i'm keikachi hanada. here are some of the stories we are following this hour. japan and india have agreed to press ahead with talks that include a nuclear power pact that would allow japanese firms to export technology. evacuees from a town affected by the fukushima nuclear accident are demanding an increase in their compensation payments.

are. and as african economies grow, the agriculture sector lags behind. japanese farming experts are on the continent sharing tips to boost productivity and reduce poverty. the leaders of japan and india are strengthening ties by focusing on an energy source that has been the subject of heated debate in this country. they've agreed to move forward with negotiations to sign a nuclear power pact. the deal would allow japanese companies to export atomic energy-related technology. prime minister shinzo abe and prime minister manmohan singh signed the joint statement after meeting in tokyo. the countries will speed up negotiations so they can conclude a deal soon. indian leaders want to build more nuclear plants. and they're looking to japan for help. the statement also calls for mutual efforts to work toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. but some japanese are reluctant

to commit to this pact. india has nuclear arms and it has yet to sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. the leaders have also agreed to promote joint exercises involving japan's maritime self-defense force, and india's navy. government officials on both sides are expected to appoint representatives to a working group to look into exporting japan's rescue amphibious aircraft to india. the japan/india nuclear power deal has been on the horizon for some time now. but the 2011 nuclear accident in fukushima slowed the pace of discussions. as abe and singh move forward on this issue, experts say they'll have difficulty mapping out the strategy on another -- what to do about china. a professor from century university has insight. >> in india is an emerging power, and the energy demands are very high.

so and also global warming is a big problem. so nuclear power is certainly one solution. so india wants to develop or construct more nuclear plants. and indian people admire japanese technology. despite fukushima. that sort of admiration hasn't gone down. so certainly for india to construct more nuclear power plants, india needs japanese cooperation. and from japanese side, abe administration wants to export nuclear plants to various countries. and india is a huge market. so it's not in terms of one or two plants but in 10s and 20s, that sort of thing. so the mutual interests converge there. but indians understand japanese sensitivity towards the nuclear

theme. but at the same time, the nuclear matter has been kind of an irritant for indians, you know, they tonight want to leap, you know, jump. because they have to wait. they have been very patient. so with the conclusion of the k. because they have to wait. they have been very patient. so with the conclusion of the nuclear agreement, i think that the relationship between the two countries, not only in terms of nuclear cooperation, will, you know, develop very fast. both japan and india have seen china as a kind of threat, that's true. and both countries have territorial disputes with china. but india doesn't want to be used as a kind of pawn for containment policy. or in sacrament of china. so india's foreign policy

tradition is -- and india doesn't want to be used by other countries or taken as a part of, you know, sort of -- doesn't want to gang up with other countries. and china has been very sensitive towards this ties between japan and india. or india and the u.s. so we have to be more careful. and japan also has to consider better ways or more constructive ways to strengthen strategic ties like, you know, sea lanes, security, maritime security, or piracy. and also the two countries have to continue the dialogues. so we can understand each other much better.so we can understan much better. and so in a much more wider perspective, the relationship should be strengthened.

researchers in china have found a drug resistant strain of the h7n9 bird flu. it's the first time the virus has shown resistance to anti-viral treatment. the british medical journal lancet published the study. they studied 14 patients in shanghai last month. all had had developed pneumonia despite taking tamiflu and other anti-vile ral drugs before being admitted to a medical facility. two were places on life support, 2 died. the world health organization recommends taking tamiflu and other anti-viral medicines to treat h7n9. researchers said they are

concerned by the emergence of the drug resistant strain, but they still strongly encourage only treatment of suspected or confirmed cases. thousands of people who fled their homes following the fukushima nuclear accident want more support from the company that operates the damaged plant. they have filed a petition with the government arbitration body demanding an increase in monthly compensation. lawyers for more than 11,000 people and the mayor filed claims at the resolution dispute center. they represent more than half of the residents who evaluated the town in march 2011 just after the accident. they now live in various locations around the country. the plant operator tokyo electric power company gives them each $1,000 a month. the petition says the payment doesn't accurately reflect how much they've suffered from the unprecedented crisis. their lawyers are demanding

roughly $3,500 per month and a review of current guidelines. they argue the evacuation broke up families and communities an they say people lot of livelihoods and have no idea how they'll recover. >> translator: on behalf of namie town's former residents, i seek public understanding of how difficult life is for the evacuees. >> victims of the fukushima accident now have more legal flexibility. lawmakers in the upper house unanimously passed a bill allowing them to sue for damages beyond the statutory time limit. the new law will give claimants who failed a reach a mediated settlement in three years an extra month to file a suit in court. a government appointed body has been mediating settlements between victims and tokyo

electric power company. a travel plagued nuclear facility in central japan is facing another setback after being offline for much of its 19-year history. they've been told not to restart the unit until improvements have been made. nuclear regulation authority officials gathered to approve an order they issued earlier this month. the prototype reactor generates power using plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel. a government inspection last year found about 10,000 missed equipment checks. regulators criticize the japan atomic energy agency for inadequate safety management. they've ordered the operator to show improvements have been made before preparing to restart the reactor. the agency must implement a system that allows accurate checks for all equipment and ensures maintenance is carried

out. it also has to review security measures to make sure safety is the top priority. japan's biggest energy explorer is teaming up with a state-rum firm in russia to tap offshore oil fields. they will develop two fields in the sea of okhotsk. they'll set up a joint venture to drill near the russian far east. the two presidents signed the agreement. apec will take one-third stake in the project. they say the geology of the fields suggest they contain large oil reserves. japanese energy companies have been trying to diversify their sources since the 2011 accident

in fukushima. they've been buying up interests in oil fields away from the middle east. a recent trend of the weakening yen has sharply improved the bank of japan's earnings. its profits hit an 11-year high. central bank officials say its operating profits rose to about $11 billion. that's more than double from the previous fiscal year. the yen's decline raised the value of the bank's foreign bond holdings when calculated in yen. the central bank will pay about $5.4 billion of its profit to the government in accordance with the law. the result marks a turnaround between april and september last year, a higher yen caused the central bank to post losses of about $1.7 billion for the period. the weak yen may have helped some balance sheets, but not all. the fishing industry workers say

the exchange rate is undermining their livelihood. they held a demonstration in tokyo to urge the government to help them cope with soaring fuel costs. about 2,500 people gathered on wednesday at the rally held by the national federation of fisheries cooperative associations. >> translator: the weak yen is pushing up the cost of fuel and feed used for cultivation. we cannot allow our members in fishing and related areas to go bankrupt as a result of soaring fuel costs. >> he urged the government to take emergency measures. the demonstrators adopted a resolution demanding the government act to address the extra fuel costs. a survey by the fisheries agency shows that as of may 1st, the standard price of heavy oil for fishing vessels rose nearly 10% from last november. that's before the yen started to

enter its weakening trend. some fishery businesses have been forced to suspend operations due to the rising costs. the demonstrators called on the government to protect japan's industry. and here are the latest market figures. a su.s. drone pounded a

target strike killed six people and wounded four. it is the first drone attack since the general election in pakistan earlier this month when some candidates criticized the u.s. defense tactic. local security officials in the north waziristan district say an unmanned american aircraft fired two missiles into a house outside the town of miranshah. the town is known as a militant stronghold. the pakistani taliban's military commander is among the dead. drone strikes have caused civilian casualties in the past fueling anti-u.s. sentiment in pakist pakistan. the man expected to become the next prime minister has condemned the strikes as a challenge to his country's sovereignty but u.s. president barack obama said last week the use of drones is legal according to domestic and international law, and he said his administration will continue with the strikes prompting further criticism within pakistan. government officials in islamabad stated they have

serious concerns about this latest attack. they added drone strikes caused a loss of innocent civilian lives that violate the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law. wednesday saw a special celebration in nepal to mark the 60th anniversary of the conquest of the world's highest peak. mountaineers from across the world gathered in kathmandu to honored the climbers who have followed in the footsteps of the first climbers. edmund hillary and tenzing norgay. former everest climbers joined a parade featuring horse drawn carriages and banners marking the anniversary. among them was italian messner who made the first solo assent to everest. >> i'm full of energy and full of thank for this country. >> new zealander hillary and norgay of nepal reached the

summit of the mountain on may 29th, 1953. since that initial ascent, hillary spent decades fund-raising for nepal through his himalayan trust charity building hospitals and health clinics. nearly 4,000 people have now stood atop everest. among them, the 80-year-old japanese climber who last week became the oldest to summit. together with countless thousands of trekkers, the incoming climbers drive a mountaineering industry that's essential to nepal's economy. >> this day we should be proud that two great people have opened the door not just to climbing everest, but the entire tourism for the nepalese people. >> at wednesday's event the nepalese government honored some of the climbers who have recently achieved everest records. as well as many who have contributed to the promotion and development of mountain tourism in the country.

yuchiro miura has made his triumphant return to japan after conquering the world's highest peak. he flew into tokyo on wednesday from kathmandu, nepal. he shared how his party struggled to survive on the mounta mountain. >> translator: at 80 i climbed to the top of mount everest and came back safe and sound. >> reporter: muira said the weather the at the summit was so pleasant they removed their oxygen masks and took poe toes. but he said his legs felt like rubber as he was climbing down to the camp at 8,500 meters. he said if they hadn't had a camp there, he wouldn't have come home alive. >> translator: what's important in life is to keep rising to challenges with courage and vitality. i want everyone to have these

qualiti qualities. >> muira said he has no plans for the future but would like to ski down an 8,000-meter high mountain. government and business leaders in japan are gearing up for a gathering designed to strengthen ties to a part of the world with an opportunity. the tokyo international conference on african development starts saturday. agriculture is one issue on the agenda. experts say 10% more of the continent, or 300 million hectares, could be farmed. but as it stands, africans struggle to get the most out of their fields and to make a living. how some farmers in tanzania are making a change for the better. >> reporter: the northeastern area of tanzania is a major

farming region in the country. rice is the second most produced crop, following maize. it is a big cash crop because it can be sold at a hire price than other products. but low yields cut no profits. the japan international corporation agency is one of the foreign institutions that help african nations to increase farmers' productivity. they give agriculture training for farmers in various regions in tanzania. half of the participants are women. women play a vital role in farming in africa. experts explain how to increase efficiency in rice production and marketing. most important process is plant i ing. experts transfer some traditional know-how japanese

farmers have developed. one technique they are teaching them is to plant in rows. farmers used to plant in a disordered way. the even spacing lets the sun and water reach the plants. this speeds up growth, as well as boosting the yield. >> translator: with the training, i'm sure we'll see an increase in production. i want to teach at least ten of the other farmers i work with so that they can benefit as well. >> translator: we want farmers to learn new techniques so that they can increase their crops. we want to improve their quality of life by increasing their incomes. >> reporter: jica officials often visit farmers to see if they are following the advice. some in one district have done

the training twice. they say there's been a 20% increase in their crops, on average, over the last ten-year period. >> they are following basic technology of rice cultivation and achieving big, high yield. >> reporter: this woman harvests rice from her half hectare of land. she says since the training, she has had an up to seven-fold increase in production in one season. she used to live in a clay hut. with her stable income, she's built two brick houses for her family. now she has furniture and satellite telephone. her husband died when she was 29. she raised their five children by herself. until the training, she didn't know that some simple changes could result in a higher yield.

>> translator: i studied the farming method very hard and made more effort than the men and younger people. i could say the training changed my life. >> reporter: she now cares for her three granddaughters. she's helping their parents who have to work in another town. hadija spends her earnings on the children's education. >> translator: i want to be a teacher. >> translator: i want to be a doctor. >> translator: my grandchildr are well fed and have clean beds. i can afford to send them to school as well. i think the money i earn should be used to support my family. >> reporter: despite recent economic progress, over half the population of sub-saharan africa still lives on $1.25 or less a

day. sharing agriculture skills may mean a chance for a better life. nhk world, tanzania. meteorologist robert speta joins us now with the world weather forecast. robert, the rainy season has arrived in tokyo. >> let's first start off with what's going on here in japan across much of the country of japan. we've seen the showers push overhead here on your wednesday but it does look like going into thursday a new frontal area will push in from the west and ahead of it, some very gusty winds. already on wednesday we've seen some winds really pushing up there. in northern hokkaido, some recorded around 100 kilometers per hour. as this next front comes in it is going to just make things worse. widespread showers across most of the region. upwards of 50 millimeters on your wednesday. some storms could come out of this, even a few rumbles of thunder and a few of them could become severe especially going

through thursday evening. gathering moisture out of the pacific ocean and really combining with the afternoon to evening heating out here. it is really going to be pushing it up here. let's push that off towards the east. back towards the west we have this next area there in southeastern china, which is the rainy season boundary, bringing widespread precipitation. upwards of 50 millimeters from taiwan, into western china. a few isolated areas could see up to 200 millimeters. this is not going to be helping matters. there is still the threat for further flooding and landslides out of this rainy song. chongqing with a high of 23. 24 toward shanghai. beijing you're not part of that rainy season right now so this is going to be seeing some sunny skies for you and temperatures pushing into the mid 30s. let's talk about the tropics. just off the coast of mexico, this is tropical storm barbara. the second storm of the season

out here in the eastern pacific. some hurricane warnings and wrachs now in effect along the southern portions of mexico as that's expected to push john shore and further intensify just reaching there to that hurricane intensity. wind speeds right now around 100 kilometers per hour. this is going to be making rough waves during the coastlines but also bringing some heavy rainfall. that's going to be one of the major threats with this. it is really going to be moving onshore here through wednesday afternoon into the evening hours making that intensity just before landfall. but then into the higher elevations, there's a risk of flooding, even landslides here but also while it does that, it is going to be losing a lot of energy so expect this to rapidly deintensify as we go through your day on thursday and eventually towards friday, we don't expect much left of this. let's talk about severe weather off towards the north, much of the plains across the ohio valley, actually into missouri, even towards illinois and indiana you're going to be

seeing risk of flash flooding but the highest threat is over here towards kansas, oklahoma, actually wichita, oklahoma city you're going to be seeing the risk of some severe weather right here in the red. there is possibilities of some large tornadoes here, even hail up to baseball-sized. we could see winds from 100 to 110 kilometers per hour. if you're going in and out of oklahoma city, watch out for this. even towards chicago you'll see some thunderstorms in your forecast. if you're flying out of o'hare, check in ahead of time. let's talk about europe real quick here. a large upper-level low continuing to spin bringing wide ranging rain showers. gusty winds across the balkan peninsula. 60, 70 kilometers per hour has been reported. lobbed and paris you're just seeing highs into the mid teens. some showers accompanying that on your thursday. thankfully by the weekend this will start to rebound back up. that's a look at your world. here's your extended forecast.

that concludes this edition of "newsline." i'm keikachi hanada.

on behalf of our team, thank you for staying with us. \ s 10

♪ from the four winds and the scent of the earth. come the color of the seasons. exploring the four seasons of japan. [ birds chirping ] for over 1,000 years, kyoto served as the ancient capital of japan. watched over serenely by a host of buddhist statues. it is to these statues that