security analysts are trying to learn everything they can about what's happening inside north korea. they think a missile launch could come within days. japanese carmakers have recalled cars with faulty air bags. welcome to nhk world "newsline." security analysts are working around the clock trying to figure out the state of play in north korea. officials in south korea, japan and the u.s. remain on high alert for a possible missile launch. they believe authorities in pyongyang could follow through

on their threats at anytime. north degree yaps celebrated the first anniversary of kim jong-unbecoming their country's leader. >> com rad has brought us an epic change with his military mind. >> officials say forces are set to launch a medium-range miss ill from their country's east coast. they think it could travel toward the sea of japan or toward the pacific ocean. it could take place in the coming week. >> translator: we think north korea could conduct the launch on or around april 15th. we must keep close watch on when and how many missiles will be

launched. >> on monday, north koreans will observe the birthday of the nation's founder kim il-sung. they're already marking another event. it's been one year since kim jong-un took other as ruler of the working party. we want north korean officials to sit down with us for talk. kim has kept people guessing ever since he came to power. for many, he remains a mystery. more from nhk world. >> reporter: people outside of north korea knew little of kim jong-un when he took over as leader. more than a year later, they're not sure they know much more. he's appeared in orchestrated events, often with a military theme. he spoke last april at the parade to celebrate what would

have been the 100th birthday of his grandfather, the nation's founder kim il-sung. >> translator: we need to strengthen our military, to make north korea a strong and thriving country. >> reporter: kim moved to switzerland when he was still a boy to attend school. some hoped his experience abroad would help him move away from the experience of his father kim jong-il. initially, he showed his softer side. talking to children from around the country. ♪ attending a concert that features knock-off disney characters. often, with his wife at his side. gradually though kim changed his tone. he made it clear that he would maintain the military first

policy of his father. in december, north korean authorities launched what they called a rocket to put a satellite into orbit. but most countries agree what they fired off was a ballistic missile. then two months later -- >> translator: we've just succeeded in our third nuclear test. >> reporter: kim went ahead with another nuclear test, defying leaders from around the world. and he wasn't done. >> translator: we'll nullify the 1953 armistice that ended the korean war. >> reporter: kim was tired of foreign leaders telling him what to do. >> translator: the more they threaten us, the more we'll continue to obtain nuclear arms.

>> reporter: those leaders have spent the past year trying to understand kim. but they agree they still don't know him. or what he'll do next. nhk world. officials in pyongyang say an industrial part between the two koreas may disappear and they're blaming south korean president park geun-hye. she criticized north korea for pulling all of their workers out and suspending operations. she said no country or company would invest in the north if officials there continue to break international rules and promises. north korea say the suspension was person rare, but they blame park for bringing it to the bring of closure. this is the first time the north korean officials have criticized park by name since she took

power. through the presidential office, she acknowledged that people are worried about the situation, but she said south korean leaders were handling the situation with a strong military deterrence and that citizens were calm. >> translator: i say with confidence that the south will remain a safe and stable place to make investments and do business. >> south korea's stock fell to the lowest level on tuesday partly because of the tension on the peninsula. they want to keep tourists coming, and they say the country is save. u.s. defense officials have suggested a budget for of than half a trillion dollars. they'll fund high priority programs including strategic hubs in the asia pacific.

pentagon o fishes are asking for roughly the amount amount as they requested last year, about $526 billion. >> it makes new investments in the flexible platforms needed for the future. >> pentagon commanders want money to build aircraft anghang and facilities. they want to deemployee f-35 jets and unmanned planes. the budget reflects concerns of the build up of the chinese military. two senators from different sides of the aisle have agreed to work together on gun control. they are expanding background checks on buyers.

the republican and democrat want to make background checks mandatory. right now licensed dealers are only required to carry out such reviews. president obama wants to ban assault rifles and restrict the size of magazines. the bill does not include those provisions. more and more americans have been talking about gun control since the shooting in december at an elementary school in connecticut. a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members. millions of owners of japanese autos around the world may be asked to have their cars checked or repaired. toyota, honda have filed a

recall for about 730,000 units. they plan to recall nearly 2.2 million additional units sold abroad. the airbags for the front pass joer seats can break apart and catch fire. the cars subject to recall are between august 2000 and march 2004. china has been limiting rare earth exports in recent years, and now they have asked a world panel to investigate extra duties on stainless steel pipe exports. they say the pack tractice viol the rules. they're used to boilers and power plants.

they have been imposing the duties. japan went head to request a dispute panel half negotiations with china went nowhere. japanese officials say it will take nine to 12 months for the wto to come a decision. japanese officials asked for a panel last june over minerals. they took the move along with the united states and the european union. competition to sell awe tra high definition investigations is heating up. now sony unveiled a 4k revolution. the new models come in two

screen sizes, 55 and 65 inches. the price will be about $7500 for the 65 inch. last year they introduced an 84 inch model with a price set of $12,000. >> we're getting new models and lower prices. we hope to lead the try to make 4k tvs popular. >> data shows a total of 1400 4k tvs last year. toshiba also plans to introduce two 4k tvs by the end of this carry. here are the latest market figures.

protestors have taken into the streets in malaysia against a pact that says it is keeping them from geding affordable medications. malaysian protestors say the patents block their access to lower priced generic drugs.

>> i'm standing in from of the the protestors here. through the tpp talks, 11 nations on the pacific are aiming to create a free-trade zone. they generate a third of global gdp. but the negotiations are being held behind closed doors. the u.s. is reportedly demanding that the rights of drug companies be strengthenned by extending the period and scope on their protection. many are now worried that if the demand goes through, they will no longer be able to buy generic drugs. they are typically about 90% cheaper than brand-name

equivalents after patents expire. >> the agreement is unfair for the poor, but good for the rich one. people are living in the slum. they cannot afford a daily life and expensive medicine. >> sport eres have high hopes for the tpp saying it will extand trae expand trade opportunities with the u.s. and others. yuko funazaki, nhk world. after a chinese fishing boat ran aground on a local protected

reef, angry residents are calling on the government to do more to protect protecting areas. >> it is on a popular destination southwest of manila. the ap news agency says the authorities found a poaching charge and are preparing more charges against those aboard the vessel. there was a sharp reaction just weeks after a mauved a navy ship stuck in the area for nearly ten weeks. >> the uss guardian incident just ended, and now we have another one. that's too much. poacher wills be held responsible in accordance with the law that protects the reef.

>> dozens of protestors gather today prozest what they call as illegal incursions. japan and taiwan signed an agreement on fishing rights near the sankaku islands. they call it a historic achievement. they're controlled by japan and claimed by china and taiwan. mao met the interchange association in taipei on thursday. it is the liaison office. they say they will expand the rights of taiwanese fisherman. >> we did not touch on the territorial rights to the island this time, but i hope to discuss it in the future. >> some say it game in an

agreement with territorial claims. it allows them to operate in part of the exclusive zone. it is a private sector arrangement and it does not touch on the territorial issue. one of the world's top museums closed it's doors on wednesday because of a staff strike. employees of the paris louvre museum says there is not enough being done about the freak and sometimes violent pickpockets. >> i'm very disappointed because i was looking forward to seeing the museum. >> translator: i came here with 51 of my students, and now i don't know what i should do with them. >> the louvre is one of the world's most popular museums

welcoming nearly ten million visitors around the world. but pickpocketers sometimes assault the staff who try to catch them. japanese and british researches say a practice could date back some 14,000 years. the team published it's findings in the online edition of "nature." the archaeologists studies carbon deposits on ruins. they date back between 14,000 and 12,000 years. the findings are the oldest so far confirming the prehistoric practice. survivors of the bombing of

hiroshima talk about the dangers. one man lives to tell his story 60 years later. >> now 90 years old, this man is getting an honorary doctorate. >> i'm really happy to receive the degree. i would like to express my deepest appreciation. >> he was studies at what is now hiroshima university. when the bomb exploded, he was on campus, the force sent him flying and covered him in

rubble. >> other people died. we didn't know at the time whether it was an atomic bomb or a regular bomb. >> to survive, hasan and other international students had to camp out at the university. they made the best out of what was left. some japanese students joined them. this woman was one of them. she was looking for her father when she saw the students and took shelter with them. but every morning she set out to look for her father. in the evening she came back exhausted. hassan gave her his food and he encouraged her in japanese. she still keeps a picture of

hassan. >> translator: he could not at all have been happy when he was in japan because of the bomb, but he never complained. i'm very grateful that he tried to product us japanese students. >> in jakarta, we showed him a picture, and he remembered her and the days they spent together. >> she's probably around my age. as we're both well, i wish i could meet her and talk about those times. hassan is writing a book about his experiences. he wants to pass them on to people in his home country. >> i've survived the atomic

bomb, lived to this day. however old i become, i would be happy to work toward fostering friendship between japanese and indonesians. >> he hopes to visit hiroshima to see it one more time, and he wants to make their ordeal have significance. that's why he is writing the book, so people with no experience of nuclear war understand why it should be fears. light rain in tokyo this morning, yet clearing skies are in the forecast, robert speta is here are the details. >> yes, much much fairer weather across much of japan actually going through your friday. we'll see scattered showers in the north, but that will taper

off by friday afternoon. hi pressure is coming in, high temperatures across the weekend, into japan, and southeastern china you're getting a break from all of that foul weather you're seeing recently. and into the west, and you have been seeing heavy precipitation. now it does look like this is even going to be tapering off. we are watching one area of really tropical activity here in the south china sea. not a names or tropical depression at this point, but it is circulating hear and it will be bringing heavy rainfall on top of what you have already been seeing. widespread reports of flooding across malaysia here. numerous roads have been closed,

and that will continue to track towards the west and lead to more rains in southern thailand and northern malaysia. manila getting up to 33, so this is going to be continuing to warm up. let's take a look toward the americas though where we are watching the severe weather we have been talking about for the last several days. this is still dropping tornadoes, one reported here in st. louis missouri. 36,000 people are without power, in ohio, pennsylvania, you have been seeing numerous reports of hail and high winds gusting up to 100 kilometers per hour. so a very complex system, everybody is getting a little piece of this across the eastern

seaboard. now the good news going through friday, it will gradually taper off. we'll see it push off the eastern coast. temperatures are going to be cooling off. so if anybody has any travel plans throughout the weekend, it will be a much, much fairer weather for you to be able to get out and about here. let's talk about western europe here, now it's moving to germany and trans. and by the weekend, we're expecting another low pressure to move on. sop very gusty winds, rough waves near the coastlines, and heavy rain. so if you're out and about in london and paris -- and the mediterranean here, you've been

getting hit by storms, but now temperatures are warming up and skies are clearing. here is your extended forecast.

the russian president does not have a reputation for fooling around, but an am bass door from japan is helping him show his playful side. they released a photo of putin rolling around in snow with his dogs. that's "newsline" for this hour, i'm gene otani in tokyo. for all of us here, thank you very much for joining us. have a great day wherever you are.

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