsored a ceremony tuesday in tokyo. culture minister said he believes the year of events will add a colorful new page to the history of the country's friendship. japan's chief cabinet secretary called for exchanges on a personal level. people in southampton, england, are paying tribute to those who died in the sinking of the "titanic." children paraded through the city carrying placards of those deceased. most of its crew called southampton home. city officials held an opening ceremony for a new museum to exhibit memorabilia from the

ship. descendents of survivors attended the event. the asia development released its economic outlook for the asia pacific region on wednesday. the forecast, strong growth in 2012, at a slightly slower pace. nhk world reports from hong kong. >> reporter: according to the outlook for 2012, despite the weak economy, developing asia will continue to have steady growth. it covers the economies in 44 countries and territories in the asia-pacific region, excluding japan other advanced countries. it says growth will average 6.9% in 2012. slightly slower than last year's 7.2%. but it expects the region to bounce back again in 2013, with growth of 7.3%.

a chief economist said exporters to u.s. and europe may suffer a charp decline. it should be offset by the spending power of the middle class. he said europe's debt problems remain the external risk. >> it will mean this crisis will not be contained for long. it is spread throughout the u.s., japan, and then spread out to asia. the asian economy heavily depends on exports. and we rely on the international currency to clear this export. >> reporter: and there is a threat in the gap between the rich and poor. the income gap has widened significantly in the last two decades. >> ironically, the same factors which contribute to the high growth in asia is contributing

to the rising equalities. i think the major reason is the change of technical progress. rising in the wage differences of the educated and non-educated people. and declining wage share in the incomes. and then rising disparities in the coastal regions. that's why we're saying the policymakers have to address these three key factors. >> reporter: bridging the gap between haves and have-nots is crucial for maintaining healthy economy growth in asia. he said it's time for government to imme meant policies that share the benefits of the development. nhk world, hong kong. here are the latest market figures.

the first underground railway in asia is getting a makeover. people have been riding the tokyo metro's ginza line since the 1920s, and over the decades it's gone through some changes. but this latest renewal is a tribute to the past. nhk world's reina nakano shows us. >> reporter: this might seem like deja vu, but it's not. still, the new train on tokyo's

ginza line, lemon yellow body, chocolate brown roof, and boxy design, looks a lot like the old train. >> translator: it resembles the one i rode many years ago. it brings back memories. >> reporter: tokyo metro designers and engineers found inspiration from the past. 1927, to be exact. the year the ginza line's first train made its debut. back then, thousands of people waited for more than two hours to experience this state of the art technology for just five minutes. the train rode the rails for 40 years. then it became a museum piece. the new train features the same yellow. a reminder of a time when workers needed to paint trains that color for better visibility underground. but not everything about this new metro is retro.

on the inside, it's outfitted with up-to-date technology. l.e.d. lights that cuter energy efficient air conditioning systems, and a 17-inch flat screen display. this unique mix of past and present has both riders and designers excited for the future. >> translator: by bringing back this design, i feel close to the older generation. >> translator: i think it looks pretty cool. >> translator: i hope the older folks can recall the memories they made here 85 years ago, and make new ones with their grandchildren on this train. >> reporter: metro officials say by early 2017, all 38 trains on the ginza line will get this retro metro look.

nhk world, tokyo. there may be some wet weather forecast in indonesia. robert speta joins us once again for the forecast. robert? >> afternoon rain showers and thunderstorms will continue to pop up out across much of sumatra here. this is expected throughout the remainder of the week as tropical thunderstorms develop, primarily into the afternoon and evening hours. but this is going to be bringing in a risk of mud slides and land slides. as the ground is already saturated here, when the ground begins to shake, that does bring the risk of some of this topsoil to begin to slide down some of these steeper elevations out across much of the interior regions of sumatra. also, out here in banda aceh, let's look at the forecast here. rain showers every day, thursday, friday and saturday. these are also primarily in the afternoon hours, but adding to

that risk of those mud slides. we'll look back at the bigger picture. here in japan, an area of low pressure is moving through, but it will quickly move off the eastern coast by thursday morning. although it is bringing gusty winds. 100 kilometer winds was reported toward hokkaido. here in nagasaki prefecture, you saw 130 millimeters of rainfall today. this is bringing the threat of some localized flooding. but good news, as it quickly rushes off to the east, high pressure will be ridging in behind it, bringing fair conditions out here across the korean peninsula and japan. still watching a launch site here for the possible rocket launch this week. and on thursday, friday and saturday, high pressure is going to be dominating here, bringing sunny conditions. some partly cloudy skies could move through. but overall winds will remain light, although on sunday going into monday, cloudy skies will prevail, with some rain showers actually on monday expected there. so very unfavorable for launch on these two days. although thursday, friday,

saturday would be the better days for that. let's look at temperatures out here in seoul. 15 for your high. beijing, 23. down towards the south, tropical moisture continues to develop here. bangkok at 36. into the low 30s across much of indonesia, that's also assisting into the rain showers there as well. now, let's look into the americas. just off the northwestern coast of the united states here, lingering area of low pressure still pumping moisture onto the northwest, and northern california rain showers are expected in the coastal areas. up to 20 centimeters of snowfall can be expected on your thursday here. a little bit farther inland and those higher elevations above the freezing line. i also want to take your attention to the central plains. we have this area of low pressure. this has been persisting all week. two tornadoes have already fell out of this low, and also large amounts of hail causing several injuries. it does look like this area is going to be the hot spot again

today, as cold air surges in from the north. warm air pumps in from the south. they will collide here in western texas, and also western oklahoma, bringing the threat of even more tornadic activity. large hail, damaging winds, and flash floods cannot be ruled out here, even towards new mexico, you could be seeing those flooding rains there. i also want to talk about the cold air spilling in from the north. this is bringing cooler temperatures there. winnipeg, you're only looking at a high of 8. the overnight hours there and across much of the great lakes the temperatures will likely be dropping to subfreezing, and it will make it very chilly here with the windchill. the winds will be a factor across much of the eastern seaboard. combined with the dry air is bringing the risk of fire weather up and down the coastlines there. north and south, very warm at 29. houston, 29, looking at for miami. here's our extended outlook.

our lead story for this hour, an 8.6 magnitude earthquake hit indonesia's sumatra island. but after four hours, the u.s. pacific tsunami warning center has lifted all tsunami watches related to it. the u.s. geological survey said the quake struck at 8:38 utc on wednesday at a depth of 23 kilometers off aceh sumatra. the tsunami watch covered a large area of the indian ocean. strong jolts continued for several minutes and were similar to the earthquake that hit the area in 2004. another resident who lives in in northern sumatra said people evacuated to higher ground. some towns are back to normal and a number of shops have resumed operations. more updates coming up in 30

minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.