hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. japan's prime minister and poland's president have been discussing their shared concerns. they called together for a peaceful solution to the crisis in ukraine. shinzo abe and bronislaw komoroski sat down together in tokyo. they issued a statement saying the situation in ukraine poses a serious threat to global peace and stability. they said leaders should find a peaceful solution with complete respect for ukrainian sovereignty. they also discussed ties between japan and poland. they said they'll upgrade those relations to a strategic

partnership. they agreed to have defense officials meet regularly, and they promise to cooperate more closely on energy in light of poland's plans to build nuclear plants. president komorowski had earlier spoken to nhk about the situation in eastern ukraine. >> translator: i can have no peace of mind about the situation there. i feel it's a threat. i have doubts about whether the ceasefire agreement will be observed. >> komorowski suggested the possibility of tougher measures against russia. he said the eu should work with the u.s. and canada to impose more sanctions if separatists don't honor the ceasefire. the president criticized russian leaders for threatening to cut the supply of gas to ukraine and warning of an impact on europe. he said they're using energy as a weapon to undermine solidarity in the eu. komorowski said eu leaders

should negotiate energy prices with the russians. germany's lower house has approved a four-month extension of the bailout for greece. members voted after a eurozone finance ministers signed off on the greek government's reform plans. the bailout extension got the green light from 542 lawmakers in the ruling coalition and 2 left wing opposition parties. 32 members voted against it, 13 abstained. finance minister wolfgang schaeuble spoke ahead of the vote. he told lawmakers the four-month extension was just a way to complete the existing bailout successfully. >> translator: the decision is not about billions more euros for greece nor a change in the bailout program. >> some conservatives in the ruling bloc voted against the extension. they're worried greece might need even more financial help. germany is the biggest contributor to the rescue loans. south korean president park

geun-hye has appointed an aid who could influence relations with japan. she chose her country's former ambassador to tokyo as her chief of staff. the presidential office announced park had given the job of right-hand man to lee byung-kee. analysts say she chose him as part of her effort to rebuild her administration and regain public approval. lee heads the national intelligence service. he's said to be close to park. he's fluent in japanese and once taught at a university in tokyo. he was south korea's ambassador to japan until last summer. lee spoke in that role with japanese prime minister shinzo abe. he said the two countries should set aside issues of concern and build future-oriented ties. lee said he'd work to improve relations as 2015 would mark the 50th anniversary of normalization. ties between south korea and japan are strained because of territorial and historical issues. analysts are watching to see how

he influences president park's policies. japanese police officers have arrested three teenagers on suspicion of murdering a 13-year-old boy. the eldest suspect is 18. he told officers he does not want to say anything. and the two others are both 17. they have denied killing the boy. the three are suspected of killing ryota uemura, whose body was discovered a week ago on a river bank in kawasaki city near tokyo. he had been stabbed in the neck. authorities found a box cutter blade and a stick near uemura's body. the victim had bruises on his face and arms. investigators have been reviewing surveillance camera footage taken around the time uemura was stabbed. they say it shows him walking toward the river with several young men. police found charred fragments of the victim's clothing in a toilet near the murder site. they believe the suspects were

trying to destroy evidence of the crime. uemura was frequently seen with the group. police say the eldest suspect is the leader. they say he quit high school about six months ago. a boy says he once saw the suspect hitting uemura. >> translator: uemura said he no longer wanted to play around with the group. i guess somebody told that to the leader. he made uemura sit on the ground and struck him hard a couple of times. >> uemura had sent a mobile phone message before he was murdered. he was asking friends for help saying his life was in danger. people placed flowers where he died. >> translator: my child is 13, the same age as the boy. i prayed for him as if he were my own son. >> translator: my grandchild is around the same age and lives in the same city. i get the feeling something like

this could happen to us too. >> and prime minister abe has offered his condolences to the boy's family. >> translator: protecting children is the responsibility of adults. i will do whatever i can to ensure such a terrible incident never happens again. >> abe called on authorities to examine whether there was enough coordination between the school, the local board of education, police, and child welfare offices. the boy's teachers did not notice changes in the circle of friends or signs indicating he was in danger but his troubles were documented. locked away inside a social networking tool. nhk world's jun yatsumoto explains. >> translator: i had heard he might be killed but i never

believed it would be true. >> reporter: ryota uemura lived on a small island in west japan before his family moved to one of the country's biggest cities. his friends say he joined a basketball club in kawasaki and went happily to school every day. but last summer, that suddenly changed. >> translator: i think the relationship with his friends could be the reason for his absence from school. >> reporter: uemura was frequently seen at night in a park with older students from other schools. a month before he was murdered, a friend noticed uemura had bruises on his face. >> translator: he told me he got into a fight with a stranger. but when i said, that was an obvious lie, he admitted that a senior student had punched him. >> reporter: uemura had sent out

a call for help to his friends through smartphone application line. he wrote, i may be killed since i was not obedient to high school students. and nearing the limit. hours before his death, uemura had dinner with his mother and left the house for the last time. police suspect the group of teens lured him outside through lying. his smartphone has not been found. police believe the teens tried to destroy evidence. experts say social networking services enable children to connect beyond schools and communities. >> translator: children contact each other using smartphones. there's no way for adults to know what's going on. >> reporter: he says the invisibility may heighten the risk of children getting involved in crimes.

uemura's homeroom teacher spoke to him once by phone. he said the boy didn't reveal his situation. he also tried to visit him at home but did not see him. >> translator: if we knew more about his troubles and suffering, we could have done more to help him. >> reporter: members of kawasaki city's board of education are looking into how they handled the absence and they're talking about the rapid rise of social networking sites and how best to protect children online. jun yatsumoto, nhk world. >> and the education ministry has set up a special team to discuss measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. officials decide to survey whether any other children are

in danger across the country. all 300 units of a robot offered by japanese telecom operator softcom has sold out. the human-like machine can talk and read expressions. the robot dubbed pepper is 120 centimeters tall and weighs 28 kilograms. the 300 units were sold online and at stores for only software developers. they quickly ran out of stock. the robot is equipped with cameras, microphones, and sensors. it's linked to a cloud server and talks with humans after analyzing facial expressions and voice tone. softbank executives hope developers will create applications that can be downloaded to the robot. they expect to add functions, such as caregiving and serving customers. >> translator: i'm interested in

using this robot in the education field, such as at schools. i bought one to pursue those possibilities. >> translator: the key to its success will be engineers freely developing applications that we can't anticipate. and expanding the robot's use. >> softbank executives plan to sell the robot to the public after june. the price tag will be about $1,650. and researchers in australia have unveiled the world's first jet engine made entirely with a 3d printer. they say the new technology is expected to drastically cut manufacturing costs. the avalon international air show in australia features the latest developments in aviation technology. this one-meter-long engine was developed by engineers at a university and associates. each component was made with a 3d printer. a cylindrical component in the combustion chamber takes three

months to produce, however this one was made in just five days. >> whereas we can scan this, print it off in a matter of days. and so, the big advantage is that we can, we can speed up the turnaround time on the jet engine dramatically. >> the engineers plan to have printed engine components in flight tests next year and receive certification for commercial use within five years. next, let's take a brief look at the market figures. seafood and other marine products from japan have

attracted foodies across the globe with their freshness and variety. this week a group of foreign buyers visited japan and they have some very specific questions. nhk world's keiko aso has the details. >> reporter: this is a port facing the pacific ocean. it's famous for being one of the largest landing bases for tuna in japan. buyers from macao, the united states and thailand came here to see the range of the marine products they purchased from japan. they are particularly interested to see how the products are processed. they are visiting a factory that produces a traditional seasoning.

the process of making the seasoning involves carefully removing the fish bones by hand. the filets are then smoked over firewood for about three weeks. then, the filets have been completely dried. before the manufacturing process can be completed, they are fermented for three months to give it more flavor. shaved into flakes, it can be used as a essential seasoning in japanese soup stock. the production process is handed down from days of old. >> yeah, it's time consuming. it's hard work. it's not modernized. this factory looked like it can be 100 years old doing the same thing. yeah. >> reporter: wholesale buyers have begun meetings with

japanese companies. they are looking for products to meet their specific needs. mike is an american buyer. he wants to import japanese seafood that can be considered kosher, meaning it meets regulations of jewish dietary law. kosher foods must not include such prohibited items such as lobsters, oysters, and squid. they must also be prepared under strict controls. japanese firms also have strict regulations in place. this is why he became interested to find out more. he asks many detailed questions on the production process and the ingredients. >> does it come in frozen when you sere it and refreeze it? how does it work?

>> reporter: the business immediating was sponsored by jetro, a government-related body that helps the japanese firms sell their goods abroad. >> translator: we want to increase exports by holding business meetings and seminars and by participating in overseas trade fairs to promote marine products. >> reporter: as japanese cuisine spreads into international markets, it meets a diverse range of customer preferences. for the definement of processes could lead to an increase in demand. keiko aso, nhk world. nuclear experts and local government officials have visited the fukushima daiichi plant to examine sources of contaminated water flowing into the scene.

sensors recorded higher than normal levels of radioactivity in drainage water. officials at plant operator tokyo electric power company said on tuesday rainwater had accumulated on the roof of the number two reactor building. they believe it became contaminated and then drained into the pacific. tepco explained the problem to the group of experts and local government officials. an underground drainage channel is believed to be the root through which tainted water flowed into the ocean. the company officials say they plan to introduce pumps in march to prevent contaminated water from being released. the experts urged the operator to investigate whether the rooftops of other reactor buildings are also sources of tainted water. and they requested increased monitoring of drainage channels and waste water. fishermen working near the nuclear plant have reacted angrily. they say tepco executives betrayed trust by failing to reveal the leaks immediately. leaders of iwaki city's fishery

association held a closed door meeting. they decided they would delay a decision on tepco's latest plan to reduce the volume of waste water at the plant. >> translator: participants could only show anger. the discussion was all about mistrust and has made no progress. >> tepco officials want the fisheries in iwaki and the nearby city of soma to support a lan to pump up tainted ground water from the wells decontaminate is and release it into the ocean. but the iwaki fishermen say they are no longer confident about the safety of the plant. the association chief says he's not sure when they'll be able to resume discussions. the managers of two private hospitals in the fukushima evacuation zone have been trying to find ways to reopen their facilities and get back to work. but they've hit a big hurdle. tepco is about to stop compensating the hospital workers for lost earnings, and the managers say they'll be

forced to lay everyone off. the hospitals has been dormant since the 2011 accident, but staff remain technically employed. tepco paid them compensation but that'll stop at the end of the month. a manager at one of the hospitals says the company should reconsider. he says some of his staff want to come back and work. fukushima prefectural officials say there were two other private hospitals in the evacuation zone, but they've already dismissed their workers. officials plan to lift the evacuation order within two years after decontaminating the area. the islamic state group has released another video on the internet. it shows militants destroying artifacts from the ancient civilization of mesopotamia.

the objects apparently date to the period that flourished until the seventh century b.c. the footage shows people vandalizing a museum and ruin. they call the artifacts symbols of idol worship. western media say the museum is in mosul, northern iraq. the city fell to the militants in june last year. the director of unesco's iraq office says, officials are trying to verify the video. he says the agency is working with iraqi authorities to assess the damage. and he says, if the destruction proves to be true, he condemns acts that do not value culture and history. nigerian authorities say a string of bombings has left dozens of people dead. they suspect the islamic militant group boko haram is responsible for the attacks. local media say a suicide bomber at a bus station in the northeastern city of biu killed at least 17 people. witnesses say a crowd stopped a second bomber from detonating his device.

two other bombs went off the same day in the city of jos. one attack at a bus station, the other nearby. at least 15 people are reported dead. on tuesday, suicide bombers targeted two other bus stations in parts of northern nigeria. those incidents reportedly left more than 20 people dead. fighting between government forces and boko haram has intensified. the group threatens to disrupt the presidential election in march. the conviction of a hong kong woman for abusing her indonesian mate has exposed a plight of many foreign domestic helpers. the woman on friday received a six year prison term. the woman had been found guilty of inflicting serious bodily harm and criminal intimidation. the court heard she forced a metal vacuum tube into the mouth of a woman. the case came to light when images of her battered body were

circulated among indonesians in hong kong. the judge noted how little care and kindness the defendant showed during the sentencing. >> translator: i hope that my case will become a lesson to all employers not to hurt, not to assault their domestic workers because, after all, we are all human beings. we have the same rights. >> hong kong residents employ around around 330,000 foreign domestic helpers mainly from indonesia and the philippines. she has become a campaigner for abused workers. "time" magazine last year named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. in other news, people living in rural villages of eastern india are suffering from a surge of invasions by hungry elephants. ten people have died over the last two months and nine others were injured. wild elephants reportedly went

on a rampage in a west bengal state. reuters quoted residents saying around 70 wild elephants crossed the river and approached populated areas in search of food. >> translator: these elephants are a menace to the village. they entered the residential area and caused severe damage during the night to every household. a team of rangers led them back into the forest. >> 100 villages in 3 districts have similar stories. uncontrolled elephants can be a threat to life and destroy crops and livelihoods. forest officials say the animals have become familiar with human habitats as deforestation forces them to look elsewhere for food. britain's future king is busy taking in the sights around tokyo. prince william is on his first

visit to japan and he's using his trip as an opportunity to promote relations between the two nations. nhk world's keiko yamamoto has the details. >> reporter: prince william is spending some of his time looking back at the past. he saw row after row of war groves near tokyo. this is a final resting place for 700 commonwealth service members. they died after being taken prisoner by the now-defunct japanese empirical army in world war ii. the prince paused here to reflect and prayed silently. he took time to pay a visit to emperor and empress at the imperial palace. he's following in the footsteps of his parents prince charles and princess diana who came to japan 29 years ago. nearly 100,000 people are said

to have come to see the couple's motorcade in tokyo. the princess started a feminine phenomenal known as diana fever. the prince's grandmother queen elizabeth visited japan in 1975. at that time, the queen toured nhk's studios that were used for historical dramas. as a young royal family member prince william is expected to build a bridge between both countries and also between tradition and the future. and that's what he did at this conference in promoting british innovation. delegates showed him some of their latest products. the prince spoke here about some of his experiences so far in japan. >> in just 24 hours so far in japan, i've had a chance to experience the blend of ancient and modern which so characterizes this amazing country. catherine and george can't be here in japan this time but i know she looks forward to

visiting japan in the future. >> reporter: the prince will also get a chance to see a dramatically different landscape before his four-day tour wraps up. he will head to northeastern japan to see how people are building after the earthquake and tsunami nearly four years ago. keiko yamamoto, nhk world, tokyo. next, here's a three-day outlook on the world's weather.

and that's all for now on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. and from all of us at nhk world, thanks for watching and have a good day wherever you are.

>> and his band mates came to prominence in the 1980s as part of the band clases ikz classix nouveaux. synonymous with mtv. they topped the charts this and headlined for hins of thousands of fans throughout europe. still at the height of their success their lead singer felt there was something missing from his life. search for answers led him on a pilgrimage where his life and career changed forever. i'm ernie manouse coming up on interviews or conversation with musician and catholic youth leader sal solo.