welcome to nhk world "newsline." people in japan who are opposed to atomic weapons say u.s. leaders are sending the wrong message to north korea. they're angry the american government has been conducting nuclear arms tests even as it condemns authorities in pyongyang for carrying out its own nuclear tests. scientists in the u.s. use technology that enables them to check the weapons without creating an explosion. officials at the national nuclear security administration

or nnsa say the scientists do simulations using something called a z-machine. it emits the world's most powerful x-rays and recreates conditions similar to a nuclear explosion without an actual detonation. the test examined the reaction of plutonium inside the weapons. scientists say the u.s. have been carrying them out since 2010. the most recent ones happened between last october and december. that raised concern here in japan among survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings and their supporters. >> translator: america secretly carried out these tests, and they announced it a few months later. the united states is looking down on us. i wonder if they have a conscience. >> translator: i regret united states' action. nuclear armed nations should not

only say they want a world free of nuclear weapons but work toward it, as well. an atomic bomb survivor from hiroshima expressed concern that the u.s. action may prompt no h north korean scientists carried out their third nuclear test last month. the u.n. approved a new package of sanctions against the country. now the u.s. treasury department has announced sanctions of its own to stop funds from flowing to the north's missile and nuclear programs. >> north korea will have to change course. otherwise the united states will continue to work with its allies and partners to tighten national/international sanctions. >> the sanctions will block the foreign trade bank of north korea from engaging in

transactions with u.s. financial institutions. members of president barack obama's administration also placed restrictions on four senior officials of the korean workers party. they're expected to ask their allies in japan, south korea, and other countries to take similar measures. some members of congress are urging the president to review his north korea policy. obama is expected to ask officials in beijing to use their influence in dealing with pyongyang. japanese researchers have claimed the world's first in the field of alternative energy. they've successfully extracted natural gas from methane hydrate that lies in the sea bed. officials with the natural resources and energy say engineers extracted the gas from the frozen substance earlier tuesday. they've been drilling for methane hydrate hundreds of meters below japan's central coast. the survey into the fuel's viability is run by the semigovernmental japan oil gas

and metals national corporation or jogmec. it is a frozen form of natural gas comprising methane and water. the researchers are testing whether they can sustain stable extraction of the gas from the solid. right now 99% of the crude oil and natural gas used by people in japan comes from abroad. but that import burden is weighing down the economy. so the government and industry are working hard to find and tap domestic energy sources. nhk world's kaho izumitani has the story. >> reporter: researchers in japan have been hunt for methane hydrate since the 1990s. they estimate it could cover the country's natural gas needs for 14 years. and that's not all. they found evidence of methane hydrate elsewhere in japanese waters. somers perts say the total amount could provide natural gas

for the next century. >> translator: the fact that natural gas can be extracted within the japanese exclusive economic zone is a huge advantage for japanese industry. >> reporter: the push to find new sources of energy got stronger in 2011 after the nuclear accident in fukushima. only 2 of 50 commercial nuclear reactors are generating power right now because of tougher restrictions. utility companies are importing more natural gas to fire thermal power plants. that's caused japan's trade deficits to balloon to a record high. it grew to more than $70 billion last year. along with methane hydrate, businesses are looking for other energy sources. workers at a drilling company succeeded last october in extracting shale oil from rock layers deep underground in northern japan.

researchers also have their eye on the waters off sato island in the sea of japan. oil and natural gas reserves could be sitting nearly 3,000 meters below the seabed. government officials plan to start test drilling there in april. but for now, it's the revelations about methane hydrate that are fueling excitement in japan. experts caution that scientists still need to create technology to stably expect the gas and reduce cost. >> translator: i hope japan can start production within about ten years. many countries are watching how japan extracts gas from its new resource and whether the method works. if japan cooperates with other countries as a leader, it can contribute to the world.

>> reporter: japan is considered a resource poor nation, but it's rich in technological know-how. the government and industry hope they can tap that resource and secure a safe and stable source of energy that will last for generations. kaho izumitani, nhk world, tokyo. a top official in china is calling for the e ratification of corruption. his comment reflects the stance of the leader of the communist party, and it may be welcomed by citizens who are fed up with the status quo. >> translator: we shouldn't indulge in extravagance and reject any abuse of power to create personal profit. >> yu zhengsheng is leader of

the party members of key figures in business and academia. he delivered a closing address on tuesday at the committee's annual meeting. top communist party officials who assumed their post last november attended. >> translator: let's work together to create an affluent society and realize the great recovery of the chinese people. >> communist party chief xi jinping often uses the phrase great recovery in speeches. delegates at the congress are expected to appoint him as president on thursday. they will choose the premier and cabinet ministers later in the week. people living across china are becoming increasingly concerned about the quality of air they're breathing. now japanese nationals living in southern china are told by their government to take precautions. about 180 japanese attended a consultation session at the country's counsel of general and they included company employees and their families.

a doctor spoke at one child who had difficulty breathing after exercises you side on a day when pollution levels were high. he advised people to pay attention to pollution levels every day and to wear face masks when they go out. >> translator: i'm worried about my child. we're trying to stay home as much as possible with the air cleaner. >> translator: i hope the air pollution levels go down so that we can resume our normal lives. >> levels of the fine particle pollutant are nearly three times higher than japan's environmental safety standard. air pollution kills thousands of people every year in china. residents of smog-choked towns and cities are fed up. so they're pressuring authorities to act now. nhk world's makato oda has more. >> reporter: the city of tangsha

lies at 150 kilometers east of beijing. it's a major steel producer. ahead of the 2008 beijing olympics, the chinese government directed the city's biggest steel plant to relocate here. it was to reduce air pollution in beijing. residents are complaining about health hazards. >> translator: it's troubling me. >> translator: everyone here has lung trouble because of the air pollution. >> reporter: she lives here. last june he suffered a stroke. he's been bedridden ever since. his wife suspects air pollution has something to do with his illness.

>> translator: my husband had a terrible cough for a long time. he must have inhaled all sorts of pollutants. >> reporter: researchers are now looking into how to determine the health risks of pm2.5. experts at pay king university says 8,500 people. they all died from lung cancer and other ailments. >> translator: the figure startled me. it's obvious the health of chinese people is at risk. the government should take stringent measures right away.

>> translator: what do you think should be done to combat the air pollution in beijing? >> translator: environment campaigners the government to take quick action. they give out face masks and they asked people what should be done to make the air cleaner. they also organized a public debate. >> translator: cutting automobile and fuel use could help. it might be a solution. >> translator: we should monitor the government to see if it's doing what it should to tackle air pollution. it doesn't matter what legal measures are in place. they're not enough. our officials only think of themselves. >> translator: based on this,

the energy are proposers and presented them to the city government. they suggest calling on the public to denounce corporate polluters and demand tougher punishment. the beijing officials plan to enact anti-air pollution regulations by the end of this year and they are taking the suggestions into account. >> translator: our economy is growing but the government not very effective in battling air pollution. raising public awareness will force the policymakers to do the right thing. >> reporter: the chinese government is pressed to make china an environment friendly country. but some experts say many state-owned companies that pollute have strong ties with the communist party, to imposing tough measures might not be easy. makato oda, nhk world, beijing.

populous, prosperous, pushing ahead, pollution threatens their health, and strained relations with it's neighbors. find out about the challenges that china faces on "newsline." o. a conference on african development is a great chance for the country to highlight efforts to protect the people there. >> it's the countries in africa, asia, and latin america that are increasingly paying for their own programs. but they can't do it all on their own, so we need to stay with them a little longer to

accept this challenge. >> dybul says he hopes they commit to the conference. it will be held in june. >> we hope that japan will continue to play the leadership role in terms of financing and in terms of leadership and technical relationships, and in terms of the private sector contribution. >> the global fund is fighting aids, tuberculosis, and malaria. japanese maestro and his orchestra have held a benefit concert in new york. they plays for the victims in march 11, 2011, and those of hurricane sandy. >> it's the second anniversary

of the earquake in japan. they also prayed for the reconstruction of affected areas. ♪ >> i thought it was very beautiful. and i think it's a very nice gesture that these two different countries are getting together to support the people that had to go through both of these traumatic experiences. >> maestro suzuki says he's happy because he could finally show his appreciation to americans for their support. a group of photographers around the world have come together in a show of solidarity with japan. they put forward their best shots of the country in hopes that it will tempt people to visit japan after the 2011 disaster. the show is called "my japan." on display are the works of 38

top photographs. the exhibit was organized by strauss, south african gallery owner, in tokyo. she watched as many people fled japan after the disaster in a move to lure them back, strauss put out a call on the internet for photographers to send in their best picks. eventually a professional and amateur photographers from around the world submitted some 2,000 works looking at japan's nature, its culture, and people's everyday lives. the participants submitted this photo. the organizer says it captured a moment of love. this cadillac was destroyed by tsunami, a british photographer took the photo on a visit to the disaster area. >> there is still a lot of people that are still sitting in the same situation and i think it creates a really great amount of awareness. >> a lot of people left.

i want people to come back here to visit it, to come and live here again. >> reporter: proceeds from the show will go to an ngo that is helping in the disaster areas. people have been protesting a copper mine. other members of the government commission say construction can continue despite the opposition. residents staged a sit in in november calling for reconstruction to stop. they said it was damaging their health and the environment. police were called in to break up the protest. more than 100 people were injured. the report found that police used excessive force. it said they used more than 50 smoke bombs against the protestors. they said the project did not cause the health problems claimed by the residents. >> i did not base the

conclusions on my relationships with the military and with china. i based them on what's best for the future of our country. >> she said she'll visit the area on wednesday. obser observes think she will face sharp criticism. opposition leader used to condemn the generals, but the changing political situation is causing her to take a different stance. >> reporter: she has been a lawmaker in parliament for a year. she recently began talking about cutting her ties with the general.

>> i don't hesitate to build a good relationship with the military. >> reporter: she drops hints about her change of heart last year. testing a copper mine by an affiliated company. people in the country were eager to see how aung san suu kyi will react. >> translator: i'll do all i can to resolve the issue, but i can't guarantee i'll achieve what you all expect. >> reporter: her remarks indicated she's trying to avoid conflict with the military. she's recently been seen conversing with high ranking officers in parliament. and reports surfaced last month that she received a large donation from a businessman with close ties to the military. some people are voicing

concerns. >> translator: aung san suu kyi should be more careful about her relations with military officials. >> reporter: but across asia she has a larger goal in mind. >> in 2015 she will be 70. quite old. she can become a president, so we are making a lot -- >> reporter: but getting elected as leader may be difficult. she will face many challenges under the constitution created by the generals. it bars aung san suu kyi becoming president on the ground that she married a foreign national. it allots one quarter of seats in parliament to the military. revising the constitution would

require support from more than three quarter of lawmakers. that means any change is essentially impossible without the cooperation of the military. aung san suu kyi may think that improving relations with the general is essential to becoming leader. analysts say military officials want to improve relations with the popular figure as a way of maintaining influence. >> translator: we're looking in the same direction as aung san suu kyi. we want to work with her for the betterment of the country. >> reporter: aung san suu kyi and military officials are making peace offerings to one another. they're maneuvering in the run-up to the election in 2015 may decide members' future. jun kobayashi, nhk world naypyidaw.

here are the latest market figures. there is a snowstorm in western europe, robert speta has been following it. >> yes, under the grips of a late season storm. we have the cold air pouring in out of the arctic. it is about 90 kilometer per hour winds. it is really kicking up the winds here. i want to show you some photos

coming ut of the uk here. people in their vehicles got stranded here. some commuters were stranded for more than eight hours overnight. and they claim to not have seen any energy services. but authorities did work throughout the hours there and rail services also were affected, just a overall hazardous travel here. flying across the area will be a rough go. many flights delayed here around paris and germany. excessive delays on tap. it will continue to affect the area throughout the day especially here into the darker colors. very much like what we see here in japan, the sea effect snow.

we're seeing thunderstorms and rain showers due to a westerly flow of moisture. down there towards the house, and towards the north, ber lynn at minus one here on your wednesday. let's look at eastern asia, we're looking at another storm push across north earn china. we're seeing dry and warm air, tokyo on wednesday expecting 21 here for the high. into south korea, seeing numerous wild fires. very dry air kicking up here. the system will push overhead, and helping out the sichgts

the -- situation there. and then around midnight, that's when it will be affected there, pushing over, temperatures will drop back off again. seoul getting up to eight here. this is ahead of the front, 21 here into tokyo, accompanied by gusty winds. now let's take a look over towards the americas. now pushing off towards the east, into new england, you're seeing rain showers here, a decent snow patch, you have runoff, there is a chance of refer flooding now. we want to mention into the pacific northwest, there is a risk of also avalanche here as well as well as river flooding and down towards the south. summer like temperatures in los angeles, 26 for the high,

expected to get to 28 there into your wednesday. that's a look at your world weather. here is the extended forecast.

we're back in 30 minutes with more of the latest, i'm gene otani in tokyo.