hello there. welcome to "newsline." it's wednesday, may 22nd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. authorities in oklahoma are trying to determine the extent of damage after a tornado swept through parts of the u.s. state. they confirmed 24 people were killed and 237 others injured. rescue workers are still picking through homes and buildings as they search for survivors. the tornado churned through the suburbs of oklahoma city on monday.

the winds reached more than 300 kilometers per hour. the storm swept along a path two kilometers wide and nearly 30 kilometers long. it took homes off their foundations and blew them away. analysts with the national weather service gave the storm their highest rating on the international tornado scale. >> right as i heard the roar of it coming, i grabbed my dog and we laid down in the closet. everything kind of collapsed around us. >> state officials say the tornado disrupts communications and made it difficult to confirm the number of deaths. they say at least 24 people were killed including 9 children. police officers and firefighters are checking evacuation centers to confirm those listed as missing. >> i've never been involved with anything like this before. >> residents of oklahoma are accustomed to seeing tornadoes, but a state official in charge of disaster prevention said two

elementary schools that took direct hits did not have storm shelters. u.s. president barack obama declared oklahoma a major disaster area. he ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts. >> as a nation our full focus right now is on the urgent work of rescue and the hard work of recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead. >> obama told secretary of homeland security janet napolitano to get everything oklahoma needs right away. he said authorities don't know the full extent of the damage, but he reassured damage that other americans are there to help. president obama is making plans to host chinese president xi jinping. xi will make his first visit to the country since he took office. the two leaders will try to agree on a common approach to north korea. >> translator: it's important for the countries concerned to

keep the peace on the korean peninsula. >> wang emphasized china's role in easing tensions over the last few months on the korean peninsula. xi and obama will meet in california. wang said the leaders will discuss issues of mutual interest and draw up a blueprint for future relations. u.s. military commanders have tried to avoid provoking north korean leaders. so last month they postponed their test launch of a missile and they've delayed it again. they wanted to make sure their equipment is safe. air force personnel were to launch the intercontinental ballistic missile from a base in california. now they say they'll fire it off wednesday. they plan to fire it 7,000 kilometers in the pacific ocean. people at the finance ministry in japan have logged month after month of trade

deficits. they've just released numbers for april. ai uchida has them for us. how are things looking? >> imports rose as well resulting in overall a similar picture. japan's trade balance in april posted a deficit for a tenth straight month. this due to higher cost of fuel imports as the yen has continued to weaken. finance ministry officials say the trade deficit came to about $88 880 billion yen or $8 billion. exports are up for a second month. exports to the u.s. were up by almost 43%. imports rose 9.4%. they increased for a sixth straight month. higher demand for crude oil and liquefied natural gas was a major factor. share prices in new york hit a record high on tuesday. this is due to optimism over a faster pace of recovery for the

u.s. economy which prompted investors to buy a wide range of issues. the dow jones industrial gained a third of a percent. the key index ended the day at 15,387. retail and housing-related shares led the advance on expectations that u.s. monetary easing will continue for some time. market observers say share prices will likely remain on an upward trend for awhile. this is because many countries are keeping their money boosting measures in place. and for more on the japanese markets, we go to lee at the tokyo stock exchange. a record finish nor the drou jones and the bank of japan wrapping up their policy meeting today. how are japanese shares trading this morning? >> morning, ai. yes the big focus here today in japan will be the conclusion of the bangor japan meeting. now let's have a look at the opening lels for wednesday, may

22nd. the nikkei is up 0.77% at 15,499 points. the topix is higher by 0.77%. as you can see we have a positive start here in japan. the nikkei opened lower yesterday as they took profits from the recent strong rally. they also sold as the yen came off a four and a half year low against the dollar. but the index managed to end on a positive note and a fresh high of almost five and a half years after the yen resumed its weekening trend. still gains were limited in tokyo as many were cautious ahead of the boj meeting. many analysts say the central bank is likely to keep its monetary policy largely unchained but it may seek waying to calm the bond market after the recent spike in long-term interest rates. the yield of the benchmark ten

year government bond is now -- let's have a look at the japanese government bond. well, okay. let's move on. on tuesday, it went up again and actually a one-year peak hit last wednesday. we also saw the yield on the government 30-year bond reach the highest level. now let's see where japanese currency is trading at right now. the dollar/yen is 102.50-52. in new york some investors sold the dollar after federal officials expressed support to continue the central banks bond buying program. but the yen stayed weak before the outcome of the boj policy meeting. and now currency traders are also waiting to see what federal reserve chairman ben bernanke will say at his testimony to congress later today. and taking a look at euro/yen. now at 132.58-63. so a lot of focus will be on the bangor japan and u.s. bet.

and we'll see how those trade figures play into the markets later today. back to you, ai. >> eileen, thanks for that update. eileen lien at the stock exchange. the nikkei is up. but that's not the only market up this hour. take a look. religious leaders in iran have barred a former president from running in the presidential election.

reformists say the election of rijani is a clear setback. the council of islamic scholars let in 600 people to declare next month. they chose eight candidates. finds himself among those who made the cut. former first vice president mohammed sarif made the list too. reformers had hoped jani might make a return to power and seek a foreign relations with the west. but his views go against those of the religious elite. the scholars also aadmitted their last.

the prime minister elect of pakistan is making plans to return to power with military leaders watching his every move. they forced out sharif 14 years ago then sent him into exile. now he's back and seems to be moving in a different direction from pakistan's generals and those in the u.s. >> reporter: election winners in the eastern city on monday. the pakistan lead in this month's general election. he pledged to improve the nation's precarious security situation.

>> reporter: a key force of the election was rampant terrorism. he says he will try to re -- the pakistani taliban based in the northwestern tribal region is the largest militant organization. >> reporter: but washington may not agree. the u.s. wants pakistan military to aggressively clamp down on the militants who are hiding in remote areas and often cross into afghanistan.

took a decision on monday that will please washington. it pledged to stop the smuggling of chemical fertilizers to afghanistan. the fertilizers contain ammonium nitrate, an ingredient to make bombs. the u.s. defense department claims fertilizers produced and sold in pakistan are used to produce homemade roadside bombs. on monday, the pakistani military met with u.s. officials. they announced a decision to increase the number of soldiers in areas and approve awareness against fertilizer smuggling. the pakistani military has receive received support from the u.s. observers say the latest move is partially aimed at stopping relations with washington from deteriorating further.

sharif's policy of seeking dialogue is opposed by some inside the military. it could create friction there and with the united states. nhk world, islamabad. syrian military commanders have acknowledged something for the first time. they say their troops have attacked israeli soldiers in the golan heights. but the two sides have different versions of what happened. the syrians say they destroyed an army vehicle that crossed into their territory. the others say they were in their area in between the two countries. they say their vehicle was damaged, not destroyed and they say no one was hurt. they fired back with anti-tank misls. reports of gunfire from across the border. but syrian commanders had never admitted to targeting them.

on missile stockpiles in damascus. syrian leaders threatened to retaliate for those strikes. a small airline company in the south pacific has gone where no airliners have dared to go. it's begun charging passengers by how much they weigh. officials at samoa air say they've taken the measure as the way of using limited space better. with the world's population getting heavier, the pay as you weigh system is drawing a lot of attention both at home and abroad. >> reporter: passengers preparing to fly out of samoa's capital must go through a new procedure. now i will check in for the flight.

>> reporter: in the pay as you weigh system, a passenger ways more for less. depending on their weight. each kilo costs about 70 cents. >> 103. i think i weigh more when i was over. but it seems i drop a lot of weight now. >> reporter: samoa air has several small planes that connect the outer islands and neighboring countries. the chief executive officer and one of the company's pilots. he introduced the weight system because he wanted to make better use of his planes' limited load capacity. >> initial reaction is this discriminates against people who are for one reason or another

heavy. we sell a system that is the fairest. but also we provide information to aur clients to let them know this brings the airfare down. because we can be much more efficient. >> reporter: the new system has unwittingly shed light on a long standing health problem in samoa. obesity. more than 80% of its population is overweight. experts point to the eating habits of the islanders as one of the problems. popular items on the local menu include fried chicken and french fries. all available at reasonable prices. steps having taken to report the issues. people move their bodies to the

rhythm of music just like in aerobics. >> 250 pounds i started the program. but now 182. >> reporter: volleyball competitions are also held on weekend with teams from different villages. awards are presented to the winners as an insentive to lose weight. >> by doing all these activities and helping them to move their bodies but have them in some ways improve their health. >> reporter: samoa air officials say their response has been generally favorable to the weight-based airfare system. they also say they've received inquiries from people and airlines in dozens of countries around the world. >> we know that worldwide the level of obesity has increased.

so it's a social issue which is now out there. so people are less worried about declaring their weight. >> reporter: samoa air may only be a small company covering a small area, but it has take on a big problem. and it's being closely watched by airlines around the world which are seeking to make better use of the available space in their planes. nhk world, samoa. there's a bit of relief for people who are uneasy with the idea of injections. a new type of needle has been devised that makes the piercing of skin virtually painless. it is gaining popularity around japan. it not only causes less pain but is made from a renewable

resource for easy disposal. >> reporter: he has diabetes. he needs to have his blood sugar levels checked every day. that means about three needles a day. it's eight for some patients. wanted to get rid of the pain and stress. so he tried a new type of needle. >> translator: it doesn't hurt. it's good. it's a hassle having to do it a few times a day. this needle doesn't make me feel stressed like usual. >> reporter: the needle is just 0.9 millimeters long. it was put onto the market about a year ago. a venture firm founded ten years ago developed the needle. fukuda is the president.

he spent 30 years working in marketing and sales in pharmaceutical firms and equipment companies. he was often close to patients. >> translator: i was visiting hospitals every day. children burst out crying when they got shots or had their blood drawn. even grownups got upset. so i thought i'd do something about it. >> reporter: fukuda looked to things like nature. he turned his eye to the mosquito. mosquitos can penetrate human skin without causing pain. it is serrated. this makes penetration less painful. in regular needles, a larger section comes into contact with the skin. this causes more friction which creates more pain. but with serrated needles, only the tips come into contact with

the skin. that means a smaller section of the sin ask. it took him ten years to develop the needle with serrated tip and put it into mass production. fukuda also took notice of the flexibility of the mosquito. it's made of a flexible resin. it helps reduce pain as well. fukuda used poly lactic acid. it is a resin that can be derived from corn. it's flexible and resistant to breaking. what's more, this material is absorbed into the system and causes no harm even if it remains inside the body. that's why he chose the resin. fukuda is now trying to apply the same technology to needles

for vaccinations. >> translator: i hope that this technology will make medical services worldwide less stressful and safer for patients. i hope people will be encouraged to go for tests so any illnesses will be found earlier. that will lead to faster cures. >> reporter: fukuda looks at medical technology from a patient's perspective. he's always searching for the next challenge. >> u.s. authorities have proved the painless needle in february. fukuda plans to make a stable demand in the u.s. and start selling the needles worldwide. time now to check on the weather. it's a warm, sunny morning in tokyo. sayaka mori gives us the latest here and elsewhere. >> it's going to warm up as the day goes on. the high isdegrees.

with the help of strong sunshine, it will feel hotter than the actual number. you'll probably want to bring a parasol before heading out. the highs are expected to reach over 30 degrees in some places. drier weather nor the korean peninsula and the northern half of china. yet again heavy rain is coming down in the southern parts of china. we're talking about heavy rain here for several weeks. this is the situation in guandong province. it flooded many roads and houses. tobacco is a main cash crop but are now water logged. 15 millimeters of rain are still likely. it's not going to be too heavy but because the ground is already so saturated, it could worsen the situation.

the same front is effecting taiwan and japan. temperatures will be looking like this. 29 degrees in hong kong. and chongqing, extremely hot. 35 degrees. the heat is expected to continue for the rest of the work week. 35 on thursday in chongqing. and 34 in changsha. keep hydrated and watch out for heatstroke. now in north america, the devastating storms that caused the tornadoes in oklahoma is still packing enough energy to create additional tornadoes. we have a warm and humid air from the gulf of mexico and cooler air from canada and a dry, hot southwesterly wind. all of the winds are colliding across a similar area creating ongoing severe weather. tornadoes cannot be ruled out in areas from texas into the lower mississippi river valley. not just tornadoes, but 110 c m kilometers per hour wind gusts

and a heavy rain causing flash flooding are all likely into tonight. as we go into wednesday, the system is expected to lose some energy. so some isolated tornadoes still likely, but the main threats are going to be large hail and wind gusts. in the lower great lakes region and tennessee valley. on the flip side of the continent, a new system is set to move into the pacific northwest. we expect persistent gray skies and lower than average temperatures for the next several days. temperatures will be staying on the chilly side across the northwest. 23 in los angeles. and the heat is easing in chicago but heating up across the eastern seaboard. 29 in washington, d.c. and new york city. finally quick look in europe. the nasty weather continues across much of the continent.

we are seeing short time heavy rain across this cold front. then towards the south, very heavy rain and thunderstorms possible across the eastern half of the mediterranean. very hot across the south. 32 degrees in athens. cooler than average in the northwest. here's the extended forecast.

and that concludes this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

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