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water resoce vepment.ashineseir have estlished bigger i isimto catch up with the ort the iqi government. japan has agreed to n o uranium development in the centralcountry. japanese economy, trade, and industry minister bandi kaieda signed a memorandum wit his uzbek counterpart galina saidova in t the memorandum says public and private sectors of the two countries will work togher to develop uranium mines in isnef e world's largest producers of uranium, a material used in nuclear power generation. the japanese government is resources as demand for the mineral is likely to grow with the construction of nuclear power facilities ou t ewo countn

a joint research for new metal refshsz in uzbekistan. the metals can be used in energy-saving electric bekistan says it hopes the agreement will enable the country to access japan's advanced technologies, which would help develop domestic tokyo stocks rose moderately on tuesday morning. tracking overnight gains in new york. here's a look at the nikkei nghe morning session at 10,626, up 1/3 of a percent, or 33 in. upbeat domestic corporate earnings and new optimism over u.s. economic recovery boosted market sentiment, but profit taking capped the up side fog twda wni streak. taking a look at the tokyo foreign exchange, the dollar is trading lower against the yen for the first time in four trinda. on tuesday the greenback ently anging hands at 82.29-32 yen. and for you're /dla 3607-3611. but the dollar's down side is

capped. sources say some investors are buying the dollar on hopes for a covery of the u.s. economy while export-related firms are selling the dollar against the yen. egypt's new prime misr ldis fst cabinet meeting while anti-government demonstrators are still demanding president hosni mubarak's immediate resignation. ahmed shafiq convened the meetg monday. the former aviation minister was appointed as pri misr mubarak on january 29th. the cabinet approved a 15% salary increase for civil servants and military personnel arngn april. the move suggests mubarak is trying to solidify his base in order to stay in power until autumn, when his term expire meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators still occupy tahrir square in central cairo. they're calling for mubarak to step downimmediately. on sunday the government opposition groups began talks on a political transition. but therosts are not satisfied and are calling for

another massive rally on tuesday. the sudanese president has accepted the results of a referendum voting overwhelmingly for independence. southern sudan will likely become the 54th african nation injuly. omar al bashir said in a televised address on monday the outcome was the will of the southern people. the rerdu commission announced 98.9% voted for secession. the pl w hd st month. it was in line with a 2005 peace accord between the arab-dominated north and african anti-government groups in the ut but before the south can become independent, the two sides need to settle issues such as ownership of the oil fields in the border ea bashir is not showing any sign of compromise. analysts say tensions may rise agai >>mewhe, tensions remain high around a disputed area on the thai-cambodian border. the association of southeast

asian nations, or asn, is trying to arbitrate an end to the conflict. asean chair foreign minister rty natalegawa of indonesia held talks with cambodian foreign minister hor namhong. natalegawa is expected to meet with thai forgn minister kasit piromya next. fighting began last friday on a stretch of land surrounding the 11th century preah vihear temple claimed by both countries. the two neighbors first confront each other in 2008, when the ancient temple was listed as a u.n. world heritage site in cambodian territory. on monday forces from the two countries exchanged fierce gun and artillery firefor a fourth consute day. the governments of both cambodia and thailand say at least seven people, including civilians, have been killed and about 70 wounded. in thailand a reported 50,000 people have evacuated the area. the fighting has also caused damage to the historic temple. with both sides blaming the other for starting the shooting,

a quick resolution appears unlikely. myanmar's pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi has suggested that continued economic sanctions against the country are inevitable. aung san suu kyi was speaking to reporters on monday in the country's largest city, yangon. when aung san suu kyi was released from house arrest last november, she said it was necessary to review the impact of the sanctions. the united states and its western allies have imposed trade restrictions against the military government because of its human rights violations. myanmar will inaugurate a new government as early as this week following a general election last november. aung san suu kyi was effectively excluded from the poll. diplomatic sources say she may want to maintain her political influence over relations between

the new government and the west. wikileaks founder julian assange has asked a british court to block his extradition to sweden to face sex crime allegations. the founder of the whistleblowing website appeared in a court in london on monday for a two-day hearing on the extradition bid by swedish authorities. assange is accused of sexual misconduct with two women in sweden. he was arrested in london last december at the request of sweden and was later released on bail under restrictive conditions. during monday's hearing prosecutors said that a person charged with sexual assault on a woman in sweden warrants extradition under british law. assange denied the allegations and said that he would not get a fair trial in sweden because hearings on sex crime cases are usually held behind closed doors there. comparing the accusations to a black box applied to his life, assange said he hopes it will become clear through the judicial process that he is not

guilty. >> i hope over the next day we will see that that box is in fact empty. even though major israeli attacks on gaza took place three years ago, many children there still suffer severe trauma. some have turned to aggression and other forms of unstable behavior. but one counselor is helping the children return to normal childhood through the healing power of music. nhk world's misan shihada reports. >> reporter: children learn to play traditional music in this classroom.

♪ mahmoud plays the kanun, an instrument long used to make traditional music. its 78 strings make it difficult to play, even for adults. but mahmoud learned it in only two years. >> translator: i practice every day. i do it right here in the classroom. and i also practice when i'm at home. >> reporter: the boy was born and raised in gaza. whenever he draws pictures, mahmoud portrays the same scene. people bleeding. planes in action. and other firing weapons. in december 2008 the israeli army attacked the gaza strip. for three weeks the military struck with bombs and bullets.

to this day mahmoud suffers emotional trauma from the attacks. his father, imad koheil, counsels people with emotional problems at a clinic in gaza. >> translator: my son changed after the attacks. he became violent and unsettled. he can't concentrate on anything. ♪ >> reporter: looking for a way to help his son overcome his suffering, koheil decided to have his son learn music. koheil chose the kanun. by spending so much time with music, mahmoud is gradually recovering. at a local competition he won first prize. he's even started to smile again. >> translator: i was so happy to

win. i want to win next year, too. >> reporter: but mahmoud is just one of many children who need healing. koheil helps these children and their parents. ever since the attacks this 8-year boy has been wetting his pants when he hears loud noises. his speech is halting. >> reporter: koheil uses music to help children recover. he plans to start classes in

gaza's elementary schools to teach children the joy of playing and listening to music. >> translator: i think music can heal children. just like it's done with my son. i believe that playing a musical instrument would benefit the children who have suffered trauma. >> reporter: the power of music is helping these youngsters return to a normal childhood. bessan shehada, nhk world, gaza. tension continues between the israeli military and the palestinians in gaza. children who still fear the sounds of gunfire and explosions have little support from professionals. there aren't enough experts, and suffering children urgently need help. volcanic eruptions continue to wreak havoc in southwestern

japan. falling ash and stones are disrupting businesses and affecting travel in the region. mount shinmoe is on the border of kagoshima and miyazaki prefectures. it has been active since late january. a series of eruptions continued on monday with one explosion sending smoke 1,600 meters into the air. ash and stones have been raining down on residents living downwind of the volcano for more than a week. the main part of kirishima city is located about 20 kilometers from the crater. the city is famous for its hot spa resorts. the local tourism association says 20,000 tourists have canceled their reservations even though the 29 hotels surveyed are operating normally. the accumulated ash is creating a traffic hazard. police report 14 car accidents due to slippery roads in mimata

town in miyazaki prefecture. the japan automobile federation is calling on people to drive carefully and keep a safe distance between cars. japan's defense ministry is considering a new tactic to protect the country's southernmost islands. it follows a new set of defense policy guidelines that call for tighter security near okinawa and walters surrounding southwestern japan. the guidelines say the self-defense forces, or sdf, needs to boost its mobility so it can promptly respond to military provocation by north korea sxin creased activity by china's navy. the ministry expects the ground self-defense force to be a core of the new formation. it hopes to increase the mobility and readiness of the sdf with parachute troops and other special forces. high-speed vessels and large cargo aircraft are also likely to be deployed. the defense ministry will study whether to form a new organization or regroup existing units. the number of new aids patients reported in japan last

year hit a record high of 453. the health ministry urges people to undergo testing, saying early detection can prevent the spread of the hiv virus. the ministry says the number of people found to be infected with the hiv virus last year came to 1,503, including those who had already developed aids. 63% were infected through homosexual contact, and 21% through heterosexual contact. by age group, 535 patients were in their 30s, followed by 374 in their 20s. the ministry says that the number of people who used hiv antibody test or consultation services provided by local public health centers dropped last year for the second consecutive year. here's proof that the bigger they are the harder they fall. the 60-meter-long hishikidai bridge in northern japan was approaching its final days so,

on monday workers spent four hours planting explosives at more than 100 points along the old iron structure. then this. an official in yam gata prefecture says it was 40% cheaper to blow up the bridge than to tear it down with a crane. the iron debris will be recycled. hello there. time now for your world weather update, then. starting off on quite a cloudy note in japan today. we will see some more rain arriving later on as well. we've also got a winter storm impacting the north. a heavy shower down in the okinawa islands. now, this area of rain that's sweeping across the southern tip of the korean peninsula is going to be joining up with a separate system, and together will be producing plenty of showers across western and eastern japan starting this afternoon.

meanwhile, china's looking quite cloudy as well for inland areas. we expect to see widespread showers later on today. some light snow flurries up in the northeast. but beijing stays dry and sunny. meanwhile, for taiwan and the northern philippines contending with some more showers. indo-china not too bad. dry weather for the most part. but for places like sri lanka we are going to be seeing more on and off showers over the next few days with a low pressure system that lingers nearby. here's a look at the latest -- a look at the situation out here. major flooding in the area. and over 1 million people said to be affected. and just in the last 24 hours receiving more than 100 millimeters of rainfall. and the military has been deployed to assist the situation as well. so very serious situation. additional rainfall not good news. 22 degrees in hong kong today. we've got 15 degrees in chongqing and then 7 up in

beijing. let's take a look at north america, then. the east is looking at quite wet conditions tonight. we've got rain as well as snow and sleet in the mix for inland areas. that's going to be heading toward the northeast, producing lots of snow for this region here. another snowstorm to watch out for is this one that's going to be descending into the rockies. that's going to be spreading lots of snow over a wide area. some heavy snow in the mix as well for the plain states as well as parts of the four corners. and as you can see, up in the northeast as well looking at substantial snow to accumulate on tuesday. we've got three degrees in new york. temperatures dropping in places like toronto, minus 7. and then chicago minus 12 on tuesday. and then minus 12 in denver as well. so bitterly cold out here as well. finally, taking a look at europe, dry for the most part. there is going to be a winter storm that's affecting southern sweden, accompanied by strong winds. that's set to head into the baltic states. it's quite windy across poland

and germany as well. but that wind will die down during tuesday for germany. as for the british isles, not too bad. we've got some sunny spells for parts of england. but there is going to be hefty showers moving into ireland by the end of the day. producing some showers for southwestern england as well. so that's something to watch out for. in terms of temperatures, not too bad. 9 degrees in london with sunny spells. 10 in paris with a light drizzle. 9 degrees in berlin. but temperatures certainly on the decline for northern and eastern areas. we've got 1 in stockholm and then zero in moscow, coming down to 4 in warsaw as well. all right. here's the extended forecast now. ♪ ♪

once again, the headlines this hour, japan's current account surplus for 2010 logged its first annual increase in three years. this came as the trade balance surged due to a rebound in auto exports to china and the u.s. on tuesday the finance ministry said in a preliminary report the income sir plus declined more than 5% in yen terms to slightly over $140 billion. this was due to a drop in stock dividends and other investment returns. but the trade surplus nearly doubled year on year to about $98 billion. the figures add up to an account surplus of about $208 billion for the whole of 2010, up over 28% from a year earlier. the ministry attributes the robust trade figures to the global economic recovery and is calling for a close watch on the u.s. and chinese economies as well as rising prices of natural resources. tokyo stocks rose moderately

on tuesday morning. tracking overnight gains in new york. the nikkei average ended the morning session at 10,626, up .32%, or 33 points. upbeat domestic corporate earnings and renewed on the miz vm over u.s. economic recovery boosted market sentiment. but profit taking capped the up side following a two-day winning streak. looking at the tokyo foreign exchange, the dollar is trading lower against the yen for the first time in four trading days on tuesday. the greenback currently changing hands at 82.30-32 yen. euro buys 1.3606-3612. but some say investors are buying the dollar for hopes of a recovery while export-related firms are selling the dollar against the yen. egypt's new prime minister held his first cabinet meeting while anti-government demonstrators are still demanding president hosni mubarak's immediate resignation.

ahmed shafiq convened the meeting on monday. the former aviation minister was appointed as prime minister by mubarak on january 29th. the cabinet approved a 15% salary increase for civil servants and military personnel starting in april. the move suggests mubarak is trying to solidify his base in order to stay in power until autumn, when his term expires. meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators still occupy tahrir square in central cairo. they're calling for mubarak to step down immediately. on sunday the government and opposition groups began talks on a political transition, and the protesters are not satisfied and are calling for another massive rally on tuesday. the sudanese president has accepted the results of a referendum, voting overwhelmingly for independence. southern sudan will likely become the 54th african nation in july. omar al bashir said in a televised address on monday the outcome was the will of the southern people. the referendum commission

announced 98.9% voted for secession. the poll was held last month. it was in line with a 2005 peace accord between the arab-dominated north and african anti-government groups in the south. but before the south can become independent the two sides need to settle issues such as ownership of the oil fields in the border area. bashir is not showing any sign of compromise. analysts say tensions may rise again. volcanic eruptions continue to wreak havoc in southwestern japan. falling ash and stones are disrupting businesses and affecting travel in the region. mount shinmoe is on the border of kagoshima and miyazaki prefectures. it has been active since late january. a series of eruptions continued on monday, with one explosion sending smoke 1,600 meters into the air. ash and stones have been raining down on residents living downwind of the volcano for more than a week. the main part of kir shooema city is located about 20

kilometers from the crater. the city is famous for its hot spa resorts. the local tourism association says 20,000 tourists have canceled their reservations even though the 29 hotels surveyed are operating normally. the accumulated ash is creating a traffic hazard. police report 14 car accidents due to slippery roads in mimata town in miyazaki prefecture. the japan automobile federation is calling on people to drive carefully and keep a safe distance between cars. we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo. x