authorities in the united states are learning more about the attack on the boston marathon, but they still don't know who carried out the deadly bombings. japan's self-defense force pilots scrambled a record number of times during the past year against chinese planes. the increase coincided with growing tensions over territory. and our feature interview with aung san suu kyi. the myanmar opposition leader speaks about her willingness to

cooperate with the military in her chances of one day becoming president. welcome back to nhk world "newsline." investigators in the u.s. have been studying fragments found at the boston marathon bombings. twin explosions near the finish line on monday killed three people and wounded more than 170 others. police say whoever carried out the attack could have followed bomb making instructions on the internet. investigators recovered a mad piece of metal that's thought to have been part of a pressure cooker. they also retrieved a nail that's about one centimeter long. doctors say they have found what appears to be nails inside the victims. the investigators discovered a u.s.-made battery attached to two wires and a small circuit board. they've been quoted in some american media as saying the circuit was likely used to detonate the bombs. they say the explosives may have been set off using timers. it's not difficult to turn

pressure cookers into bombs. some media say it costs less than $100. the devices have been used in terrorist attacks in the u.s., afghanistan and elsewhere. investigators also recovered black nylon fibers at the scene. they suspect the bomber or the bombers may have carried the explosives in a bag made of that material. authorities are asking the public for any information on suspicious individuals. they're aenalyzing security vido and records of phone conversations that took place shortly before and after the explosions. as the investigation continues, families of the victims are speaking about their loss. 29-year-old crystal campbell was a manager at a restaurant in boston. >> we are heartbroken at the death of our daughter. she was always smiling and friendly. you couldn't ask for a better daughter. i can't believe this is happening. >> martin richard was 8 years

old. he and his family were watching the runners finish. a third victim is believed to be a student from china. that person's name has not been released at the family's request. chinese war ships patrolled waters near the disputed islands in the east china sea on wednesday, reportedly as part of an exercise. the senkaku islands are controlled by japan by claimed by china and taiwan. the vessels enter the waters on tuesday night and stayed until just before dawn the next day after conducting drills in the western pacific. they practice inexpecting and seizing suspicious vessels. a senior fleet officer was

quoted as saying the islands are an integral part of chinese territory. and it is justifiable for the navy to navigate in the waters around the islands and that there is no cause for criticism. chinese media noted that april 17th is the anniversary of the signing of a treaty ending the japanese war of 18 5. china claims that japan stole the islands near the end of the war.5. china claims that japan stole the islands near the end of the war.95. china claims that japan stole the islands near the end of the war. the flare-up of tension over the senkaku islands has coincided with a flight of fighter jet scrambles. self-defense force pilots took to the air more than 300 times in the past year to respond to chinese activity surpassing the number for russian planes for the first time. defense ministry officials say pilots made emergency take-office against foreign aircraft approaching japanese air pace 567 times from april

2012 to the end of march of this year. that's a 0-year high. the number of scrambles against chinese claims almost doubled from the previous fiscal year. they increased sharply after last september following the japanese government's move to nationalize the senkaku islands. a chinese government plane flew close to the island last year, the first intrusion into japanese airspace since the sdf began keeping records. >> translator: at this point, i don't think china would make approaches that would turn into military conflicts with japan. >> but former air self-defense force commander also says if japan softens its stance on territorial protection, china could become increasingly active. china's military build-up is raising tensions in the asia-pacific region. taiwan's defense troops are carrying out their first live-fire military drill since 2008.

it's part of annual land, sea and air exercises simulating attacks by china. about 7,600 soldiers took part in the live ammo drill on penghu island in the taiwan strait, the exercises are to run through friday. the drill is based on a scenario of an attempt by china's army to invade taiwan. a rocket launch system was tested to make it combat ready. >> translator: china has focused on a drastic military build-up in line with its economic growth. taiwan's military must boost its combat readiness in the face of any possible threat. >> since taking office in 2008, taiwan's president ma ying-jeou has worked to improve ties with china and refrain from holding

live-fire drills, but he's now insisting on improving taiwan's defensibility for a possible threat. china's president xi jinping has called on taiwan to engage in political dialogue, but ma is unlikely to agree for the time being. aen san suu kyi has spent the past several days in japan laying out her vision for her country's future. it is the fires time the myanmar opposition leader has come here in 27 years. she spoke to nhk about the pace of democrat advertisation and her political future.

>> if you want to hope for something you've got to work for it, too. among other policy changes. he won international praise and sanctions against a country which is also known as burma. aung san suu kyi's national league for democracy, the largest opposition, won 43 of the 45 seats up for grabs last year, in parliament bye elections, she became a member of parliament. she said her country still has a long way to go. >> for me, reform means real change in the lives of our people. and i don't think there has been enough progress in that direction. i think most people in burma would say that there has been no real change in their lives since

2010. >> reporter: the nobel laureate has suggested she's ready to further the push for democracy. by working with the military and other forces, her former opponents. >> we've always said that the key to a better future for our country is national reconciliation. it's cooperation, and working together towards, towards shared aspirations and shared goals. >> reporter: some experts say aung san suu kyi could be president following an election in 2015. >> i'm confident that there's every chance that i can become president of this country. but i would not like to say i'm confident that i will become president of the country. because that's assuming that the people will vote for me. and it's for them to decide, not for me to decide for them.

>> reporter: aung san suu kyi is aiming to revise myanmar's constitution, which gives preferential treatment to the military. for her to do that, her party will need to win the 2015 general election. and she would have to gain the support of the military, which still has strong inference. aung san suu kyi will need to rely on her decades of political experience more than ever. nhk world, tokyo. terrorists have staged a series of attacks targeting political parties in pakistan. candidates are campaigning ahead of general elections scheduled for may. citizens are are growing concerned due to slow progress and improving security conditions in the country. we have a report from islamabad. >> reporter: the elections are

held on tuesday evening. a man brought explosives and detonated them at the event in the northwestern city of peshawar. >> translator: we were nearby when the blast hit. we rushed over to find body parts lying on the ground and the driver trapped in a burning vehicle. many people were injured. political officials helped us attend to the dead and injured. >> reporter: the blast killed at least 17 people including three children and a reporter who was covering the event. 78 people were injured. among the wounded was ahmed below, pakistan's former minister and a senior member of the anp. the anp strongly opposes islamic fundamentalists groups.

the pakistani tal da taliban, t nation's biggest radical group, has claimed responsibility for the blast. in a separate incident, a green nad was. a grenade was thrown at an influential politician from the ruling party. bystanders were injured. another bombing in the southwest rn prove end targeted a candidate. four people were killed in the attack. attacks targets earlier this month, an armed group surprised peshawar. the incident has caused the schedule of an area with power outages are already frequent. terrorist attacks have claimed the live of 40,000 people in

pakistan in the past decade. so far this year, more than 200 have died in terror attacks tarting she targeting shia muslims.geting shia muslims. the government is now under pressure to ensure public sector during the campaign season and upcoming elections. nhk world, islamabad. >> at least 40 people have died in pakistan after an earthquake struck a neighboring iran. the pakistani military has launched rescue operations in the affected areas. the magnitude 7.8 quake occurred on tuesday with an epicenter in southeastern iran near the border with pakistan. authorities in the pakistani province say the quake killed 40 people, injured more than 190 and destroyed hundreds of buildings. pakistan's military has dispatched troops to the area. meanwhile, iranian media reports

one woman died in a landslide and 27 were injured in a southeastern province. on wednesday, iranian rescue teams set up tents and provided other support for survivors. toyota motors says global sales of its hybrid vehicles topped 5 million units. that's in cumulative terms since the first prius was launched back in 1997. toyota executives said on wednesday that the company sold 5.12 million hybrids through the end of march. last year it enjoyed a surge in demand when over 1 million units were sold. toyota says government subsidies for buyers of ecofriendly cars and stricter environmental standard in the u.s. and europe helped boost sales.

>> translator: i'm happy a lot of toyota customers have bought hybrid cars. i strongly believe the hybrid will continue to evolve in terms of performance and cost. >> toyota plans to roll out more new hybrid models, but to boost demand further, the automaker needs to cut demand prices so that hybrids can compete with cheaper, gasoline powered vehicles. japan's consumer sentiment in march continued for the third straight month to hit the highest level in almost six years. government officials say hopes for an upturn in corporate earnings are a major factor. cabinet officials say the consumer confidence index for the general household last month stood at 44.8, the highest sin may 2007. that's up 0. points from the previous month. households surveyed have two or more people. the officials say higher stock

prices and the weaker yen are giving consumers hope for better corporate performance. they also say higher bonuses being offered by some major firms are another factor. the cabinet officials revised upward their consumer confidence assessment citing signs of improvement. but they say it remains to be seen whether the upturn in sentiment will result in more spending. they say the rising cost of imported goods and higher electricity charges stemming from the weaker yen could dampen consumption. a cargo of nuclear fuel containing plutonium is set to leave france for japan. it is the first such shipment since the 2011 accident at fukushima daiichi. the fuel has been transferred by trailer truck from the reprocessing facility to the docks of cherbourg. the fuel is a mixture of uranium and plutonium extracted from spent fuel. it was ordered by japan's electric power company from the

french energy firm areva. electric officials say they'll use the mox at their plant in central japan. the plant is currently offline. the resumed nuclear fuel shipment has drawn criticism. opponents say it's not clear whether japan's so-called power program is viable. mox fuel is essential to the plu thermal process. officials say the shipment is in line with japan's energy policy and fulfills and agreement with kansai electric. the specially fitted ship is due to leave the french port as early as wednesday. tokyo's governor is trying to enlist some high-profile help in his bid to bring the 2020 olympics to the japanese capital. nhk met with new york mayor michael bloomberg to ask for his support. they sat down on tuesday for about 30 minutes at city hall in manhattan.

new york and tokyo are sister cities. he says that bloomberg gave a positive response to his request for support. >> translator: mayor bloomberg mentioned that he loves tokyo and he would cooperate in any way to help tokyo to realize its bid. >> inose says he prepared two t-shirts supporting the olympic symbol. he and bloomberg autographed both shirts and each kept one. tokyo is competing for the 2020 summer games against madrid and istanbul. the international olympic committee will announce the winning city in september. the 2011 tsunami destroyed many businesses in northeastern japan. among them was a shop that sold

a popular snack that's unique to the region. the owner has opened his doors again and locals are now enjoying a taste of life before the disaster. >> reporter: this is a deep fried sweet made of dough and brown sugar. and locals can't get enough of it. >> translator: i can buy only ten? i want more! >> reporter: they named the sweets taro after the city in iwate prefecture. two years ago a tsunami 50 meters high tore through the neighborhood. this is where the snacks were made and sold before the disast disaster. this 58-year-old man is the third generation of his family to own the business.

they know what it is like for history to repeat itself. in 1933, his grandfather also saw a tsunami destroy his shop. but after a year of back breaking work, the elder tafaka was selling the sweet again. interpret i want to do even better than my grandfather. if i don't rebuild, i'll have no excuses to offer people who are working hard to recover from the tsunami. >> reporter: the giant wave of 2011 also carried away tanaka's home. he's still living in temporary housing. despite all the challenges, he managed to rebuild his store and his new factory stands on safer ground away from the sea. he also bought equipment, including machines for mixing and frying. but he had to borrow $800,000 to

pay for the new facility. last month for the first time in two yearsing with he started making the sweet again. the frying and drying has to be just so. the slightest variation can change the taste. so, to master his new equipment, he had to experiment. his goal was to produce the exact same flavor as those made before the disaster. he asked his friends to taste his samples. >> translator: i'm still worried that i haven't gotten the flavor i want and that i have more work to do.

>> reporter: and tanaka decided he had had more work to do. he spent two more weeks trying to get it exactly right. satisfied with the results, tanaka finally reopens for business. he's already made 1,300 packa s packages. the sweets sell like hotcakes. lots of customers stop by for a taste of old times. >> translator: i'm so happy that this made a comeback. i really, really wanted to eat this and could hardly wait for this day to buy it. >> reporter: all packages were sold out in about an hour. >> translator: i have only words of gratitude as so many people wanted to buy my sweets. i'm really thankful.

>> reporter: the return of the familiar sweets kindles people's hopes of recovering the life they led before the bass ter. tanaka says he plans to increase production so many more locals enjoy a taste of the better days ahead. overcast skies in tokyo today with a bit of wind. for the weather forecast. we have rachel ferguson. rachel? hello. it was very breezy across tokyo certainly today and in china also strong winds were blowing through. unfortunately they were accompanied by something that's not so welcome, that yellow sand again. let's take a look at the picture here on tuesday afternoon actually, was yesterday in northwestern china when a sandstorm swept across. visibility quickly reduced to 30 meters as sand turned the skies yellow. now as you can see there, the storm certainly slowed down the traffic. it also created difficult conditions for those breathing

in the airborne particles. the dust is forecast to remain in the atmosphere in to thursday morning. let's take a look at what else is happening across eastern asia. the return of rain towards northern japan on thursday as a new system develops and heads across. some of that will be falling as snow up in the mountains but the majority of it will be rain. there certainly hasn't been any lack of rain to the south of china, ongoing rain here for the last couple of weeks. at the moment it's moderate. 30 to 50 millimeters in places like hunan. but odd areas will pick up more, up to about 100 millimeters. that's going to intensify the risk for flooding. down in indochina as well, heavy rain has been falling. it's been shifting across from southern thailand towards vietnam. you can see that rain is going to continue here. the philippines also picking up quite a lot of precipitation over the next 24 hours. dry towards the north of china, however. we're talking about the winds there.

it is also getting considerably cooler. temperatures are going to be dropping across the north. 15 in beijing, coming down to 8 degrees when you were actually around 20 a couple of days ago. 15 degrees in seoul. tokyo is going to be seeing 15 as well by saturday. gradually we will see temperatures dropping. conversely, you can see chongqing getting up to 30 degrees as the warm air comes up from the air. on into the americas, an here it is also going to be a bit of a split of extremes in fact. we have a storm brewing right in the center of the u.s. towards the north of the system. it is going to be snow and to the south, plenty of rain. warmer conditions and severe outbreaks of weather. talking about golf ball sized hail, winds getting up to 100 kilometers an hour. we are likely to see tornadoes from this system. the severe weather is going to be affecting an area all the way from texas right up towards just west of the great lakes. in terms of the snowfall, 15 to 30 centimeters is possible. temperatures are going to be dropping in behind this cold

front. denver, you are looking for about 1 degree, just struggling to rise above 0 on your wednesday. winnipeg also at 1. just to give you an idea how far that cool air is reaching down. out east, temperatures are looking good. 27 in atlanta. even 19 for you in new york city. the system is going to be heading towards the north and east over the course of the day next couple of days but moving very slowly so you will have the prolonged heavy rain, unfortunately. there are plenty of flood warnings posted. on into europe, a little simpler here. it is going to be continuing wet weather and windy weather across the british aisl isish isles in scandinavia. the rest of the continent looks dry, clear and a lot warmer certainly than you were seeing the beginning of the year. temperatures are looking good but things will start to get unstable in the center of the continent from about friday. i'll leave you with your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.