tax protest. a policy dispute forces a political heavyweight to break away from japan's ruling party raising the possibility of an election. welcome to nhk world "newsline." when ichiro ozawa speaks, people in japan listen. he's one of the country's most influential politicians. now he's using that influence to shake up the ruling democratic party and threaten prime minister yoshihiko noda's political future. ozawa is bolting from the dpj, and he's taking 49 lawmakers with him. noda's plan to raise the

consumption tax to offset japan's debt was the last straw. >> translator: we voted against raising the consumption tax based on our belief that there's much to be done before any tax hike. the democratic party, led by prime minister noda, is no longer the dpj that achieved an historic change of power. we're going back to the basics of what got us elected and have decided to leave the party to create a new type of politics in which the people can choose freely. >> ozawa has been critical of noda on a number of issues. the key point of contention is the prime minister's plan to hike the consumption tax from 5% to 10%. a majority of lower house lawmakers voted last week in favor of bills that would raise the consumption tax and change social security.

ozawa and most of his followers voted against the reforms. ozawa has a history of creating and breaking up political parties. he helped found the dpj and bring it to power in 2009. but he, 37 other members of the lower house, and 12 from the upper house, will now form a new party. ozawa plans to encourage smaller opposition groups to join him. the exodus is expected to raise doubts about prime minister noda in the dpj when he faces leadership review in september. noda knew he was putting his job on the line when he asked lawmakers to vote on his fiscal reform plan and he knew ozawa would likely quit the ruling party, but he's standing by his decision. he says japan must get its finances in order. >> translator: this reform is not just for increasing taxes. it's also for stabilizing social security. the legislation is aimed at protecting the lives of citizens now and in the future.

we must pass the bill. i want to fulfill my responsibility to do that. >> some voters support ozawa and others want to hear more from him. >> translator: ozawa has been against the consumption tax hike and kept his promise. so i support his leaving the party. >> translator: if he has an alternative plan for rebuilding the country's finances, i think it's good for him to leave, but he hasn't revealed this. i think his behavior is not very adult. >> survivors of last year's disaster had this to say about the defection. >> translator: i'm a supporter of the democratic party, but i'm disappointed to see politicians

engaging in a power struggle at a time when we need reconstruction efforts to move forward. >> translator: politicians are only thinking about themselves. many of us think they are just wasting time. >> ozawa has been a central political figure in japan for more than two decades. this is the second time he has split a governing party. ozawa and his followers left the ruling liberal democratic naert 1993 to form a new party. they eventually pushed the ldp from power. ozawa helped build up the democratic party and went on to become leader. he recruited young political candidates. he gained the support of about 100 followers. he stepped down in 2009 over a funding scandal, but he maintained control of the party's biggest faction. the liberal democratic party had ruled japan almost continuously since world war ii, but the democrats won the general election three years ago and

took power. many within the party accredited him for coming up with the winning strategy. noda took over as prime minister last year. ozawa has opposed him from the beginning. masao nakajima has been following him for years, how much will this change things for prime minister noda? >> well, the ruling dpj is left with only a slim majority in the lower house. so the prime minister can reject a no-confidence vote. still the result of all these votes will strip noda of a lot of his power. he'll have to be more dependent on opposing parties. noda has struggled since taking office to manage an economy knocked back last year by the earthquake and tsunami. it became evident after a few months that noda was not capable of uniting his party. >> what should voters expect? are they going to be heading to the polls soon? what's the calendar looking like? >> the consumption tax bills are

the most important thing in the calendar in the short term. upper house members are expected to pass those bills sometimes in the next few months. opposition members say they'll cooperate but say their cooperation ends there. elections for the lower house must be held within a year. but these departures may push noda into a general election even before that. he faces the leadership review in september. and even if he survives, he still may be forced to dissolve the lower house and call a general election in the month that followed. noda's approval rating slipped to 27% in the most recent polls last month. what's happening could make him look like he has lost control of his party and weaken his hold on power. >> so what are noda's prospects if an election were held soon? >> well, the polls we've been

talking about suggest that the ruling dpj would not fare well in an election. both the ruling dpj and also the liberal democrats are expected to fall short of a majority. the governor of tokyo and the mayor of osaka are planning to form new parties to attract voters tired of the old order. that could leave japan's political landscape more fragmented than ever. whatever happens, the next election won't result in a party with a stable majority. and japanese voters can expect the door to the prime minister's office to be revolving one for some time yet. >> all right, masayo, thanks. masayo nakajima.

life in iran is going to get even more difficult. u.s. and eu authorities are imposing new sanctions against the country over its nuclear program. they are continuing to target its economic lifeline, crude oil exports. the new sanctions follow three rounds of high-level negotiations on iran's uranium enrichment program. representatives from iran, the five permanent u.n. security council members and germany met between april and june in istanbul, baghdad and moscow. the talks failed to produce a deal. western nations want scientists in iran to stop enriching uranium that could easily be modified for use in weapons. iranian leaders insist their nuclear program is for generating energy, not making bombs. they want other countries to recognize their nation's right to enrich uranium. eu foreign ministers confirmed a plan last week to ban member nations from importing iranian oil. the sanctions kicked in sunday.

they also prohibit eu firms from ensuring tankers that carry the oil. >> those sanctions there are to try and keep that pressure in order that the regime in iran understands that this is about trying to get them to take those concerns seriously and address them. >> the obama administration has been taking the lead in trying to stop the flow of oil out of iran. its sanctions penalize foreign financial institutions that do business through iran's central bank. they also push countries to greatly reduce iranian oil imports. most of iran's main clients, including china and india, are already scaling back. the sanctions follow others imposed by the u.n. security council and individual countries. they include a trade embargo on nuclear related materials and a ban on financial transactions linked to iran's nuclear program. iranian leaders are warning more international pressure will only harm negotiations.

>> new sanctions would only add to the complexity of this situation. sanctions are not solution for this problem. >> people in iran are used to doing without or paying more for imports. they've lived with economic sanctions for more than three decades. but this concerted international effort to isolate their country is taking its toll. iranians are facing higher prices for food and medicine. they are also facing safety risks. nhk world's sanati reports from tehran. >> reporter: an iran air passenger jet made an emergency landing at a tehran airport. the plane managed to land without its front wheels. it could have been a disaster. the captain told nhk what was going on in the cockpit.

>> translator: i told the co-pilot to deploy the landing gear. but the instruments showed something was wrong with the wheels. flrt january 2011, another iran passenger airplane crashed in the northern part of the country. 80 people were killed. both accidents last year involved planes made by boeing, the u.s. aircraft manufacturer. the economic sanctions are said to be behind the accidents. airline companies are finding it increasingly difficult to import essential parts. they have no choice but to fly old planes that lack adequate maintenance. >> translator: the confrontation between iran and western countries is a political matter.

it shouldn't put people's lives and safety at risk. the economic embargo is steadily undermining the iranian society. the latest round of u.s. and eu sanctions have already begun to cause inflation in the iranian market. chicken which used to be $2 a kilogram is now standing at $4. food prices have soared since the beginning of the year. the official inflation rate is 20%, but people say the actual figure is probably higher. >> translator: there's no way we can make a living. >> reporter: the sanctions are even affecting people's health. the cost of medicine has risen more than 30% since the sanctions began.

drugs to treat heart disease and high blood pressure are particularly hard to obtain due to restrictions on transactions with foreign firms. >> translator: thi medicine cost about $6 last year. i had to pay twice as much today. >> translator: my mother used to take medication imported from overseas. but we can no longer afford it. it's just gotten too expensive. >> reporter: sanctions against iran show no sign of ending any time soon. meanwhile, ordinary iranians are trapped in what they see as a political conflict in a daily struggle to survive. mojitba sanati, nhk world, tehran. russian prime minister dmitry medvedev is touring his country's far east. his four-day trip began on an

island scheduled to be the site of the asia-pacific economic forum summit in september. medvedev visited russky island in vladvostok. he discussed the development of the area with local officials. russian is building infrastructure and energy resources in the far east as a gateway to markets in the asia-pacific region. attention is focused on whether the tour will include four russian-held islands in northern japan. after visiting sakalin, medvedev is considering a visit to one of those islands of etorofu. soviet troops seized the island soon after japan surrendered during world war i. i japan has been calling for their return. medvedev visited another of the disputed islands of kunishiri in november 2010 when he was president. he was the first russian leader to do so. the visit strained ties between the country and japan to one of

the worst levels since the cold war. mexicans are giving their former ruling party a second chance. the candidate for pri is declaring victory in the country's presidential election. the pri controlled mexico from 1929 to 2000. election officials say enrique pininieto of the pri has won about 38% of the vote. that putts him more than six points of the runner-up. his victory would put the pri back in power for the first time in years. party was once a symbol of corruption and electoral fraud. security is a primary concern among the voters. more than 50,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in mexico over the past five years. pena nieto pledged to fight drug

traffickers. he says his top priority will be protecting citizens. he also faced the challenge of narrowing the country's wealth gap. mexico's next president begins his six-year term in december. north koreans are hearing about their leader kim jong-un more often and sooner than they heard about his father. analysts at the radio press news agency in tokyo study the north korean media. they say state news outlets produced 81 stories about kim jong-un in the first six months of this year. that's three more than they devoted to kim jong-il in the first half of any year he was in power. the analysts also say the media usually reported kim jong-il's activities months after the fact but generally put out stories on kim jong-un within days. about half the reports in the first half of the year were about kim jong-un's connections with military. the analysts say the high exposure suggests officials are

trying to allay concerns about kim's lack of experience. nhk has learned north korean authorities are also trying to raise kim's profile by highlighting his heritage. they made a film about his mother. and we've obtained a copy. ko was born in osaka as a korean resident of japan. she moved to north korea in the 1960s. she was a dancer and she caught the eye of the man who later became the country's leader kim jong-il. but her identity has been a secret. earlier, shery ahn spoke with hiroki to get an insbit the background of the film. >> so what can we learn from watching this film? >> the documentary provides insight into the efforts to legitimize kim jong-un as north korea's leader. the film is called "the great mother of --."

an expert who obtained a copy said they started screening it in may as part of a training program for party executives. one eye-catching scene shows her galloping up on a white horse, following her husband kim jong-il. >> translator: our revealed leader in front of the troops is followed by the great mother who is the daring standard bearer and the top aide of our leader. this illustrates the path our dear leader has taken as a fighter to bring about military first north korea. the 75-minute film places kim jong-il and his wife. it includes unreleased footage

of ko accompanying kim on official trips. she supported him, but also kept a certain distance. her behavior is similar to her husband's. she puts her hand into her jacket pocket and shakes hands with people she meets. in one part of the film, we can see the phrase '87 which according to north korea's calendar means 1988. kim jong-un's respected mother was always accompanying dear leader on various visits. ko inspected the troops after her husband. she also sampled food and talked with soldiers. filmmakers are using these scenes to boost ko's profile as mother of the north korean party, even though her name is

never mentioned. >> why have north koreans kept co-yung hee a secret? >> everything related to the family is kept secret to protect the regime. this is the new leader kim jong-un's unofficial family tree. co-young hee was kim jong-il's first wife. she was born in japan. but his regime kept her existence a secret because of her heritage. there is a deep-rooted anti-japanese sentiment in north korea stemming from japan's past colonial rule. professor lee yung hwah is the expert who obtained a copy of the film. he offered some details regarding the documentary's screenings. >> translator: before the

screening, the chair of the gathering is said to have told the audience the woman in the film is lee young sil. north korean leaders apparently thought it would be wise to hide ko young hee's real name. >> so what else did we learn about ko in this film? >> the document shows how close she was to kim jong-il and his family. the film includes a photo of ko at gun practice alongside kim jong-il. she's revered as the mother of north korea. >> translator: while admitting she's not competent to acquire the skills of her mother-in-law who always hits the target, she spoke of a need to assure the safety of dear leader without missing a shot.

>> also included in the film is ko's message to her husband on his 50th birthday. >> and does the current leader kim jong-un make an appearance? >> oh, he does. he's shown alongside his mother. the film casts her as a great mother, like her mother-in-law before her. this is all designed to help give the inexperienced kim -- >> translator: a process is under way to use the glory of kim's parents for him to acquire charisma and raise his profile. the second phase involves boosting the profile of his

mother. once it's completed, increasing the profile of kim himself will be next. >> but it's getting easier for north koreans to access information from -- and dvds, and it's easier for them to get closer to the truth about their leaders. propaganda may no longer be enough for north korean leaders to keep their grip on power. >> hiroki, thanks for your time. for an update on the weather forecast, here's maya shoji. >> clear skies and very sunny weather. but a different story tomorrow. a seasonal front that will be lifting towards the north stretching from kyushu and into kanto region as this moves toward the northern portions and affecting tokyo as well with some short time heavy rain. could be 50 millimeters in an hour's span. total accumulation from today into tomorrow, it's going to be

about 180 millimeters, especially in the kyushu region. the seasonal front stretches into central china and across much of shanghai area as well as chengdu city. we may see about 50 to 100 millimeters in the next 24 hours, but some locations could be targeted with isolated amounts of about 250 millimeters in just one day's span. very unstable here in the indochina peninsula as well and in the philippines, we already have a report of 65 millimeters that has fallen in the past 24 hours. ongoing heavy downpours will be continuing here for the next couple of days. a cut off low will be cresting overhead here in northeastern china, and that will be disturbing the area with pop-up thunderstorms in northern portion of north korea as well. we're looking at a lot of 30s here in our picture. tokyo, 27 degrees.

also in ulaanbaatar in the high 20s. but the rest of the region in the 30s. all right. moving over to the americas. a weak pressure system moving across northern plains, and the associated warm front will be dragging in towards the midwest region. ahead and along this front some severe weather to be found in central canada and western great lakes region, especially now i know that large hail has been reported baseball sized. also having been reported. and damaging winds which could reach up to about 80 kilometers per hour. could be found on your monday, too. but, yes, i do know that yesterday three fatalities has been caused by the derecho that swept you illinois and in towards virginia. short time, heavy rain will also be possible as well as frequent lightning and wherever you see the red severe locations on your monday. now talking about frequent lightning, we may see some in this region which is going to be

very dangerous because the condition is very dry. low humidity. some areas just 5 percent humiditywise. very breezy conditions. we'll continue in and around northern rockies in montana as well as wyoming. and that's not going to be helping to contain the fire here in wyoming as well as the lightning strikes if it ever happens. it's going to be a dry one. that could ignite more fire. so that's going to be in place. and talking about heat along the eastern seaboards as well. that combined with the humidity here on the eastern seaboard on the other hand, wile the heat index can make you feel even hotter. the temperature rising up to 37%. on your independence day reaching up to 34 in chicago and atlanta, 35. so do be hydrated. moving over to the european continent, the british isles will be looking at unstable, windy and wet picture. some heavy rain could be found here in central portions of

europe. we're talking about very hot weather here in budapest at 37 degrees. on the other side of the jet stream, london at 18 degrees. here's your extended forecast. we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, thanks for joining us.

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