the u.n. high commissioner for human rights is speaking out about a weapon. she has expressed serious concerns over the use of armed drones. she spoke to members of the human rights council in geneva. she said she is profoundly disturbed of the human rights use of drones. she's disturbed the human rights implications of the drones in counterterrorism and military operations. she raised concerns about the rising number of states acquiring the weapons, saying the lack of transparency undermines the legal basis of drone strikes. u.s. president barack obama said last week that the use of drones against al qaeda, the taliban, and affiliated groups is justified, but he promised to improve transparency and tighten controls.

palaise is urging all leaders to be transparent and assure they comply with international law. drones are part of operations in pakistan, yemen and other countries. pakistani is trying to halt the attacks because of civilian causalities. a fear chinese hackers are breaking into systems and stealing secrets. president obama is expected to raise the matter next week. white house press secretary jay carney say obama and she will discuss cyber security. his comments came after "the washington post" leveled the latest hacking charges. the paper quoted a report by a u.s. defense department panel. it said hackers are stealing the designs of fighter jets, transport planes, and advanced weapons systems. the report says most of those

breaches have come from china. the pentagon directly accused the chinese for the first time of hacking. north korean authorities have invited south korean business managers to reopen talks on a jointly run industrial complex. they are cutting out government officials who have been pushing for working level discussions. the kaesong industrial zone is located in north korea, close to the border. operations have been halted for nearly two months. authorities in pyongyang decided in april to pull out 53,000 workers. representatives of the north korean committee that handles cross border affairs say they've approved visits by south korean business managers to the complex. they say issues concerning the operation of kaesong including what to do with products left behind at the complex will be discussed if the managers

return. south korean officials say their counterparts in the north continue to refuse repeated proposals for working level talks. analysts say the north koreans are using this latest initiative to try to rattle their neighbor. south korean and japanese leaders have gone head to head in recent months over claims to territory and their views of history. so it appears their defense ministers won't be meeting face-to-face. japanese officials suggested that onodera and kwan-jin talk on the sidelines on the asia security summit in singapore. the minters are scheduled to attend a meeting with u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel on friday to discuss tensions on the korean peninsula. but officials in seoul say they won't likely get together one on one. some south koreans have criticized members of the japanese cabinet for visits last month to a shrine in tokyo.

the mayor of osaka further inflamed tensions two weeks ago with remarks about so called comfort women. many of the women were forced to work in wartime brothels. he said the system was necessary for wartime troops. tokyo investors are playing tug of war. markets have gone up, down, and up again. good morning. what do investors look for during times like this? >> they can look to wall street, for example, because investors there are coming back from a holiday weekend, and they were playing catchup, so on tuesday, u.s. stocks rose. that's due to signs of an improvement in the u.s. economy. the dow jones rose two-thirds of a percent to finish at 15,409. it posted a new closing high. and for more on japanese

markets, let's go to ilene li. after another volatile session on tuesday, japanese stocks managed to end higher. with the strong performance in wall street, how are things looking, are we set for another day of gains? >> good morning. yes, investors seem to be encouraged by the investor in the u.s. let's look at opening levels for wednesday, may 29th. the nikkei is up. topix is also up by 2%. just a quick recap, overnight in the u.s., we received strong u.s. economic data. consumer confidence climbed in may to the highest level in five years and home prices in march grew the most in nearly seven years. these figures point towards a recovery in the u.s. economy. and as you said, the nikkei had

a volatile trading session on tuesday. it was swinging in the early trading index, but managed to end in the positive territory as the yen continued to weaken. also yesterday, economic vitalization minister said the japanese equity market will stabilize after the fast pace of advance. now let's have a look at some major currency pairs. the dollar is trading at 102.38-39 against the yen, compared to the 101 level at the same time on tuesday. investors are back buying the dollar on improved outlook for the u.s. economy. now, the euro/yen is at 131.53-58. tuesday we had comments from central bank officials in europe and japan. bank of japan said it was vital to keep interest rates stable. meanwhile, a european central bank official say it may cut interest rates if necessary. and now boj governor is giving a

speech at a conference organized by the japanese central bank and we'll keep track of developments there and see how they play into the market today. back to you. >> thanks a lot for that update, eileen. the nikkei is up so far this morning. a japanese government panel plans to present an outline for a new economic growth plan to spur private sector investment. this is the third pillar of shinzo abe's policy. the other two are aggressive monetary easing and flexible fiscal policies. three key factors, making japan's manufacturers more competitor, supporting promising fields, and increasing overseas revenue. the government plans to encourage intensive capital spending to boost the standing of the manufacturing sector. it also plans to implement drastic deregulation for

experiments on products developed and to create special strategic zones, that's to provide tax incentives for designated areas or businesses. the draft says a greenhouse gas emission target set by the previous government should be reviewed from scratch. this is to make it easier to do business in japan. the 2020 target calls for a cut of 25% compared to the 1990 levels. as for supporting promising fields, the government aims to establish an institution that will lead the research and development of advanced medicine, such as regenerative medicines using stem or ips cells. the draft calls for large-scale agriculture by leasing unused farmland to farmers in order to make japanese agriculture more competitive overseas. the government will continue discussions before finalizing the growth plan in mid-june. foreign tourists sometimes find themselves scrambling for answers in times of crisis.

the people at the japan tourism agency are trying to make it easier for them. they'll launch a new website this week with disaster information in english. the site will offer details on earthquakes, tsunami, and other natural disasters, including evacuation plans. it will be linked to the websites of railway operators and 59 airlines around the world, so tourists should be able to find a convenient escape route. the site will help direct them to the nearest tourist information office if they have smartphones. foreign visitors to japan flooded those offices two years ago after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters. more business headlines for you next hour. here's a check on markets.

actor angelina jolie's recent announcement about her health focused attention on using genetic testing to prevent cancer. the technology is allowing doctors to tell more and more patients about the risks they face and tailor treatments accordingly. >> earlier this month, a major biotech expo was held in tokyo. it's the largest in asia. among the diagnostic and pharmaceutical equipment on display, it was the genetic apparatus that garnered the most attention. gene analysis can be done in just three minutes. this testing equipment comes in a small lightweight package.

ten years have passed since the work of sequencing the human genome was completed. today, gene analysis technology is developing fast. it's already being used clinically in deciding the treatment for diseases such as cancer. this medical testing laboratory in kyoto conducts genetic testing. it receives requests from hospitals all over japan. all that's needed is ten cubic centimeters of blood. this sample came from a cancer patient. the analysis will show whether the patient should use a drug that's proved highly effective for some people. >> translator: if there's a little "c" highlighted in blue, that tells us there's a genetic mutation. >> they found genetic sequences that indicate the drug could be

effective. if the patient takes the drug, there's a high probability that the growth of the cancer will be contained. the company can now predict the effectiveness of drugs in treating ten types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer. it plans to test for other diseases in the future. the use of state of the art genetic tests enables doctors to understand the potential risk of disease for each patient. one specialist who has incorporated genetic testing in his approach to treating breast cancer is dr. nagamura. among his patients is this 47-year-old woman. genetic testing indicates the chance of her cancer recurring is four times greater than normal, as much as 20%.

over the past ten years, she had undergone surgery and repeated courses of chemotherapy. despite the treatment recommended by her previous doctor, the cancer recured three times, and the cause was never discovered. finally, tests revealed a genetic predisposition to the disease. she decided to undergo a double mastectomy to prevent any further relapse. >> translator: no one in my family has had breast or ovarian cancer, so i thought it could never happen to me. it's better to find the cancer risk through genetic testing. >> translator: genetic testing helps us choose the best treatment. each form of treatment has its pros and cons, but we always need to consider the patient's opinions first. in the future, we will need to tailor the appropriate treatment to each individual patient.

>> steps are now being taken to provide counseling, so patients can choose the most effective medical treatment based on their genetic data. with the information provided by genetic testing, patients are now better equipped to make an informed choice on situations that are a matter of life and death. japanese government and business leaders will spend the weekend building more links to a part of the world that's bursting with potential. the tokyo international conference on african development starts on saturday. japan has fallen behind other nations that have better footholds on the country. nhk world went to zambia to see how one japanese firm is gaining ground in the mining industry. >> this is the copper ore.

it changes color to this green. >> reporter: he has spent much of his career working overseas. he's now the head of hitachi construction machinery's local subsidiary in zambia. his job is to increase sales in the african market. the market is very competitive, do you think? >> yes. not now, but long time ago, yes. still very tough business. >> reporter: zambia is the world's seventh largest copper producer. the price of this commodity has risen since 2004, boosting the country's economy. it's now sees around 6 to 7% growth every year. and emerging economies have helped develop many new copper mines in the last decade.

hitachi is just one of the firms from japan playing catchup. it first made inroads in zambia ten years ago. it's been competing against a u.s. company whose heavy machinery has been favored at copper mines. hitachi's share of dump truck sales in africa sits at around 10%. dump trucks are in heavy use in mining sites. look at the size of the tire. it's about 4 meters in height. and they can carry about 170 tons of excavated materials. hitachi managers are trying to show their vehicles are more than just big, powerful machines. they say they are fuel efficient too. one of their latest trucks uses technology found in japanese bullet trains. the vehicle can link up to power

lines to run the engine. electricity in zambia is inexpensive. so this innovation could allow mining companies to save up to 40% of their fuel costs. but with mines open 24 hours a day, operators also need machinery they can count on. a mine could lose some $30,000 if works stops for even an hour. >> clearly, i could see the criteria is that we have a fleet that's firstly cost-effective. secondly, it's going to be an equipment or a fleet that's going to be durable and reliable. >> reporter: hitachi is also trying to fill that need. they station hundreds of locally hired engineers at mine sites ready to provide service day and night. and in april last year, the company opened a vehicle parts

repair factory in the capital. workers overhaul worn out and damaged vehicle parts and ship them back to the mines. it's faster than sourcing parts from a factory in south africa. >> this african market will be a very big market to us in the future. and i hope we can make profit a lot in helping, especially mining companies in african countries. >> reporter: company managers need to do more than just sell a solid product. they have to offer service quality too. the demand for africa's natural resources is opening up new markets. the competition among foreign firms is expected to intensify.

kaori nagao, nhk world, zambia. africa, a continent of promise and plunder. more than a billion people in more than 50 countries form a cultural mosaic. a source of economic growth and conflict. "newsline" is looking at the challenges and the opportunities on this continent in the leadup to an international conference in tokyo. don't miss our coverage all this week, 8:00 p.m. japan time. a freight train has crashed into a large truck and derailed in the eastern u.s. state of maryland. the collision triggered a massive explosion. >> back up. >> the accident occurred on tuesday in a suburb of baltimore. 15 cars of the train derailed. some exploded and burst into

flames. police say the driver of the truck was injured and brought to hospital. they say the train was carrying unknown chemicals, but these are not hazardous. the explosion sent up a thick plume of smoke. police told nhk that investigations are still under way and residents are being advised to leave the area. well, many people in tokyo are carrying their umbrellas into work this morning. we see what we can expect up ahead in world weather. >> good morning, katherine. a rainy weather maker is starting to affect the eastern half of japan, including tokyo. the system has a history of dumping about 200 millimeters of rain. now we're expecting up to 100 millimeters of rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds and even hail in the eastern half of japan into tomorrow. we may see the onset of the rainy season in japan soon. across the korean peninsula, after days of heavy rain,

conditions are improving. sunny skies should return this afternoon. the northern half of china is looking dry. and temperatures are midsummer like. we'll show you the figures in just a moment. but towards the north, we have a strong frontal line. this is activated by some areas of the south china sea. some areas may get as much as 100 millimeters the ground is saturated. additional rain is certainly not good news. more heavy rein is coming down in the parts of bay of bengal. we could see some rain continuing for the next several days. temperatures are as follows, looking at 36 degrees in bangkok. 31 degrees for beijing. it will stay almost the same into your friday, and cooling down to 23 in tokyo. and 30 degrees for you in taipei on wednesday. okay, in north america, a

tropical depression has formed just to the south of mexico. it could strengthen to a tropical storm and then head towards the north. we will keep updating you on the storm's progress. and to the north we talked about 14 tornados and hail the size of a softball yesterday in the midsection of the u.s. the severe weather remains for the same area. across the central plains, as well as the lower great lakes region and the ohio valley. the severest area is going to be found in kansas, nebraska, and oklahoma. oklahoma is still recovering from the damage caused by the deadly tornado last week. severe weather is, certainly, not welcomed. as we go into wednesday, we're expecting more severe weather, i'm afraid, further tornados, heavy rain, and large hail are likely into the next couple of days across the same area. now, back behind it, dry and windy and high temperatures are raising the potential for wildfires in new mexico and

arizona. and temperatures will be looking like this. the heat is across the east. look at this, 30 degrees in chicago and 32 degrees in the u.s. capital. cooling down a little bit in oklahoma city, as well as denver, and still on the chilly side in the northwest. all right, finally in europe, then, dreary weather still remains in central parts of europe. this is the footage coming out of northern germany. residents and fire department filled sandbags to protect houses from the floods, but it was in vain for many of the home owners. i'm afraid rain will continue for the next couple of days in the similar area. the heaviest rain is going to be found across this frontal system. heavy rain, thunderstorms, gusty winds are also likely. back behind it, cooler air exists, and that is striding late-season snow for the alpine region. temperatures will be cool across the west, only 14 degrees in london and 16 degrees for you in paris. here's the extended forecast.

we have one more story to share with you before we leave. australians are smiling. researchers say they are the world's happiest people. analysts with the organization for economic cooperation and development chose australia number one for happiness in their better life index. the survey covers the organization's 34 members, plus russia and brazil. researchers tabulate data in 11 categories, including jobs, housing, and safety. australia came out on top, followed by sweden and canada. japan came in 21st, unchanged

from last year. the researchers put japan first in safety. they cited the low rates of serious crime, but the japanese came in 34th when it comes to work/life balance. the idea is they work long hours and spend less time having fun, and that's rarely a formula for happiness. that wraps up this edition of "newsline," i'm katherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

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