> welcome to nhk world "newsline." as the turmoil in libya continues to worsen, crude oil futures rose close to $107 per barrel in new york on monday. this is the highest level in about two years and five months. buy orders increased due to intensified fighting between gadhafi supporters and opposition forces in libya.

investors were also concerned that the unrest may spread to other oil-producing countries in the middle east. as a result the benchmark wti crude futures briefly hit $106.95 per barrel in after-hours trading. meanwhile, gold futures also climbed to $1,445.70 an ounce at one point in new york, the highest on record. the lack of clarity on the middle east unrest drove investors to buy gol a safe asset. market sources say rising crude prices are pushing up gasoline prices in the united states. they say concerns are spreading that the trend may adversely affect u.s. consumer sentiment and dampen economic recovery. japan's current account surplus marked its first drop in nearly two months due to a jump in imports and soaring prices of crude oil and iron ore. the finance ministry set in a preliminary report on tuesday that the surplus for january totaled around $5.6 billion.

that is a plunge of almost 48% from a year earlier. the trade deficit for january was $4.8 billion. the ministry said weaker exports during china's lunar new year holidays were another negative factor. this is the first time in two years that the trade balance has tipped into the red. the income balance, which includes returns on foreign investment, rose above 10%. the increase was due to improved earnings and overseas subsidiaries of japanese firms. credit worries continue on heavily indebted european countries. this has led a u.s. credit rating agency to downgrade greek government bonds by three notches. moody's said on monday it lowered the rating of greek debt from the already below investment grade of b.a.-1 to b.-1. since running into a debt crisis last year, greece has been trying to turn around its fiscal health with the aid of the

european union. moody's says greece has made some progress on fiscal reform but the agency has doubts whether the country will be able to deliver on its revival plans. it cites a green outlook -- grim outlook for revenue growth due to issues with its tax system. credit concerns still run high in the region. ireland's new government is asking for a rate cut on an eu emergency loan, but it's unclear whether the eu would agree to the terms. meanwhile, state bonds of portugal and other countries with huge deficits remain on a downward trend. the world's largest luxury goods group, lvmh, the maker of louis vuitton handbags, has announced that it will acquire italian jewelry house bulgari. lvmh, louis vuitton, amountainoused it will trade some of its shares for a 51% stake of bulgari currently held by the owner family. lvmh said it will purchase the

remaining stake through a takeover bid. the french consortium has not revealed the amount paid for the acquisition. but u.s. and european media say the group is likely to have spent over $5 billion. the group apparently hopes the agreement with bulgari will strengthen its competitiveness in china and other asian markets. lvmh holds more than 60 luxury brands including louis vuitton and givenchy. it also specializes in watches, perfumes, and cosmetics among other products. tokyo stocks staged a modest rebound in early trading on tuesday. the nikkei average ended the morning session at 10,545, up 0.38%, or 40 points. the index opened slightly higher as bargain hunters took their cue from monday's sell-off. but the up side was limited with many investors staying on the sidelines. this came amid rising crude oil prices due to continued unrest in north africa and the middle east. on the tokyo foreign

exchange on tuesday morning the dollar is moving in a tight range. the greenback is now at 82.27-30. sources say investors are continuing to focus on the turmoil in libya and other countries in the region. a representative from the anti-government forces in libya has strongly condemned moammar al gadhafi's regime for continuing to kill civilians. former justice minister mustafa abdel jalil, who now represents the opposition people's council, spoke to nhk on monday. he called on the international community to set up no-fly zones over the country. abdel jalil said the anti-government forces did not have sufficient equipment but they are highly motivated and

focused on toppling the gadhafi regime. opposition forces are trying to advance westward to gadhafi's hometown of sirte, but his supporters are fighting back. they carried out air strikes on the central city of ras lanuf on monday. three people were killed while trying to escape by car. gadhafi loyalists also attacked misrata near the capital, tripoli. 20 people are said to have been killed and 80 wounded. a resident in the city told nhk by phone that doctors and medical equipment are in short supply and called for immediate humanitarian assistance from the united nations and other organizations. in other libya-related news, defense ministers from the 28 member states of the north atlantic treaty organization, or nato, are due to meet in brussels from thursday to discuss the crisis. >> if gadhafi and his military continue to attack the libyan population systematically, i can't imagine the international

community and the united nations stand idly by. >> nato secretary-general anders fogh rasmussen spoke to reporters on monday. rasmussen said the alliance is working out contingency plans for no-fly zones and other possible operations. he stressed that nato's job was to plan for any event. but he also cautioned the alliance has no intention of intervening in libya and it will act in line with decisions made by the u.n. security council. the united nations says about 1 million people in libya and neighboring areas would need emergency aid because of the ongoing violence in the country. u.n. aid officials and emergency relief coordinator valerie amos made an appeal at a news conference in geneva on monday. they asked the international community for $160 million in humanitarian aid. they said so far some 210,000 people have fled libya since fighting erupted last month. the officials also noted that those still in the country are

suffering from shortages of food and medicine. the libyan government agreed on sunday to let a u.n. team of experts in the country to monitor the situation and carry out aid activities. the u.n. plans to send a special envoy to discuss humanitarian aid as early as this week. egypt and tunisia have sworn in new cabinet ministers, replacing figures linked to their former governments toppled by massive anti-government protests. on monday egypt's military rulers swore in a 28-member cabinet headed by prime minister essam sharaf, who himself took part in anti-government protests. new faces assumed key foreign affairs and national security posts, although three ministers from the previous government retained their posts. also on monday tunisia

installed a new cabinet headed by prime minister beji caid essebsi. politicians close to the ousted president were replaced by new figures in response to public calls for their departure. both interim cabinets are expected to help their countries transition to democratic governance before new governments can be formed through elections. meanwhile, in saudi arabia religious leaders have warned the public not to take part in any demonstrations. the council of senior scholars issued a statement in a state-run newspaper on monday. the body consists of 19 islamic scholars and is considered the highest religious authority in the country. there have been online calls for nationwide rallies following friday prayers. the council said saudi arabia is based on the koran and maintains the unity of the people under the greatest pillars of islam. it also said reform cannot be carried out through protests as

they merely stir discord and division. security is on high alert as anti-government activities have taken place in the eastern part of the country where the oil fields are located. the religious authority said it would not hesitate to use force against demonstrators. saudi arabia follows one of the strictest codes in the islamic world. the announcement justifies banning any protests in the country. the chief of the international atomic energy agency has expressed concern about north korea's nuclear program. iaea director general yukiya amano said the agency would be ready to send officials to the country if there is progress at the six-party talks. amano made the remarks at a meeting of the iaea board of governors in vienna on monday. >> the nuclear program of the

democratic people's republic of korea remains a matter of serious concern for the northeast asian region and beyond. >> amano also voiced grave concern regarding reports that surfaced last year about the construction of a new uranium enrichment facility. after the meeting amano told reporters the iaea would be willing to play a role in the denuclearization process if there's an agreement at the six-party talks. he said the nuclear watchdog would look into the possibility of inspections in case of such a development. north korea and china are seeking to resume the talks. china is the chair, but the united states, japan and south korea are deeply concerned about the north's uranium enrichment program. they are even considering bringing up the issue at a u.n. security council session. north korea says it wants to

repatriate a group of fishermen that strayed into south korean waters last month. it proposed red cross talks with the south to bring them back home. a south korean naval ship found the boat with 31 men and women on board drifting near yeongpyong island in the yellow said and towed it to a south korean port on february 5th. south korea's unification ministry has told the north four are seeking asylum but the remaining 27 will be sent back. on monday north korea demanded the return of all 31 people and proposed holding the red cross talks at the truce village of panmunjom on wednesday. the north also called for having the four asylum seekers meet their families to confirm their intentions. south korea replied that it's willing to hold talks. the incident comes after military officials from the two countries met last month to prepare for high-level inter-korean talks but failed to agree on details.

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 a trauma counselor is helping the children return to normal childhood through the healing power of music. nhk world's bessan shehada reports. >> reporter: children learn to play traditional music in this classroom. ♪ ma nude plays the kanoe, 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 am 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 kohel, 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. 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. >> the power of music. all nippon airways has shown media its flight simulator for the 787 dreamliner, the latest passenger plane made by boeing. the preview in tokyo was held ahead of the start of pilot training for the mid-size aircraft next month. ana is to be the world's first carrier to operate the dreaml e dreamliner. the simulator allows pilots to experience the impact, tilt, and gravitational force they can expect while operating the aircraft with computer-generated cockpit views based on satellite photos. the views include those of bad weather and night skooiz. the dreamliner has carbon fiber in its fuselage to reduce weight

and improve fuel efficiency by up to 20% over that of a similar-sized aircraft. the carrier plans to start operating the aircraft this year. an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of a renowned japanese artist opens in tokyo on tuesday. taro okamoto is noted for his abstract and avant-garde art works. the show at national museum of modern art presents his 130 paintings and sculptures. one of them is the sculpture "none." the piece is said to represent the spirit of okamoto, who rejected japan's conventional values and pursued his own principles. okamoto completed "dashing eye 4" years before he died. the oil painting features a piercing eye surrounded by abstract patterns and vivid colors. the exhibition at the museum will run through may 8th.

first-time visitors to tokyo can be overwhelmed by the city's bright lights. but if they happen to step into some restaurants and cafes, they find there's hardly any lighting at all. why serve food and drinks customers can barely see? we find out in this report. >> reporter: tokyo by night. the illumination from lights and advertisements lights upwhole c. people are drawn to the lights. karu mende is a lighting designer. he's president of a non-profit organization that studies city lights. mendei has observed tokyo's

lighting for years. >> translator: the night isn't dark anymore. it's like the city never sleeps. >> reporter: another part of the city that's busy all night. this restaurant opened in january. the only lighting comes from candles on the tables. in case you can't tell, it's a ramen noodle shop. there is only one menu item. mystery noodles. each customer gets a variation of the dish. pork-flavored, for example. the customers try to figure out what kind of noodle they've been served. they focus on the flavors and textures. >> translator: it's interesting.

unlike restaurants where the lighting is good and people can see better, everyone here just eats in total silence. >> reporter: it's not until the customers have tasted each other's noodles that they realize they've been served different varieties. >> translator: we want to strip away the customers' preconceptions by limiting their vision. they have to rely on aroma and taste. >> reporter: they keep the lights down so people cannot use their sight but must instead use their other senses. on friday nights this cafe hardly uses any electric power at all. ♪ the musical performances are all

acoustic. with no microphones or amps. lighting comes from candles. the cafe has been using dim lighting for years to create intimacy. >> translator: this is fantastic. the city's always so bright. but this place has a warm and mellow atmosphere. >> reporter: candlelight instills a feeling of comfort. this woman wanted to celebrate her friend's birthday in a candlelit room. just before the party ends, the cake arrives. >> translator: the warmth of my friend and the warm candlelight were the perfect way to

celebrate my birthday. >> reporter: soft lighting helps soothe the soul and creates a welcome escape from the city's bright lights. hi there. welcome back to your world weather update. we've got a typical winter weather pattern again for japan with snow affecting the northwestern corner of the country while the pacific edge is going to be back in the sunshine. that's going to help to warm things up. but we're looking at up to 30 centimeters of snow to accumulate, and it could really intensify overnight into your wednesday with strong winds and high waves on wednesday. now, across the korean peninsula dry weather again for you. high pressure system firmly in control over china. there is going to be that area of rain moving if from the

southwest. gaining a bit more energy as it heads into central and southern portions of the country. quite unsettled picture across the southern tier of indo-china, likewise alock vietnam as well, and look for some more scattered showers across the southern sections of the philippines as well. we've got 18 degrees in taipei today. 16, that is. 15 in shanghai. 9 degrees, so much warmer in tokyo today. and a chilly 6 in seoul. now, heading into the americas, winter storms in place again. one that's over toward the northeast still quite powerful, bringing some strong winds to the area. we're looking at wind gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour. and on top of that there's going to be significant snow accumulating today. over toward the west we have the separate system that's bringing widespread snow across the rockies into the central plains. and that's going to be dumping quite heavy snow for in and around nebraska as well and then also over toward the northeast

and more snow to come as well. now, further down we're looking at severe thunderstorms to break out as well come tuesday. there is that threat for tornados. watch out for strong winds as well as heavy downpours as well across louisiana and texas. and you can see that over toward the northwest there is going to be a new system coming in, bringing plenty of coastal rain and inland snow. 8 degrees in vancouver today. minus 9 in winnipeg. and then over toward toronto quite chilly here. 0 for your daytime high. 1 in denver. but it does stay very pleasant and warm down in the southeast. 27 degrees down in miami. 24 in houston. now, for europe we have good spells of sunshine across continental europe. high pressure system in control here. and then over towards the southwest, scattered showers again for the southwestern corner of iberia here, with some heavy downpours and thunderstorms in between. across the north we're going to be contending with strong winds again, especially across

scandinavia, with heavy snow impacting norway. across the uk for the most part of the day we'll be holding on to that dry weather, but showers coming in from scotland. and own over toward the southeastern corner winds still very, very strong across italy and the balkans, and that slow-moving system still with us, bringing unsettled weather torch of turkey. there is going to be plenty of snow to contend with because of the cold air aloft. looking at snow for athens today with strong winds. 4 degrees in warsaw today. 9 in berlin. and it turns much milder out toward the west into double figures for london and paris with sunshine. all right. here's your extended forecast now. ♪

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