hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. the euro zone finance ministers have hammered out a deal to save greece from running out of money. they're extending a bailout program. leaders in athens had asked for six. >> i think tonight was a first step in this process of rebuilding trust. as you know, trust comes or leaves quicker than it comes. tonight was a very important, i think, step in that process. >> the deal means greek leaders avoided a financial collapse and a potential exit from the euro

for the time being. without it, they could have run out you have money next month. islamic state militants have claimed responsibility for suicide bombings that killed dozens of people in eastern libya. the attackers detonated explosives in cars near a police station and a gas station. middle eastern media say it killed more than 40 people, including egyptians. the islamic state group says two members carried out the attacks. it was in revenge for egyptian air strikes. planes bombed militant sites monday in darna. they were retaliating for the group's killing of egyptian workers. islamic state militants are increasingly active in eastern and northern libyan cities. egyptian leaders are urging other governments to do more to fight them. u.s. military officials say a campaign to retake iraq's second largest city of mosul

from islamic state militants could begin as early as april. they controlled mosul since last june. the u.s. military estimates there are up to 2,000 militants in the city. it's one of the main strongholds. the officials say the u.s. will train iraqi and kurdish forces at facilities in iraq. between 20,000 and 25,000 personnel are expected to take part. the u.s. military will support the operation with air raids. american personnel will also conduct intelligence and surveillance activities. pro-russian separatists are keeping up a standoff in eastern ukraine. units holding a town have stopped fighting with the government army. still, they are refusing access to cease-fire monitors. the organization for security and cooperation in europe wants to check whether both sides are honoring the truce agreement. they say explosions thursday in the city of donetsk make them believe the deal has been

broken. they want to increase the number of observers in the region to 500 by the end of this month. but they are running into one obstruction after another. russian officials say foreign minister talked by phone thursday with his counterparts in ukraine, germany and france. the ministers agreed to keep working together to ensure both sides observe the cease-fire. they promised to talk again soon face to face. tokyo police have arrested a most wanted criminal. tsutomu shirosaki was a member of a now defunct extremist group responsible for international terror attacks. he was deported from the u.s. after serving a prison term for attempted murder. nhk world's yoshitaka hirauchi has the report. >> reporter: shirosaki flew back

home to get arrested again. now 67, he was once a member of the japanese red army. the radical leftist group was formed more than four decades ago by the convict fusako shigenobu. its members carried out a series of attacks in the 1970s and '80s. one of the deadliest happened in 1972, when they opened fire at an airport in tel-aviv, israel. more than 20 people died and some 80 others were wounded. in 1977, members of the group hijacked a passenger jet in dhaka, bangladesh. at the time, shirosaki was serving a sentence in japan for bank robbery. leaders in tokyo decided to free him and other prisoners in exchange for the hostages. >> translator: it's heartbreaking for the nation

under the rule of law to have had to take measures like this. >> reporter: nearly a decade later, shirosaki emerged briefly, this time in the indonesian capital of jakarta. investigators suspect he took part in more attacks on the japanese and american embassies there. but he evaded them until 1996, when he was arrested in nepal. u.s. authorities sentenced him to 30 years in prison for attempted murder in connection to the embassy attack. seven other red army members are still on the international wanted list. investigators are trying to get more clues to catch them all. yoshitaka hirauchi, nhk world. a japanese government panel has looked at the possible effects of a major earthquake in

tokyo. it estimated over 20,000 people would be killed and millions more would be stranded amid serious traffic congestion. authorities have released new guidelines for responding to such a large-scale disaster. after the massive earthquake in 2011, tokyo came to a stand still. roads were jammed with people trying to drive back home, blocking ambulances and other rescue vehicles. if a mega-quake were to occur directly under the capital, wrecked and abandoned cars would cause bigger problems. in this scenario, the city of tokyo and the central government would call on private companies with help to remove wreckage. a new plan puts priority on opening eight routes between the heart of tokyo and surrounding areas. under the plan, officials would check the damage to roads and decide which sections need to be cleared immediately. the plan calls for at least one route with inward and outward lanes to be cleared and opened within 48 hours. the president of a towing service says the government has asked his company to secure roads in the event of a

disaster. he said this is the only thing that's been decided so far. >> translator: we will need to discuss specific and concrete details. >> looking after stranded commuters is another issue. on march 11th, 2011, railway stations in tokyo were packed with people after the earthquake forced trains to stop. >> translator: i'm at a total loss. >> translator: i have no choice but to walk. >> a massive quake in the capital would leave more than 900,000 people with no way to get home. tokyo metropolitan officials say only 20% of them would be able to find accommodations. many private companies are unwilling to open their facilities to stranded commuters. they're worried that they might be held responsible for any accidents or other problems. the new government guidelines make clear that companies providing shelter will not be held responsible for accidents when they're not at fault.

>> translator: the guidelines show that authorities would not pin blame only on private companies, but rather work together. >> experts say in order to win the cooperation of the private sector, legal immunity needs to be guaranteed. lawmakers from japan's governing coalition are discussing the country's security laws. they are focusing on how to allow the country's self-defense forces to take on a bigger role in overseas operations. government officials are proposing two legislations. one is a permanent law that would allow the sdf to react to situations more quickly. the government has sought special laws to send sdf units to deal with specific situations in previous cases. officials want to provide logistical support to multi-national forces acting on a u.n. resolution, and foreign troops fighting terrorist threats or trying to restore security. sdf personnel could provide transportation, medicine and

help in search and rescue missions. officials are proposing revising a law that allows the personnel to support u.s. forces responding to situations that directly affect japan's security. officials from the main ruling liberal democratic party say there should be no geographic limitations to where the sdf can operate. the sdf should provide assistance to foreign troops in addition to the u.s. forces. >> translator: the government maintains that the scope of the law in question is not bound by the notion of geography. i suppose the government's aim is to make the point clear and avoid any misunderstanding. >> some opposition lawmakers voiced concern over the proposal. >> translator: if there were no geographical limit, the law was to be applied to forces in countries other than the u.s., it is extremely doubtful we can call it a revision of the

present law. >> some members of the junior partner are also cautious about the proposals. officials plan to submit draft security bills to the diet in may. japan's prime minister suggested he'll make critical decisions listening to the voices of the people. shinzo abe was questioned by lawmakers on his plans for a constitutional amendment and a restart of nuclear plants. abe noted in friday's debate that the diet has enacted a national referendum law, which lays down the procedures for revising the constitution. he hasn't set a deadline for any change. he first wants the approval of more people. >> translator: we have finally come to this stage. we're at the start of the final conclusive phase. i would like members of the diet constitution commissions to deliberate the matter. including the timing for a revision. >> the current constitution has

not changed since 1947 when it took affect. abe says he is proposing amendments to security and other areas to better reflect the current global situation. and he said it's important to gain support of local people when a nuclear plant goes back online. >> translator: municipalities hosting nuclear plants have various situations. the central government would not make a decision to cover all of them. but address each case in close consultation with local governments. >> all commercial reactors are offline. utilities want to operate at least 21 of them. nuclear regulators screening safety measures for them based on stricter requirements adopted after the 2011 accident. thailand's interim parliament passed a law banning commercial surrogacy. patchari raksawong in bangkok has the story.

assisted reproductive medicine, such as in vitro fertilization, is widely practiced in thailand where the level of medical care is relatively high. there have been many cases of couples, including foreigners, making arrangements for surrogate births in exchange for payment. shoko matsumoto reports. >> reporter: thailand has been seen as a key hub for what's in this industry. the interim legislature is trying to change that image of the country. a law prohibits surrogacy and bans foreign couples from seeking a surrogate. a couple who has been married at least three years can also request a surrogate. violators will face a jail term of up to ten years. >> translator: how can i abandon him? i love this baby as if he were my own.

>> reporter: thailand was shaken by a series of surrogacy scandals last year. one australian couple was accused of abandoning a surrogate boy with down syndrome. in another case, a japanese man allegedly fathered at least 16 children using multiple surrogate mothers. the case involving what was termed a baby factory gained extensive media coverage. the scandals triggered a controversy, with critics urging restrictions on commercial surrogacy. considering the history of the practice, some people fear that restrictions could prompt more couples to seek such services outside thailand. tough restrictions in india encouraged a growth of the industry in thailand. others argue that even if strick regulations are put in place, illegal surrogacy services may continue as long as there is

demand. shoko matsumoto, nhk world, bangkok. around a dozen people were wounded when a car bomb exploded in insurgency southern thailand. police are trying to determine which group is behind the attack. the bomb went off outside a karaoke bar in a business district in the capital of narathiwat on friday. ap says the explosion wounded two soldiers and 11 civilians. more than 6,000 people have been killed in the region since the muslim insurgency intensified in 2004. many of the victims have been civilians. thailand is a predominantly buddhist nation, but muslims are a majority in three southern provinces. the insurgents are opposed to the government's policy of assimilation. indonesia's key island, bali, draws divers from all around the world.

last february, two japanese tourists died while diving off the resort. locals are working to prevent a recurrence. nhk world's metalia reports. >> reporter: police stepped up patrol since the deaths. locals want to prevent another incident that might hurt the image of their tourist island. >> translator: the safety of tourists is bali's top priority. we will further increase the number of boats and officers. >> reporter: seven japanese women went missing while diving last year. five were rescued, but two died. the indonesian captain of the boat they hired was later given a three-year jail sentence for

negligence. jaka runs a dive shop in bali. he says there were other boat operators in the area at the time of the incident. but they were not asked to help find the missing women. >> translator: there was no cooperation among operators in this business. they have to work together, instead of acting separately to prevent an accident. >> reporter: most dive boats now have radios to communicate and call for help in an emergency. divers will be given a device that allows communication with boats within a few kilometers. it sends a distress call that can be detected for 50 kilometers.

if divers lose sight of a boat, they can call for help from others in the area. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: the operators are deepening ties. they aim to set up an organization that will teach diving instructors about safety and work with authorities during searches for missing divers. >> translator: everyone in the industry wants to avoid another accident like that. we will step up cooperation further to establish a system to prevent a recurrence.

>> last year's accident shocked bali. local people are now trying to set up a system to make sure it never happens again. metalia, nhk world, bali. that wraps up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. young gay people in china can find it challenging coming out. they experience social prejudices and strong pressure from family to marry and have a child. but one woman is working to change that through a grassroots support group. [ telephone ringing ]. >> reporter: this support group receives more than 1,000 calls a year from parents and gay people seeking advice.

[ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: young gay people also visit to get advice. many of them are their parents' only offspring, due to china's one child policy. >> translator: my parents don't have the faintest idea i'm gay. i know it won't work out if i tell them. >> reporter: until 1997, gay people could be charged with corrupting public morals. after that time, people who had hidden their sexual orientation began to speak out, and the support group was established seven years ago. dong wanwan is a counselor in the support group at one of its 24 chapters.

when her son was in junior high school, he told her that he's gay. >> translator: i was very surprised and distressed when i heard about it, and i began to cry. >> reporter: dong began to understand her son after she learned much more about the situation of gay people. >> translator: i realized i should accept my son as gay because i love him. i thought it was the best and only choice for me. >> reporter: family pressure can even lead some people to break the law. last year, a gay man tried to buy a child from a human trafficking organization after his parents urged him to have a child. dong wants to prevent people from feeling isolated and acting out of desperation. she also thinks it's important to hold events to give young gay people and parents of gays the

opportunity to meet others in the same situation and share their feelings. >> translator: friends and other people keep asking me why my child doesn't get married. >> translator: even if he's not married, isn't it okay if he's happy? it's better to respect his feelings. >> reporter: some young people at the gathering said they can't obtain the understanding of their parents. >> translator: i feel really isolated because my parents won't accept me as i am. >> reporter: the two sides couldn't completely close the gap between them, but some parents who had been struggling alone said they gained something from the event. >> translator: i feel better now because everybody listens to my story. >> translator: i want to turn china into a mature society that can accept gay people. i'll continue to do my utmost toward that goal.

>> reporter: will it really become possible for chinese society to accept gay people? dong and her colleagues continue to strive to this end. brazil's carnival bring dancing to the streets of rio de janeiro. the best of the performers are pasistas. among them a japanese dancer. >> reporter: this is the only foreign pasista representing her school. her squad is among the favorite contenders at the carnival. >> translator: i gave it 120%. i danced so hard. i didn't care if i collapsed on the spot.

>> reporter: there is fierce competition among the carnival's leading dancers. only 40 members are selected in the 4,000-strong team. they train under the sharp gaze of one of rio's prominent choreographers. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: she's feeling the pressure. >> translator: i need to move three times more than the fleshier girls. otherwise, i won't have any presence. >> reporter: she started practicing sumba in japan at the age of nine. her hometown was devastated by the great earthquake. a troupe of 150 dancers arrived from brazil to bring a beat of sunshine to the survivors.

>> translator: it felt like i was in a dream. a dancer's body overflowed with energy. i told myself, one day i want to take part in the rio carnival. >> reporter: her first trip to brazil came at the age of 19. she discovered the enthusiasm of brazilian culture and how music helps people live through poverty and hardship. she trained hard and her efforts paid off until a sudden encounter with the darker side of brazil. last year, she was mugged near one of rio's favelas. it left her physically and mentally bruised. >> translator: i had sudden flashbacks that made me cry and hyperventilate. i couldn't take it anymore. i thought i needed to go back to

japan. >> reporter: word spread that she was struggling and needed help. her teammates reached out. one month later, she was able to rejoin them. >> translator: everyone told me, you are not a foreigner. now you are a member of the community. that helped me realize i'm not on my own. now i feel like giving something back through samba. >> reporter: for the seventh time, kudo is performing on the streets of rio, driven by the power of sumba and the bonds she developed far away from home. nhk world, rio de janeiro. here are the latest market figures.

up nebsxt, the weekend weather forecast.

that's all we have this hour on "newsline." thank you for watching and have a good day.

>> with over 80 million books sold, she holds a special place in the hearts of many baby boomers and gen x'ers, thanks to her books that chronicle the excitement, angst, and confusion of growing up. tackling issues like racism divorce, bullying, menstruation, and teen sex, her books flew off the shelves, but also caused a great deal of concern for some libraries, schools and parents.

she has also entered the world of adult literature, with such titles as 1978's "wifey." but she will always be best known for her teen books "are you there, god? it's me margaret" and "blubber" and "tales of a fourth grade nothing." hello, i'm ernie manouse. coming up next on "innerviews," our conversation with best-selling author judy blume. [intro music] ♪ ♪