welcome to nhk world "newsline."hk world the leaders of britain and france say a rescue operation is ongoing at a natural gas plant the country's security forces t moved in thursday to free workers who have been held hostage by islamist militants.

some of the captain captives have escaped. >> they're still pursuing hostages in other areas of the site. >> the militants kidnapped the workers on wednesday. the hostages include japanese, french, and american citizens. an escapee said that militants were holding hostages in a residential section of the facility. algerian military air strikes caused panic and 400 to 600 captives rushed to emergency exits, ignoring orders by the militants to stop. an irish hostage told reuters that the algerian army carried out an air strike on five jeeps with captives inside. his vehicle was its only one that wasn't blown up. spokes persons for the japanese engineering firm jgc corporation say they have been in contact with the captives. the fate of the remaining 10 hostages is unknown. prime minister abe spoke in

jakarta. he expressed their determination to continue fighting terrorism. >> translator: i believe taking lives of innocent people is unforgivable act. our priority is to recover the hostage as live. the situation remains unstable. we'll continue doing our very best to cope with this situation. >> an algerian tv station says they killed 18 islamist militants but there's no official statement giving details on the rescue operation or the fate of the hostages. it's not the first time the algerian government has used military force to deal with extremists. nhk world gives us some perspective on the political situation.

>> reporter: the algerian government hard line approach can be traced back to the decade-long civil war that ended in 2002. in 1991, islamic parties won a landslide victory in the country's first democratic election. but one year later, military forces carried out a coup on the grounds they were protecting the republican system. >> translator: algerian history has a precedent for terrorist tactics, leading to victory. in the case of the war of independence against france. so in a sense, there's a kind of justification for terrorism, and at the same time, there's the idea of never surrendering in the face of terrorism coming from the enemy. >> reporter: the civil war claimed the lives of 200,000 people. it involved indiscriminate bombings and widespread human rights violations. president abdelaziz bouteflika was elected for the first time

in 1999. he was re-elected in 2004 and 2009. bouteflika chose to deal with militant groups in two ways. he invited them to lay down their weapons to participate in rebuilding the nation. and at the same time, he continued cracking down on their activities. observers say this approach has gained broad support amongst public. >> translator: the government was afraid that negotiating with the kidnappers and making concessions could lead to a loss of legitimacy. so from the historical point of view and looking at the government's concerns about legitimacy, it was difficult to

find any room for compromise. prime minister abe says the japanese government will strengthen ties with the members of southeast asian nations to promote regional stability. he made the comments on his first trip abroad since taking office last month. japan and other countries are involved in maritime territorial disputes with china. abe discussed china's growing presence in the south china sea. the chinese government claims groups of islands that other countries say that belong to them. the leaders of china and all other countries should abide by international law and peacefully resolve territorial disputes. japan's dispute with china is over islands in the east china sea which the japanese control but the chinese and taiwanese

claim. >> translator: there's no doubt that china's economic growth brings positive effects to japan. but at the same time, china should act responsibly in the international community as its presence grows. >> the leaders agreed that last month's rocket launch violated u.n. security council resolutions. abe said that the security council should adopt a new resolution that would include further sanctions against north korea. abe has been juggling a number of priorities since his party took power last month. he became prime minister for a second time. our nhk reporter has more on the issues his administration is trying to tackle. >> reporter: abe's done this job before. now he's getting a refresher course in diplomacy. he went on this tour to sound out leaders who share his

concerns about china. he says chinese ships are becoming increasingly assertive. but abe is also keeping an eye on what's going on back home. he has promised to pull japan out of deflation and revitalize the economy. and he wants to reinforce ties with countries considered to be engines of growth. abe had hoped to make washington his first foreign visit. but u.s. officials couldn't find time because of president obama's inauguration. still, abe wants to visit as soon as possible. he says the alliance is the foundation of japanese security in an increasingly difficult environment. japanese and american diplomats have been struggling to agree on

how to relocate a u.s. military base in okinawa. they've run into strong opposition from residents. on top of that, the americans have been pressuring the japanese to start talks on a free trade agreement. farmers and lobby groups are urging abe not to join the transpacific partnership. many wonder how abe will balance these pressures as he tries to achieve these goals. nhk world. four days of anti-government protests in pakistan have come to an end. patchari raksawong joins us from bangkok with an update on the situation. >> good evening, gene. the protests may be over but the problems remain in pakistan. supporters of influential cleric qadri were demanding the government resign for rampant corruption. it called for the end of demonstrations on thursday. with elections approaching, pakistan faces more difficult weeks ahead. we have this report from

islamabad. >> reporter: qadri declared victory in front of supporters as the four-day protest ended thursday. the muslim cleric said the government agreed to dissolve parliament before march 16th and hold free and fair elections within 90 days. protests in islamabad began monday. tens of thousands were there to denounce official corruption and demand resignation of the government. some say the military was covered with supporting qadri who undermined the government ahead of elections.

political power has swung back and forth in pakistan between the two main parties. allegation of corruption and other irregularities are commonplace. military coups have worsened, a constant sense of turmoil. the general public is increasingly distressful of politicians who struggle for power while the economy stagnates and wealth gap widens. the judiciary added to government woes this week when supreme court chief justice brought up the prime minister on suspicion of taking bribes when he had power. they have to explain why they haven't followed the order. the supreme court last year convicted his predecessor for contempt, leading to his resignation as prime minister. some speculate the court is colluding with the military to

undermine the government. the deal with qadri means the government of the president has managed to end the protests for now. but the country's seemingly endless problems, including corruption, economic malaise and violent terrorism continue to feed growing popular discontent. and the crisis seems far from over. nhk world, islamabad.

indonesia has welcomed japan's prime minister shinzo abe on the third and final leg of the newly elected leader's tour of southeast asia. his visit reflects growing japanese interest in doing business with asean. indonesia, for example, has the world's fourth largest population and a growing class of middle-income consumers. no wonder then the japanese convenience store chains are lining up to open shops in cities like jakarta. from there, we have this report. >> reporter: the indonesian capital is the busiest in asean. a convenience store chain

launched here last year and opened two stores in a row. >> translator: indonesia's population is 240 million. i'm convinced we can build a larger chain network here than in japan. >> reporter: the company plans to open 500 others within five years. mostly middle in income areas, the arrival chains already have a presence. to stand out, japanese company has a secret weapon. ready-made meals. a big seller in its home market. chicken is in sale in japan for the equivalent of less than 50 cents per skewer. they want to develop new items. this is a sample, fried noodles. >> translator: the taste is good, so let's keep it.

we should adjust the quaupt though. >> translator: local chains don't have many food items such as boxed lunches or sandwiches. so we thought we could gain an edge with original precooked foods. >> reporter: but this company isn't the first to get taste for business in indonesia. a rival japanese chain already has about 90 stores. >> reporter: it's also trying to attract customers using tack licks like japan such as cleanliness and hospitality. this employee was hired in japan and worked in tokyo as shop manager. now he gives regular sessions to local supervisors. he explains is the importance of a clean entrance and neatly arranged products. >> translator: his explanation

was exact and easy to understand. >> translator: i want to provide the same services as stores in japan. so we can offer customers what they want, where and when they want it. >> reporter: with the whole market stagnating, japanese convenience store chains feel the competition, which will only get hotter. nhk world, jakarta. a baby elephant in india is free again after falling into a well. tragedy was narrowly avoided when authorities in the eastern state of jharkand moved heaven and earth to set the cow free. the baby elephant likely became separated from its herd before getting stuck. thankfully the well was almost dry. the animal's cries alerted

villagers who called for help from forestry officials. a mission to rescue the calf got under way. earth-moving equipment arrived to create an escape route. five hours after digging began, the animal finally struggled towards the surface. but with freedom just inches away, there was an unexpected hitch. stuck under the bulldozer. after a worrying delay, the vehicle tilted to one side and the elephant was free. onlookers cheered as it ran toward the forest. some followed to make sure it didn't head into the village. deforestation is destroying elephant habitats and forcing the animals to look for food in human settlements where they face unexpected dangers. but let's hope after that traumatic experience the baby is

now safe back with its mother. and that's going to wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. a group of researchers is urging people to think about worst case scenarios. they say it's the only way to prepare for a huge quake in the pacific. one that could claim more than 300,000 lives. >> reporter: these are experts for disaster prevention. they have been studying the quake that devastated kobe 18 years ago. this professor is leading the study and the call to be prepared. >> translator: quake survivors can't carry on without water, food and fuel. that's a vital issue. >> reporter: the expert's main concern is water. they expect a severe shortage after the big one strikes.

a major quake off the pacific coast could affect the most populated area of japan, leaving 50 million in desperate need of water. the group estimates these areas will need a total 100,000 kilo liters of water on day one. in all companies have been 560,000 kilo liters of bottled water in their distribution systems. researchers say quake survivors will run through that supply in about one week. the 1995 quake demonstrated how quickly water supply lines break down after a major disaster. many survivors in kobe had to collect water from burst pipes. these scenes could be repeated on a much bigger scale in the next major quake. to be prepared, experts say the japanese need to think about worst case scenarios. >> translator: food and water

shortages could set off looting. no looting has been reported in japan, even during major disasters. but we must assume it can happen, depending on the situation. >> reporter: in 1995 quake it was a wake up call. local governments began stocking up on water and other supplies. but it may not be enough. they are now reviewing their emergency preparedness plans. distribution locates is under review. local officials have signed deals with retail chains. the companies have agreed to supply essential goods in times of disaster. retail giant held a nationwide

drill to test its preparedness. the group had signed a pact with 200 municipalities expected to be hit by the huge quake. >> translator: we're still short of bottled water. >> translator: do you have a stockpile? >> translator: simulations are needed to determine the demand for relief supplies. the data obtained should be the basis for discussions involving both public and private sectors. >> translator: based on the estimated number of evacuees we should examine the amount of supplies needed. >> reporter: the central government has set up a council to identify challenges expected to arrive during the disaster. officials from local governments and private companies are taking part.

>> translator: it will be difficult to minimize damage by taking conventional approaches. i believe we will be able to find effective measures by studying ways to avoid the worst case scenario. >> reporter: the panel's mission is to identify and assess the risk that japan would face. it believes the on lie way to minimize damages in the case of a giant disaster is assuming the worst possible scenarios. thousands of people waiting to go home. tons of debris waiting for disposal. vast tracts of land awaiting to

be restored. overcoming the 2011 disaster won't be easy but step-by-step people are moving forward. find out how on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. japan time right here on "newsline."

more snow on the way in some parts of japan. it's going to be a cold one over the weekend. meteorologist robert speta is here with more. robert. >> reporter: well, gene, at least in tokyo you're right very cold here. the good news things are just too dry for any cloud cover really to develop here across much of the continent. where you'll be seeing that snow is off here towards the west, about 70 centimeters is expected going through saturday as the sea effect snow machine pulls in that cold air from the northwest

running across the warm waters in the sea of japan and that moisture has to go somewhere and it dumps on the west coast. that's what we've been seeing. tokyo maybe by tuesday going into wednesday there will be a system developing up. we'll watch that. there's a risk of some light snow by then. but for now out here towards the west high pressure is dominating. bringing very dry conditions. cold temperatures as it continues to push further down there towards the south. you'll be seeing temperatures dropping as far south as the philippines. as it does so, remember this has a clock wise rotation. towards hong kong out towards shanghai you'll see temperatures rebound going through the weekend. shanghai just a few days ago you were seizing temperatures near the freezing mark getting up to

around 10 slightly above average down towards hong kong at 17. seoul, temperatures back in the single digits, below zero which we've been seeing for several days. tokyo 9 for the high on saturday. now towards the americas, we haven't watched an area here in the southeast. that's pushing off toward the east. that's the good news. behind it we're seeing high pressure move in. that's bringing some colder weather with it but nothing compared to what's going to be on tap here off towards the north. this storm system as it pushes in from northern canada down here towards the southeast ushering in gusty winds but also very, very cold temperatures. how cold? here in winnipeg you'll be seeing a high around minus 8 on friday but going into sunday this is going to be the low down around minus 30, same there in the dakotas, combined with those gusty winds i'm talking about, wind chill on lie in the overnight hours can get around minus 50 degrees celsius. if you're out and about in temperatures like that, frostbite due to the exposure of that air really could result in just a matter of minutes. that's going to be very dangerous going into the early part of next week as those temperatures start to fall off. go somewhere warm. los angeles 26 for the high to start off your weekend here. now into europe, talking about snow showers across the british isles, looks like a storm system is on tap as we have this system coming in off the atlantic bringing in an ample amount of moisture with it. start to interact with this high pressure that's been keeping things cold across much of western europe, british isles, france and southern portions of uk. expect 25 to 30 centimeters in some areas as it pushes off to the east. five to ten centimeters. spain and portugal you're seeing some rain on saturday. that will switch over to snow. this is part of an elongated pattern. we're seeing one system after

another and one just moved across italy, brought snowfall. now that's off towards the east. moving away from the balkans. bringing severe weather. now towards turkey, seeing snow and even severe weather threatening. as temperatures still remaining chilly out here in eastern europe. moscow, minus ten only for your high on your saturday. london and paris, still around the freezing mark. if you want to go somewhere warm, go to lisbon. 13 here for your high on your saturday. here's a look at your extended forecast.

we'll be back in 30 minutes with more news. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, thanks very much for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com