hello there, and welcome to "newsline." it's friday april 20th, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. analysts in north korea refle reflected for a week for what they say was an effort to put a satellite into space. the rocket blew up last friday two minutes after takeoff. north koreans finished analyzing the launch and said they're determined to press ahead with their aerospace program.

>> north korea's committee of space technology released a statement about the launch. it did not mention why the launch failed. the statement criticizes the united states, south korea and japan for violating what the north koreans call their right to use space for peaceful purposes. the united nations security council concluded the launch used ballistic missile technology and contra veened u.n. resolutions. south korea unveiled new cruise missiles that it said could strike any part of north korea. officials say this is a warning to the north. the south's defense ministry

showed video of the missile test launch to the media. it showed the missile in flight then hitting a targeted hut hundreds of kilometers away. the ministry did not reveal the exact range or number of missiles deployed but a senior military officer said it can strike anywhere in north korea. he added that his country will retaliate against any provocation. the domestically developmented missile resembles the u.s. tomahawk and has a range of 1,000 kilometers. this is the first time the south formally disclosed its deployment. t details of the missile have come only through media reports. india test ranged a long range ballistic missile capable of reaching beijing. india and china are the two emerging economic and military powers. india's test could spark renewed tensions between the two rivals.

nhk world reports from new delhi. >> reporter: the indian defense ministry sees the long-range missile was launched thursday from an island in the bay of bengal. it stuck s it successfully hit its target in the southern indian ocean. >> i sincerely hope that in years to come scientists and technologists promoting self-reliance in defense and other walks of life. >> reporter: as recently as november, india successfully tested a mid-range ballistic missile. it's said to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads. the range of 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers is enough to strike most major cities in china.

but the five is capable of hitting targets up to 5,000 kilometers away including beijing and most of other parts of asia. the defense ministry claims the five is also capable of carrying nuclear warheads. but that claim is open to question. it's uncertain whether india has the technology needed to downsize nuclear warheads for long-range delivery. india is on a drive to modernize its armed forces. the country's military budget this year is up 17.6% from 2011. india says the missile is for defensive purposes only. the five will undergo further testing for possible deployment within two to three years. indian media said the launch is

historic saying india had joined the club of superpowers. the missile test could affect the balance of power in asia. it's likely to cause particular concern in china, with which india is engaged in a lingering territorial dispute. nhk world, new delhi. we spoke to defense analyst rohoe beddi about the missile launch and the military ties. he is a correspondent with janes defense weekly in new delhi. we reached him by phone. >> india is very concerned with the chinese missile capability and also concerned with chinese presence in the indian ocean. china is developing an aircraft carrier. china is developing nuclear submarines. so the overall chinese military development is a source of

tremendous concern to india. the relations between india and china, political, diplomatic, economic, has improved over the last eight or ten years. trade is booming. it's about $50 billion or $60 billion. there's a lot of political and diplomat exchange. at the same time, there is an underlying tension between india and china because of the outstanding border dispute. india and china have a border dispute which is one of the longest running disputes in the world. india is very concerned about pakistan and china's close military and nuclear relationship. because both are old friends and there is a lot of military and nuclear cooperation between the two sides. so the increasing concern of indian security planners is a two-front collaboration between pakistan and china. >> that was rahul redi in new

delhi. india's launch triggered reaction from china's foreign ministry. a spokesperson is urging friendship and cooperation in an effort to build regional peace and security. >> translator: china and india are leading emerging nations. we are not rivals but cooperative partners. >> liu did not comment on the impact the missile test could have on china's security. analysts say the chinese government's restrained reaction is aimed at making progress in the negotiations over its border dispute with india. tokyo governor ishitara says he wants japan's government to

take a firmer stance on territorial disputes. he says his plan to purchase three islands is designed to encourage a more clear-cut national policy. ishihara returned from the united states on thursday. while in washington he says the tokyo government plans to purchase the privately owned senkaku islands in the east china sea. >> translator: the japanese government should be more vocal about its sovereignty over the islands. if the government steps up and underscores its territorial rights, tokyo will withdraw its offer. >> the senkaku islands are administered by japan and claimed by china and taiwan. ishihara's government plans to purchase the islands next april after a rental agreement between the central government and island's owner. china's government is drawing the animosity of its neighbors. chinese officials are making

efforts to boost their tro territorial claims over international waters. the state oceanic administration aflounce ennounced a plan to pr their environments. it classified a special category of islands serving as markers for territorial waters as being crucial for defense. chinese officials will bolster their claims over these islands by installing navigational aids and observation facilities. they'll also put up signs on 6,000 islands by 2020 to display the names in mandarin. the plan makes no direct mention of the disputed senkaku islands in the east china sea, but china also claims sovereignty over the islands. it's believed they're included in the plan as being chinese territory. japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda may not have good news for u.s. president barack obama when they meet in washington later this month. tokyo has yet to make a final decision on joining a regional

free trade pact that involves the u.s. despite two years of negotiations. noda revealed his thoughts in a recent interview with "the washington post." japan's support for the trans-pacific partnership is waning as consultations continue with the u.s. and other nations on joining the negotiations. the ttp would open new markets for japan's exporters but it could endanger the country's agriculture industry which is protected by high tariffs. noda said opinions on the pact are still divided across japan and we wants to continue public debate. he dismissed the idea of setting a deadline for reaching a decision. the prime minister also commented on the realignment of u.s. forces stationed in okinawa, southwestern japan. he said it's important to prevent the u.s. futenma base from being a permanent fixture at its current location. he hopes points of contention will be openly discussed when he

meets with obama. now let's take a look at the market figures. in afghanistan, support for the presence of foreign troops is on the decline, following a string of scandals. another embarrassing incident is now putting the u.s. military under even more pressure. patchari raksawong in bangkok

have the details. >> photos show u.s. soldiers posing with the remains of dead insurgents. senior u.s. officials rushed to denounce the actions of the soldiers and promise an investigation. nhk world reports. >> reporter: "the los angeles times" published a photograph in its wednesday edition. the papers say they were taken in 2010. senior officials tried to limit the damage. u.s. defense secretary leon panetta in a meeting denounced actions of the soldiers. >> i strongly condemned what we see in those photos, as has general allen. that behavior that was depicted in tho photos absolutely violates both our regulations and more importantly our core

values. >> reporter: a string of incidents by u.s. troops in afghanistan created anti-american sentiment. they have been accused of burning of copies of the koran and in one case killing 17 afghan villagers. in brussels, nato members decided wednesday to stick to the planned withdrawal of international troops by the end of 2014. >> let me stress that there is no change whatsoever. it is in the interest of the whole international community to see strong and highly capable afghan security forces take full responsibility for its security by the end of 2014. >> reporter: that statement by the nato security general came

the same day that afghan defense ministries say the country will need at least $4.1 billion a year from the international community to maintain security after foreign troops leave. nato is due to discuss long-term aid for afghanistan at a meeting in the united states next month. but many members of the alliance says financial difficulties of their own. for them the afghan mission looks increasingly hard. nhk world, kabul. >> multiple attacks in kabul on sunday and monday were among the worst violence afghanistan has seen in weeks. the taliban has now released a video of militants it says played a role in the offensive.

the footage was apparently performed before the acts began. they say they're acting in retaliation for recent misconduct by u.s. soldiers. the taliban posted photographs and video footage online of 30 men it says executed the attacks. they're presumed to have died during the fighting. one man in the video warns there will be more attacks. he says many of his fellow militants will rise up to get revenge for the actions of the u.s. military. the taliban is apparently trying to win support among the afghan people by being seen to take revenge for the recent misdeeds of u.s. troops. and that will wrap up our bulletin. i'm tchari raksawong in

bangkok. negotiators from the palestinian authority and israel are trying to get over their mutual frustrations. a palestinian delegation submitted a letter from mahmoud abbas earlier this week to israeli prime minister benjamin y netanyahu. palestinian leaders applied last november to get u.n. membership as an independent state. abbas is requesting the gaza, the west bank and east jerusalem be recognized as territories of palestine. israel occupied the areas in the 1967 middle east war. the united states is a permanent member of the security council, and president barack obama has indicated the u.s. would use its veto power to block any move by the u.n. to recognize palestinian membership. the request has been put on hold. nhk's senior commentator and former middle east correspondent

interviewed mahmoud abbas. he spoke to our sheri ahn about the palestinian initiative. >> so what demands did the palestinian president make in his letter? >> i asked president abbas about that. he said many of the demands palestinians have made for years. >> welcome to japan again. i'm very happy to see you again. >> thank you. >> this is the main issue that the israelis should seize all kinds of settlement activities and at the same time recognize the borders accordance to six to seven borders. if they accept this, of course, we will. activities in the west bank is endangering the two-state solution. >> building settlements is illegal according to international laws. and expansion of israeli settlements means eroding territories slated for the

future palestinian state. that would make an independent palestinian state more difficult. so abbas said israel must put an end to expanding settlements totally. >> but will the israelis ever agree to that? >> i don't think so. netanyahu's main support comes from the right wing and from the jewish settlers, themselves. the settlers would not give up their land and netanyahu has been refusing to recognize the pre-1960 civil war boundaries as a basis for the future borders. >> so then how will the palestinians respond to that? >> well, abbas has played out the scenarios. this is how he says things will unfold. >> after we exchange letters, if we get nothing, the americans will bring some options, as they told us, when we find that there's no way with the israelis

to return back. maybe an option to seek for a non-member state, we'll call it a non-member state in the general assembly. >> palestine olds status as united nations palestine organization. they're seeking to get their status promoted as an observer to an independent palestinian state, without getting u.n. membership. >> is that a realistic scenario? >> the process doesn't require a vote in the security council. it only needs majority of the general assembly. abbas say he's confident of getting the necessary votes. israel may refuse to return to occupy the territories, even if general assembly grants a palestinian state. in this case, palestine would become an independent state.

abbas seems determined. he recognizes that the peace process is a must for independence and establishing a palestinian state. and he seems determined to achieving a final peace agreement with israel. all right. the u.s. space shuttle "discovery" arrived at its new home near washington, d.c., as a museum artifact. a welcome ceremony was held for "discove "discovery" at the smithsonian. it was attended by more than 2,000 visitors as well as nasa officials and former astronauts who served as space shuttle commanders. >> nasa will continue to inspire the young people of today and tomorrow to dream of space, to dream of uncovering the secrets of the universe. >> former astronaut john glenn became the oldest person to travel to space when he traveled

aboard "discovery" in 1998 at age 77. he expressed regret that the shuttle is now retired but voiced hope for future space programs. after the ceremony, visitors were allowed access to the spaceship. >> sad we'll never fly again, but it's really cool being able to have them in a museum and be able to visit them. >> "discovery" became a symbol of america's space development, making 39 trips into space. the most of the three retired u.s. shuttles. sayaka mori joins us now with the world weather forecast. sayaka, good morning. what can we expect for r the weekend? >> good morning, catherine. the northern half of japan will stay dry into the weekend, but it's a different story for western japan. heavy rain is covering much of the area. thunderstorms and gusty winds are occurring in some locations. as you can see, most of the precipitation should be fwogone

tonight, however, a stronger low-pressure system will be moving into that area producing more intense showers and winds on saturday. it's going to be particularly windy along the sea of japan's side. so waves could reach 5 meters along the coast. as for china, parts of the southeast coast is staying, a respite from the rain at this moment. however, a strong storm system will be moving into that area again, so heavy rain will return on saturday here. but on sunday, some areas will see dry conditions, so that's good news. down toward southeast asia, the eastern half of the indochina peninsula will see seasonal showers, again, and similarly wet. but northern half of the philippines will stay dry. highs will be getting up to 35 trees in manila on friday. and 25 degrees in hong kong. moderate rain in taipei, with 27. another warm day for you in seoul with 21 and about 4

degrees lower than average in tokyo with a high of 15 degrees. now, moving over to the americas. a strong low-pressure system is approaching british columbia and the pacific northwest. starting to produce stormy conditions. but as the system pushes on through the east, it will dissipate quite quickly. then we have a larger low-pressure system over the central u.s., producing a mix of rain and snow in the lower great lakes. and severe weather, the threat of severe weather from iowa into northern texas. as the system pushes on through the east, snow is in the cards in southern ontario and quebec and severe weather in southern texas on your friday. the florida peninsula will see leftover showers into friday. the high is expected to be 28 degrees in miami on friday. and reaching the upper 20s in washington, d.c., and new york city. but cooling down to 14 degrees in toronto, 11 in chicago.

out toward the west, summer-like, 30 degrees in l.a. now, moving over to europe. messy picture again. multiple systems are still producing thunderstorms. gusty winds and heavy rain across the western continent. and the central mediterranean count countries. then we have another low-pressure system producing moderate rain in eastern europe. that's going to move toward the north and as it does so, rain should change over to a mixture of rain and snow. and out toward the west, still messy picture across much of the british isles, but heavy rain in the london area is starting to move toward scotland. so london will see some lighter showers today, however, heavy rain will return over the weekend. so that could affect the london marathon coming up on your sunday. so it's going to be a tough conditions for the runners. as for temperatures for the rest of europe, getting up to 14 degrees in paris. warming up to 17 in madrid. out toward the east, very warm

for this time of year. 18 degrees in moscow. all right. that's it for me now. and here's your extended forecast. our lead stories this hour. analysts in north korea have reflected for a week on what they say was an effort to put a satellite into space.

the rocket blew up last friday less than two minutes after takeoff. the north koreans say they've finished analyzing the launch. they say they're determined to press ahead with their aerospace program. >> north korea's committee of space technology released a statement about the launch. it did not mention why the launch failed. the statement criticizes the united states, south korea and japan for violating what the north koreans call their right to use space for peaceful purposes. the united nations security council concluded the launch

used ballistic missile technology and contra veened u.n. resolutions. south korea unveiled new cruise missiles that it said could strike any part of north korea. officials say this is a warning to the north. the south's defense ministry showed video of the missile test launch to the media. it showed the missile in flight then hitting a targeted hunt hundreds of kilometers away. the ministry did not reveal the exact range or number of missiles deployed but a senior military officer said it can strike anywhere in north korea. he added that his country will retaliate against any provocation. the domestically developed missile resembles the u.s. tomahawk and has a range of about 1,000 kilometers. this is the first time the south has formally disclosed its deployment. details of the missile have come only through media reports. that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.