welcome to nhk world "newsline." the u.s. and the european union have imposed fresh sanctions on belarus over its crackdown on protests against the re-election of president alexander lukashenko. in december hundreds of demonstrators were detained after lukashenko secured his fourth term in office. official results gave him nearly 80% of the vote. the u.s. state department says it has banned american individuals from doing business with belarus's state-owned

petroleum conglomerate and its two subsidiaries. it will also bar belarussian officials responsible for political repression from entering the u.s. the state department also urges belarus to immediately release all detainees and allow free expression of political views. the european union also announced travel restrictions and an asset freeze targeting belarussian officials on monday. there's increasing tension in egypt as anti-government protesters are calling for another massive demonstration on tuesday. protests continued on monday in the capital, cairo, and other places in country for the seventh straight day. president hosni mubarak has pledged to reshuffle his cabinet. he's almost finished selecting key ministers including the interior minister in charge of security. mubarak has indicated his intention to stay in power. new vice president omar suleiman spoke on state-run television.

he called on opposition parties to have a dialogue. but there are growing calls for mubarak's resignation. protesters are calling for a rally in cairo on tuesday with more than 1 million people. tens of thousands have already started to gather at a public square in the city center on monday night. the military has deployed tanks and armored vehicles in the area. nhk world's ahmad saeed has more from cairo. >> reporter: organizers of the demonstrations are trying to set up pressure on president hosni mubarak by calling for a general strike and massive rally. it is not clear how things will unfold. but there are two key factors. one is the military. egyptian people respect the country's military which fought four middle east wars for them. mubarak is apparently trying to use the popularity of the military to regain public trust

in his administration, but it's not clear whether the military will remain loyal to mubarak at a time when public sentiment is turning against him. the other key factor is whether the mubarak administration can maintain support from the international community including the united states, which has strong ties with egypt in the middle east peace talks. meanwhile, the problem facing the protesters, that they have no clear leader. many young people have high expectations of mohammed elbaradei, the former head of the international atomic energy agency and the winner for the nobel peace prize. but others say that they cannot accept him as the leader of their country because he lived abroad for a long time, even though he is an egyptian. it is not clear if elbaradei can unite the voices calling for mubarak's resignation. many people assembled demanding

mubarak's immediate resignation and are not talking about the country's post-mubarak path. as president mubarak said last week, that he intends to stay in his post, it is likely that protests and turmoil will continue in egypt for some time. ahmad saeed, nhk world, cairo. the european union is calling for democratic reform in egypt through dialogue. eu foreign ministers made the call in a joint statement after meeting in brussels on monday. the statement expresses regret at the loss of life during the egyptian unrest and urges all parties to show restraint and avoid further violence. it asks the egyptian authorities to restore the internet and all other communication networks. the statement calls for a transition through a broad-based government leading to a genuine process of democratic reform. it adds this should pave the way for free and fair elections. eu foreign policy chief

catherine ashton has called on the egyptian government to listen to the voice of the people. >> their aspirations for a better future should be met with urgent, concrete, and decisive answers and with real steps. >> ashton says the eu is ready to support egypt in the democratic transition, including helping with the elections. the new parliament in myanmar will nominate three candidates for president as early as tuesday. there is growing speculation that they will include the military government's top leader, senior general than shwe and prime minister thein sein. parliament opened on monday, the first general election in 20 years was held two months ago. promilitary parties won a landslide victory. during the first session speakers of the upper and lower houses were elected. the new constitution, approved in 2008 -- in the 2008 national referendum was also put into effect. the upper house, the lower

house, and military lawmakers will each propose a candidate as early as tuesday. the presidential nominations are believed to be efforts to deflect international criticisms of the country's political system. meanwhile, the national league for democracy launched a website with activities of aung san suu kyi, the leader of the pro-democracy movement in myanmar. she was released in november 2010 after 7 1/2 years of house arrest. the two sides in the korean peninsula talked to china last november, shortly before the north shelled a south korean island, plunging ties into a freeze. south korean government sources told nhk that officials from the two countries met in china's northeastern city of shenyang around november 13th at the north's request. they said the two sides discussed improving ties, which had soured after the sinking of a south korean naval ship last march. they also talked about humanitarian aid to the flood-stricken north as well as possibly holding a summit.

but on november 23rd north korea shelled yeonpyeong island. the sources said the south became distrustful of the north for taking a provocative action after asking for dialogue. they said this spurred south korean president lee myung bak to make a remark which could be interpreted as giving up on dialogue with the north's leader, kim jong il. the south korean government has proposed holding working-level military talks with north korea on february 11th in response to requests by the north. however, the government said it will carefully consider what the north says about the sinking and shelling incidents. experts are warning of a possible explosive eruption at mt. shinmoe in southwestern japan. the volcano's lava dom has rapidly grown to about 500 meters in diameter. a team of the national research institute for earth science and disaster prevention analyzed satellite data of the volcano, located on the border of kagoshima and miyazaki prefectures. it found that the lava dome was

about 50 meters in diameter on thursday. but on sunday it grew to about 500 meters, covering more than half of the mountaintop. this means it has grown ten times larger in just three days. in biz news, crude oil futures surged overnight in both london and new york due to concerns over political unrest in egypt. in london futures soared to $101 a barrel at one stage, exceeding $100 for the first time in about two years and four months. buy orders for crude oil futures increased as investors feared that political tension in egypt could have a negative effect on transportation of the commodity from the middle east. in new york the benchmark wti crude oil futures rose to over $92 a barrel at one point. following the surge on monday, the international energy agency, which comprises oil-consuming

countries, released an emergency statement urging oil-producing nations to pay closer attention to the trend in the market. the statement said there is no fear for an immediate shortage of crude oil supplies. it also asked for oil-producing nations to be flexible in supplying sufficient amounts of crude oil at appropriate prices. the european union has called for a sharp increase in investment in renewable energy. the eu has set a target of 20% of the region's energy coming from renewable sources by the year 2020. in a news conference on monday, the european commission, the eu's executive body, said additional wind and solar power generation facilities will be necessary to attain the 20% goal. in 2008 renewable energy accounted for 10% of the total energy consumed in the eu. the commission says investment in renewable energy needs to be doubled from the current level to 70 billion euros, or about $95 billion a year.

eu nations have encouraged investment in electricity generated by wind and solar energy with a fixed price purchase system. but some member countries suffering financial difficulties are reviewing their commitments to renewable energy projects. japan's fiscal health continues to worsen. state liabilities have exceeded assets for the first time in about 30 years due to a rising government bond balance. the cabinet office says total assets, state assets, that is, stood at about $11.8 trillion at the end of 2009. that's down by nearly $240 billion from a year earlier. assets include land and roads owned by the central and local governments as well as pension reserves. meanwhile, state debt crude by $430 billion to $12.4 trillion in the same period. this came as the government had to issue huge amounts of bonds to finance its projects amid falling tax revenues. the figures add up to excess

liabilities of slightly below $600 billion. this marks the first time the state debt exceeded assets since comparable data became available back in 1980. the cabinet office says japan's fiscal health has worsened significantly over the past ten years. it says the government must undertake fiscal reform immediately as it continues to prop up the economy. japan and australia will resume talks next week on concluding an economic partnership agreement. this will be the first time in about a year the two countries discuss the trade issue. they'll hold a four-day vice ministerial meeting in tokyo next monday. discussions are to include lowering tariffs on mining, industrial, and agricultural products, along with improving investment conditions for a stable supply of resources. japan and australia began negotiations on an economic partnership agreement, or epa, four years ago. but the talks stalled over japan being reluctant to open its

agricultural market. the two sides are now set to resume negotiations as prime minister naoto kan has pledged to make efforts to open up the country and revitalize its agriculture. some japanese officials are hoping to speed up the talks with australia. they're concerned that further delay in reaching an epa agreement will leave japan out of discussions for a separate trade deal called the transpacific partnership agreement. australia is a major participant in the tpp talks. ar arron earnings have soared for japan's major electronics parts makers due to rising global demand for smartphones. tdk posted $8 billion in sales in the april to december period, up 10% from a year earlier. the firm's net profit nearly quadrupled in yen terms to $470 million. the strong results came as demand grew for the company's mainstay products such as condensers used in if mobile devices. tdk told a news conference on monday that it expects continued

double-digit increases in sales of smartphone parts. meanwhile, kyocera posted a record profit of over $1 billion, nearly five times as big as the previous year. it was due to brisk sales of ceramics parts that cover the surface of semiconductors. murata manufacturing's net income tripled to more than $530 million owing to higher demand for its condensers. apps electric turned to profit, making $95 million on the back of growing orders for touch panels. the strong yen has dealt a crushing blow to japan's apparel industry and the number of manufacturers has decreased by 60% over the past decade. but one chain store specializing in socks and stockings has successfully expanded its business by collaborating with small apparel makers. >> reporter: the diverse product line-up is the biggest feature of this company, which has 270 outlets across japan.

this location alone carries about 4,000 kinds of socks and stockings. the chain store operator offers mainly products made in japan at a time when cheaper chinese-made socks dominate the market. socks sold here usually cost more than three times the average. >> translator: i get all my socks here. the shop offers a wide variety that are cute and unique. >> translator: cheap socks begin to fall apart after several washings. but the ones i get here aren't like that. >> reporter: the chain is operated by tabio, a company based in osaka, western japan. business has expanded steadily since the company opened its first franchise in 1984. annual sales have reached $170

million. naomasa ochi is the founder. his winning aproech has been a focus on quality, not price. >> translator: i wanted to offer socks that not only protect the feet but are so comfortable you forget you're wearing them. our products are made with great care. this shows how much the japanese value quality. >> reporter: ochi called for collaboration among japan's apparel makers struggling under the strong yen and organized over 40 of them under his compa company. he created an online system that shares information between the firms' headquarters, its distribution krernths apparel makers, and the shops. this has enabled the group to keep inventories at a minimum, now its greatest strength.

>> translator: for our suppliers it's a big loss to sell off extra stock at bargain prices. i wanted to create a way that ensures production meets demand with no excess. >> reporter: the outlets in this chain store typically stock no more than five pairs of each item. staff keep an eye on which items sell and frequently place orders for new shipments. orders are received at this distribution center, and items arrive at the store within two days. stock here is also limited. it only holds items that would cover orders for less than a week. suppliers in the group can

easily check the numbers of their products sold at outlets and current stock levels at the distribution center. >> translator: 267 pairs were sold last week. it's the first time one of our products has sold this many in the first week. >> reporter: the makers adjust their production plan in line with the sales data. they're careful to prevent shortages at the distribution center. >> translator: we analyze the data and try to foresee demand. we're quick to slash production of unpopular items and focus on hot sellers. all the firms involved share the same business concept. so we're a finely tuned machine. we work well together. >> reporter: the chain operator expanded business overseas in 2002. their biggest selling point is the high quality of japan-made products.

the company now has one outlet in paris and eight in london. it's also planning to open shops in the united states and china. >> translator: i'd like to open stores across the globe to show off what japan can do. we have a competitive edge despite the strong yen because we produce the best socks in the world. all you have to do is try them on. here's the latest market figures. ♪ ♪

until now used barrels that held france's wine ended up as scrap. but a wine wholesaler came up with a new idea to use its wood to make products for people's homes. nhk world's rena yamasawa reports. >> reporter: bordeaux in southwestern france is the country's wine capital. at harvest time vineyards turn golden. saint-emilion, a small town in bordeaux, is registered as a world heritage site. one of the region's finest wines, chateau lausanne, is

produced here. 16,000 bottles are made each year. to bring out the very best flavors, wine must sit for about two years in a wooden cask. it is said that oak barrels add a tannin and vanilla flavor to the wine. but the wineries throw the barrels away after using them only once because they affect the flavor of the next batch. >> translator: it's such a shame to throw these gorgeous wooden barrels away. >> reporter: now a new idea has taken hold. using the stays for floorboards.

this wine wholesaler came up with the idea. the stays are cut into equal lengths. then the surface is shaved. one barrel can only produce 30 floorboards. applying the wine sediment deepens the wood's color and gives it a pleasing aroma. the wood pieces are joined to make a floor. a unique creation with a coloring and scent of wine. once the wood is varnished, the one-of-a-kind floor is complete. >> translator: barrels that produced chateau wines with a brilliant history can be converted into highly prized goods.

>> reporter: the stays are also used to make furniture. this man gave his wife, sophie, who loves wine, a gift for her 40th birthday. a table made from a wine barrel. the table legs retain the barrel's appealing curved shape. >> translator: i was so surprised. it was touching. >> translator: i find it interesting that it's made from a wine barrel. the fact that it's made from a barrel that held high-quality french wine just makes me appreciate it more. >> reporter: furniture made from a barrel that once held delicious french wine is sure to capture a wine lover's fancy.

rina yamasawa. nhk world, paris. >> the table introduced in this report cost about $8,000. it takes an entire oak tree to make just one wine barrel. french winemakers discard about 40,000 barrels a year, but he says if the new idea catches on the price of the products will drop and many oak trees will not be wasted. here's the weather forecast with saki ochi. >> hi. welcome back to your world weather up. now, we've been taking a look at conditions across east ash. well, much milder conditions across japan today. we are going to be looking at that snow. still falling this morning but slowly easing off as we head into the afternoon and evening hours. and finally, a break in all that snow because we've been seeing massive amounts of snow here

effecting the western flank of japan this winter. some areas picking up two to three times more snow than normal. it's been causing a lot of travel conditions. and hopefully we get a chance to dig out from all of that snow. however, warmer conditions do up the risk of avalanches instead. that will be something else to watch out for here. meanwhile, dry skies prevail across the korean peninsula as well as a lot of china. it's going to be a little rain falling across tie sxwan that starts spreading into the southern islands of japan today. otherwise, some heavy showers impacting the southern end of the philippines and manila. a high of 31 today. 17 expected in hong kong. and 7 in beijing. so rather mild. 4 degrees in seoul. back up from those subfreezing temperatures. now australia. we've been keeping an eye last week on western australia. well, now we are keeping an eye on the east.

in the coral sea we have this very well developed system. this will be tropical cyclone ayasi that did develop yesterday. we are looking at it heading westward right toward the northern end of queensland and it's moving at a pretty good pace too. 40 kilometers per hour and wind speeds at 155 kilometers per hour. wind gusts are even topping 200. this is a strong storm system that and it's still in fact intensifying and forecasts are calling for it to become a category 4 cyclone in the next 12 to 24 hours. it will start approaching the coastline. winds will start getting pretty high here during wednesday and into the afternoon hours. so we do want to watch out that. and of course the rain in the next 72 hours. heavy impacts of rain will start impacting coastal areas. take precautions and keep updated with local watches and warnings.

now, another stormy area is going to be the midsection of the united states. we've got a major storm system that's been working its way eastward. it continues to just kind of spread. so now the northeast too will be feeling the rain and snow and icy weather. also looking at the chance of some severe thunderstorms breaking out across the lower mississippi valley. overall pretty stormy conditions for you. tuesday's highs one for new york and d.c. a little bit. not below the freezing levels. for europe largely settled but it's going to be windy and wet for the brirkt isles as well as the scandinavian peninsula. however the mediterranean will start settling as the showers pull away. minus 4 in moss koes, minus 2 in warsaw, minus 3 in kiev. so well below zero. but it's a tad bit warmer than we've been seeing the past few days. all right. that's a look at your weather for now. here's your three-day outlook.

♪ ♪ we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani. jj