military commander calls for more muscle sent to the korean peninsula. welcome to nhk world "newsline." wanting to bring in the reinforcement general james thurman is asking the u.s. government to deploy more u.s. attack helicopters to guard against action against north korean forces. thurman announced the military would be on the peninsula on a

high readiness. he revealed a plan to introduce the amount of apache helicopters from the 24. you wants to prevent attacks like the 2010 shelling of a south korean island. he also says he requested more troops to staff a unit equipped with the patriot three missile defense system, the technology can defend against ballistic or short range rocket attacks. thurman added the u.s. will work with the south korean army to enhance cyber attack counter measures and north korean has been threatening to attack their southern neighbors. activity is reportedly on the rise. talks between pakistan and the united states over supply routes to afghanistan hit a bump in the road. here the details. the united states says it's

withdrawing a team of negotiators from pakistan. the two sides were seeking an agreement to reenter supply routes that have been closed for more than six months. pakistan closed the routes supplying international forces in afghanistan last november. it was an act of retaliation after 24 pakistani soldiers were killed in a botched u.s. air strike. the united states dispatched a team in april to negotiate with pakistan to reopen the supply routes. jay carney on monday defended the decision to withdraw the negotiators. >> we saw it as the right move to withdraw -- those technical consultations have been completed and largely we remain ready to conclude this agreement when pakistan is ready. >> u.s. media say the biggest talks may have been pakistan's demand to raise fees from $$250,000 to $300,000 per truck. and myanmar's president has

declared a state of emergency in the western province of rakhine, following clashes between muslims and buddhists. recent unrest threatens to complicate the president's efforts to distance himself from myanmar's powerful military. nhk world has more. >> reporter: appears to have decided the clash in rakhine, the president agreed cease fire between government forces and armed ethnic groups since the leaders relinquished power in 2011. western leaders will watch how he handles the test of leadership and whether he can continue towards reconciliation

90% of people are buddhists, it seems unlikely it will go with large muslim population. even though the violence may warn investors if it opens up. it is one of the areas of interest for its natural resources. china is drilling wells and pipelines for natural gas. investments such as though may be negatively affected if the violence continues. >> that wraps up our bulletin here in bangkok.

>> japan controls the territory but china and tie taiwan both claim it as their own. authorities announced they plan to buy three of four of tsankak islands. >> people donated $13 million to the tokyo government since it announced its intention to bite he is not senkakus. >> people are remembering a long time public health campaigner. the doctor devoted his career to

studying and preventing mercury poisoning. i died monday at age 77. he spent more than five decades treating patient in country where environmental contamination made people sick. he was born in southern japan. he started practicing medicine in 1959, then he started researching minamata disease years later. doctors diagnosed thousands of people in the area with neurological illnesses in the 1950s and 60s. mercury tainted water turned out to be the cause. a chemical manufacturer had been releasing the heavy metal into the sea. herada went house to house vice iing patients. he wrote a paper saying unborn babies could suffer mercury poisoning in the mother's wums.

there were hundreds of cases of minamata disease. he demanded the government accept some responsibility for the murkry pollution. h /*. >> horada discovered people discovering people from mercury poisoning and demanded governments to raise awareness in mercury poisoning and help with living conditions. >> some people say that doctors should be neutral. but there's an enormous power gap between patient and the state. how is doing nothing being neutral? one must be on the side of the weak.

>> mercury poisoning remains a worry today, particularly m developing countries. the united nations environment program is working on an international treaty. the agreement would control the environmental release of mercury. u.n. officials hope the treaty will be enforced by 2013. the efforts of dr. horada played a big role after he started treating mercury poisoning in japan. his work helped spark a global movement to deal with this health threat. a senior member of japan's biggest crime sendcate handed over big money to stay out of jail. the court released him after paying bail, the highest bell ever paid for a yakuza. he is charged with extorting

about $45u7b,000 from a public works contractor between 2004 and 2006. he pleaded not guilty wednesday at the beginning of his trial. he is 64 years old. he has actually been out of jail since last month. authorities are letting him stay in the hospital to recover from an illness. the international monetary fund says it's crucial for japan to double its consumption tax to demonstrate its seriously about reforms. managing director david lipton announced funds annual review of japanese policy issues in tokyo on wednesday. >> japan must tackle its deep reetd fiscal problems. problems of tax and social security reforms is thus crucial to demonstrate commitment to fiscal reform and thus to sustain investor confidence.

>> lipton said it must be doubled by stages by 2015 and recommend increase of at least 15% eventually. he also noted that japan needs the reforms urgently because its government's budget is saddled with heavy debts. the imf point owed ut that japan's net public debt is higher than other advanced countries and is expected to rise further unless they take steps to put their fiscal house in order. the currency is somewhat overvalue educad indicated it i. japan is aiming to make its next generation tv technology an international standard. the ministry of internal affairs and communications unveiled its basic strategy at a symposium on new generation tech tvs on tuesday. about 300 people from

broadcasting stations and i.t. firms in j pan and abroad attended the event in tokyo. it prioritizes emergency news. it also has a feature for a tv program for smart phones so people can continue to watch the program. nhk showcase edit hybrid cast technology at the symposium. it can display a map on the screen of a tablet computer to show where a place mentioned on a tv program is located. broadcasters and content providers plan it work together to conduct experiment. they are hoping to commercial their product by 2013 when an international standard will be decided. children in japan aren't just dressing up their dolls any more. they are dressing up themselves. preteens take a walk on the cat walk. over 1,000 girls took part in

the world's biggest amateur fashion show. they may not be professional models but they love fashion. >> they are buying clothes in stores own on-line and pushing manufacturers to places they've never been. nhk world explains. >> these girls are playing dress-up and paying for it. the girls want to look more mature. so they are getting help from make-up artist and hair stylists. and getting a glimpse after life of glamour. >> translator: this is so much fun. i feel like a model. >> one brand is helping her feel that way. they are selling girls' tank tops, shorts, heels eight centimeters high. that's in style. >> translator: photo sessions

are popular because many girls now like to be seen. they often buy everything for the session. so daily sales can double or even triple. >> reporter: in fact, the brand has seen annual sales grow over 60%. a minimum purchase of $90 or more is needed to purchase in a photo session. 48 children sign had up on this day. >> translator: we bought $24u7b worth of clothes today. my daughter want to become a model so i want to help as much as i can. >> she and other japanese parents are willing to spend a lot. a government survey shows parent are dedicating a greater percentage of their household budget to their children. a major toy maker is also trying to get a bite of this spending spree. it's incorporating fashion into one ofity games.

players can change the outfit after character. they get points for coming out with a well coordinated ensemble. the strategy captures the attention of fashion conscious girls. sales have shot up over the last year. and girls who like to buy clothes in a game can buy the real thing. the toy maker opened its first apparel store a year ago. the number of brands has grown to 17. >> translator: clothes in the game are cute. >> translator: you want to coordinate them and wear them, right in? >> the company is looking to expand even more. it is turning the growing market across asia. the creative team will start by

introducing a korean character into their game. they are studying the latest fashion trend to see if they can make an even wider appeal. >> we haven't done sandals with socks. >> translator: it's trendy now. we should do that. >> translator: what's in vogue in japan is also popular in other parts of asia. so we think introducing the latest japanese trends overseas is the key to success. these businesses are not just selling clothes. they are giving girls stuff they dream about and now they are hoping they can do that beyond their borders. >> here are the latest market figures.

>> now a quick look at the other stories we're following on "newsline." starting with a power play. venezuelan president hugo chavez launched his re-election bid months after undergoing treatment for cancer. the 57-year-old is still recovering from a surgery he had in february. he rolled through the streets to register his candidacy for a fourth time in office.

crowds in the capitol cheered him on. he gave a nearly three-hour long speech. chavez is known for his anti-u.s. stance. he is facing a challenge from a 39-year-old, who is a former state governor. serbians held an inauguration ceremony for their new president. leaders from balkan countries were no shows. they boycotted the ceremony to protest remarks about the 1995 massacre. he said after winning the may 20th runoff election, he didn't consider the massacre genocide, serbs forces killed about 8,000 muslims in the eastern bosnia. the tribunal ruled in 2001 it was genocide. and he has also angered people in croatia. he said the crow asian crow a-the croatia town is serbian. the first reduction of its

kind in 63 years. spokespersons for the swedish based organize said this year's nobel prize will be slashed to $1.3 million. the nobel foundation maintains award money by investing the assets. and unable to gain good returns because of the global financial crisis. people in china are richer and freer than they've been in years. so when it comes to entertaining themselves, they've got many more options from 3-d films to slick car shows to stadium concerts. that has people who work in traditional performing arts, fearing for the future of their craft, including the owner of a shadow puppet troop based in a rural area. he's managed to hang on at least for the time being. here's the story.

>> reporter: the people have enjoyed this shadow puppet play for nearly 350 years. the puppets are made of leather from cattle and crafted into original shapes. the performing troop is recognized as a part of china's cultural footage. leading the troop, what stands out in his shadow plays is the energy of the puppets. they are modeled after famous people in history, for example, the characters in a story called three kingdoms. it's one of china's most popular. he brings them back to life on the screen. they are so realistic, they even look like they breathe. >> translator: i really like it. my child also loves it. >> reporter: in may, the puppet festival took place.

about 60 troops from more than 40 countries participated. one troop also performed as they are home grown puppeteers. during the festival, they attracted huge crowds but up until now, one troop has had a lot of ups and downs he learned the craft from his grandfather, but when the cultural revolution erupted in 1966, they o pressed his grandfather and family. local communities condemned the shadow plays as anti-communist. they did not allow the family to perform. >> translator: at that time no one talked to our family. i felt people were discriminating against us. >> reporter: when the cultural revolution ended, life took an

about turn, starting in 1978, wang's family was allowed to perform again. but as people started to watch tv at home, many lost interest in shadow puppet theater. wang took over a troop from his grandfather. he struggled to make a living. and once he gave up performing. but 12 years ago, he started his troop. he couldn't bear ending the tradition he inherited from his grandfather. dancing puppets with disco music, in order to attract audiences, he modernized some stories. he even let's audience members manipulate the puppets. >> translator: it's very interesting. it was a good opportunity for us

to experience traditional culture. >> reporter: wang now concentrates on training young talent for his troop. last year he hired six new members to ensure the tradition moves onto the next generation. he is one of them. after graduating from college, he worked for a company but when he heard the troop was looking for staff, he quit his job and says shadow puppetry is his childhood dream. all he does is beat a gong, he hopes to manipulate puppets in front of big audiences. >> translator: i will do my best to make traditional performing arts popular. >> translator: i would like to teach young members of my troop that learning shadow puppetry is not just about making a living

but conveying its traditional values to many people. >> reporter: wang's grandchildren show an interest in the craft but even though he's assured performances will continue, he still has a lot of work to do to keep the tradition alive. nhk world, china. it looks like fun. >> rain in tokyo and more rain in taiwan. here's the weather forecast for here and elsewhere. robert? >> yes, a very heavy rain fall across much of southern taiwan here. in the past 24 hours, there is upwards about 513 millimeters of rain here. across much of taiwan in the past 72 hours there are report of over 1300 millimeters of rain fall. thus there has been a widespread

report of flooding, landslides. one in particular did kill two people. a very dangerous and deadly situation currently occurring here. but not only if the south, also off towards the north in taipei. have you been seeing heavy rain fall as well. and in the next 48 hours look at this, upwards of 120 millimeters could be occurring across the southwest coast of taiwan as the moyer tuesday continues to push in from the west. further off there towards the northeast this rainy season front is also affecting tokyo. rain showers have been felt throughout the day today. but good news on wednesday. this is expected to start to clear up. take your attention down here towards the south. this is tropical storm gu lcol. wind gusts are upwords of 09 miles per hour. bare lay tropical storm at this time but in long rage we have to watch the southern japanese island because there could bring

rain showers and gusty winds there and even over towards the east coast of luzon you could see outer rain band as that pushes off. we will continue to keep you posted thon. temperatures, very warm across much of eastern asia. all the way up to 30, beijing at 26 and tokyo up to 24 on your wednesday. now to the americas. the southeast is seeing widespread report of severe weather here. upward of 230 wind reports damaging wind report in the past 24 hours has been reported here. as that starts to diminish down here look off toward the west. bringing more severe weather, large hail, tornadoes and dwufrty wind up to 90 kilometers per hour could be seen here into your tuesday afternoon and evening hours. look further behind that cold front here into colorado. that big dry patch there. well, this is bringing very dangerous fire weather conditions there in fort

collines a fire burning upward of 1,000 square kilometers have burned in the past several days. very dangerous situation and deadly. one person died out of that and plus the wind and warm temperatures are not helping the situation. denver with a high of 28 up there towards the east. new york at 21 and washington, d.c. getting up there to the high 20s. this is accompanied by rain showers. now into europe. alpines, you have been seeing severe weather tp further down towards the south in venice, there is a report after tornado in early morning hours and this whole system is expected to continue to bring yet nor weather as it pushes off toward the east. 80 kilometer wind out of this cold front here, accompanied by the gusty wind and frequent lightnings. very dangerous situation. very warm weather will continue to occur here in athens. toward west, a cool down in london and paris at 16 and 17. here is a look at your extended outlook.

we'll be back with more

updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.