happtoob to be alive. rescuers dig out more survivors, a day after an earthquake rumbles through eastern turkey. this is "newsline," i'm michio kijima in tokyo. hope of finding even more

survivors is driving a rescue crews in turkey. they've been digging through the rubble for more than 24 hours. the earthquake hit the eastern part of the country on sunday. the tremors brought hundreds of buildings crashing down, killing more than 260 people. [ speaking foreign language ] >> by monday morning, about 1,200 rescuers and soldiers have arrived to help. they worked as more than 100 aftershocks shook the area. they're using heavy machinery to search for people trapped inside collapsed buildings. turkey's home sector says along with the dead, i quake injured about 1,300 others. the tremors were strongest in the eastern province of van.

[ speaking foreign language ] >> some survivors are taking shelter in tents. support crews are handing out food and other sulies. the earthquake cut off communications in the area. the number of dead could rise as more reports come in. a japanese expert who studied building safety in the country says he found that in most cases, walls are made of brick. and structural columns are too thin that this makes them vulnerable to shaking. the expert says such buildings collapse easily in the event of large quakes. japan's government expressed condolences to the victims and their families, and says it is preparing to support the country as much as it can. in thailand, central bangkok has flooded again, forcing the closure of nearby roads.

ed chao phraya river overflowed on monday, along several hundred meters of its banks, streets are under about 50 centimeters of water. shop owners are working to keep the water out. the flooded area is one kilometer north of the royal palace and five kilometers north of the business district. military personnel and police are barricading roads to insure safety. the floods have washed into factories that make key components for computers. some manufacturers have suspended operations. retailers are running short on hard discs, in tokyo's electronics district. they've increased prices by 20%. hard disc drives are essential parts of computers and are used as external storage devices. >> translator: since supplies are running out, a lot of companies are eager to secure their stock. i'm concerned supply may fall short of demand ahead of the year-end sales season.

the united states and north korea have begun a fresh round of direct talks on the north's nuclear program. nhk world has the story. u.s. special envoy, stephen boss worth and north korean first vice foreign minister, kim kwe gwan opened two days of meetings in geneva, switzerland on monday, in the first direct talks since july, the united states is expected to urge north korea to immediately halt its uranium enrichment and accept inspectors from the international atomic energy agency. the u.s. side says these steps towards denuclearization are preconditions for resuming the six-party talks on the north's nuclear program that have been stalled for nearly three years. north korea argues that its uranium enrichment is for nuclear power generation. the country wants the six-party talks to be resumed without

condition. the focus of the latest geneva meeting is whether north korea makes concessions to break the deadlock. for nhk, geneva. u.s. defense secretary, leon panetta has pledged u.s. commitment to peace and prosperity in asia. panetta is in japan for the first time since taking that position in july. panetta spoke to u.s. soldiers and japanese self-defense force personnel on monday at the u.s. dakota air force base in tokyo. he said he wants to make clear that the pacific remains a priority for the united states. >> we will always maintain a strong presence in the pacific. and we will be a force for peace and prosperity. in the pacific region. >> during the question-and-answer session, a japanese sdf member asked whether the u.s. military will reduce its presence in the region to accommodate a reduction in the nation's defense spending. panetta said there will be no reduction in u.s. forces in asia and the pacific.

panetta is to meet prime minister yoshihiko noda and defense minister, yasuo ichikawa separately on tuesday and discuss the delayed relocation of a u.s. military base in okinawa. a plan to move the marine corps futenma air station to nago city also in okinawa has been stalled due to strong opposition from local residents. china's defense budget is the second largest in the world. the country is building up its military, including its navy and that's causing concern and friction in the region. how is japan responding to this burgeoning military force? nhk world's kan ishiyama reports. >> reporter: the maritime self-defense force's summering base is located in yokosuka city, 40 kilometers south of tokyo.

it's a base for submarines conducting surveillance activities in waters around japan. submarine activities are national secrets. even self-defense force members have no knowledge about them, unless they're engaged in the unit. we are allowed into a submarine on the condition that we will not reveal details of its mission. a torpedo-firing exercise was under way in this training area.

>> reporter: submarines have the capacity to approach and attack targets without being noticed. some experts say submarines can also block the advance of aircraft carriers. last year, japan's defense ministry reviewed its fleet of submarines for the first time in about 30 years. it decided to add six new vessels to its 16-strong fleet. the policy was prompted by fears about the rapid modernization and increased maneuvers of china's navy. nhk took the latest footage of chinese vessels.

a private-sector military research institute estimates that china's navy has 35 advanced ships and 31 submarines. that's more than double the figures ten years ago. china's navy has begun conducting drills beyond its coastal waters in the east and south china seas, and the pacific ocean. some say china is aiming to secure sea lanes which are vital for economic growth. they also say china is trying to protect marine resources, including natural gas. the increased maneuvers hav be causing friction between china's military and japan's maritime self-defense force. japanese destroyers and china's aircraft have come dangerously close to each other in the east china sea. there have been five such cases

over the past 18 months. against this backdrop, the self-defense forces are strengthening their fleet and stepping up their collaborations with the u.s. navy. japan and the u.s. have staged several large-scale military drills in the waters near okinawa. the two long-time allies are uniting to face the challenge of china's burgeoning power. nhk world. gene otani asked kenkichi for background on the standoff between japan and china. >> what's the reason behind the naval expansion by china? >> translator: with its economy growg, china bame able to allocate a larger budget into building up its navy. it is believed that china is doing this to protect its maritime rights and interests and also to prepare for any

tension in its relations with taiwan. regarding taiwan, what china wants to avoid is intervention by the united states, which is a naval superpower. so to prevent this, china wants to enhance its naval capabilities and gain control of the seas surrounding taiwan. >> how high is the actual tension would you say between japan and china? >> translator: it's not as if a dangerous situation could break out immediately. however, we should not be overly optimistic and leave the matter unaddressed. as we saw in the video, military tension may threaten to increase. and both japan and china want to avoid a military showdown. so japanese and chinese defense officials are discussing measures. >> now precisely what measures are both countries trying to take? >> translator: japan and china are trying to setp maritime communication and notification

mechanism. normally navys of different countries have multiple communication channels established so they can keep each other closely informed in the event of accidents at sea. but there are no such channels of communication between japan and china. the two countries want to set this up as soon as possible. they want to establish multiple channels of communication at all levels from the very top officials to the rank-and-file units. >> you talk about the mechanism. are t talks onhat makg progress? >> translator: discussions have been held for the past few years. but they have not really produced results yet. progress is needed as soon as possible to prevent untoward incidents. it is important to therefore promote exchange between the defense authorities of the two countries, and work on confidence-building. >> that was gene otani speaking with our reporter kenkichiish

yama. ish yama. ishyama.iyama. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi nuclear crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." a panel of experts has stressed the need for nuclear power plants to have multiple power sources to insure supply of electricity in emergencies. six nuclear energy experts make up the panel organized by the nuclear and industrial safety agency. the panel, which met for the first time on monday, will discuss lessons to be learned from the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >> translator: you should arrange to receive emergency power supplies from other utilities in addition to

installing multiple power sources. >> fuel in three react actors at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant meltedown after the insulation lost power in the immediate aftermath of the march 11th earthquake and tsunami. the expert stated that the operator, tepco, should examine why the equipment failed to work and take measures to prevent a recurrence. they also called for the agency to present documents on the accident that are easy for the general public to understand. the panel will submit a report in march that it is hoped will provide a blueprint for japan's new nuclear safety agency to be launched in april. debate is heating up on whether japan should participate in the talks on the tpp free trade deal that will take place in early november as part of an apec meeting. both those opposed to the deal and supporters presented their case to the government on monday. >> many in the agricultural sector are opposed to

participation on the grounds that the deal could damage japanese farmers. the union of the agricultural cooperatives, akiro banzi expressed his opposition in a meeting with cabinet secretary fujimura. he warned that the tpp will undermine japan's agricultural sector. and urged the government it refrain from taking part. funai muira replied that the government is still canvassing opinion and will hear from various groups. meanwhile, the head of the country's main business lobby pressed the government to join in the tpp negotiations. japan business federation chairman, miromasa yonekura told koichiro gemba that japan needs to promote high-level cooperation with other countries. he said joining the tpp will not hurt japanese industry. union cura added that japan has no time to waste because

participation is aimed to reach general agreement at the asia pacific cooperation forum. for his part, gemba noted the details on the nature of any final deal will be available only to those taking parts in the talks. he emphasized that the government will soon have it make a major decision. as the yen remains near historic high against the greenback, japan's finance minister, jun azumi has hinted that market intervention is a possibility to stem the yen's further rise. >> translator: reaching the 75-yen level against the dollar is speculative movement and it does not reflect the actual economy. japan must take firm action if speculative currency moves get out of hand. >> azumi also said if the dollar stays in the 70-yen range, that would put a damper on japan's auto and other exports and slow the recovery from the march disaster. nissan president, carlos ghosn has expressed concern

about the strong yen. ghosn spoke to reporters after the japanese currency rose to new high against the dollar in new york on friday. >> with this level of the yen japan lost all of its competitiveness, and this is an abnormal level. for us, it's an abnormal level. because you can source in other countries much more easily. you can locate projects in other countries much more easily. and this is not normal. it did not used to be that way. >> ghosn ued the japanese government to ta immediate steps to counter the strong yen. digital content is now a big part of the entertainment business, japan takes a leading role in creating animation which has helped shape the country's popular culture and define its image abroad. several exciting tie-ups in the

animation industry now ache to tame advantage ofjapan's position in the cutting-edge field. nhk world's miho fukunaga reports. >> reporter: this animation was recently created by a studio in bangkok. thailand is one of several asian countries taking a prominent role in the animation industry. on monday, the biggest content trade show in asia held in tokyo. thai officials announced plans to produce animated films in partnership with japanese firms. a number of thai companies and the japanese firm hope to venture expand into developing other content, such as applications for smartphones and video games.

thailand is a big market for japanese anime and thai animators have honed their skills by working as subcontractors on japanese productions. but the country hasn't found a way to bring its homegrown animations to the wider audience. the thai government thinks it's time to nurture the industry to joint productions with japanese creators. >> when we become to the right level of equality, we will like to go out worldwide. we need the area to make business model, find the right way to sell. >> reporter: that collaboration makes good business sense for the japanese partner, too. the tokyo-based company, dle, produces fresh animation for tv, the web and mobile phones. they are good at creating content quickly and cheaply.

the company has already moved into the chinese animation market. it's planning to team up with firms in malaysia and the united arab emirates. >> translator: i think there are many talented creators and good anime studios that are still underground. it's important to produce them and bring them to the global market. >> reporter: the anime industry is growing in asia. but the market in japan has been shrinking for the past five years. the thailand/japan partnership in the animation industry may create a win-win outcome, if they can come up with a hit. miho fukunaga, nhk, tokyo. mai shoji is up next with weather.

let's take a look at your weather conditions. starting with asia, let's take a look at japan. the pacific side going to be overcast. but still mild weather will continue for a little while before this low pressure system moving into northern japan, disturbing the area with strong winds and a few showers. and this associated cold front will then be passing through the area. so much of the country will be experiencing this strong winds, maybe some hail. nothing too significant, but a few showers may be possible. as well as the temperatures dropping down significantly perhaps by wednesday. here is the high pressure dominates the area. we will see some sunny spells in the korean peninsula. and southwestern china will be seeing some few showers, nothing too significant. but even just a little rain, we're concerned here in thailand. the flooding situation still not alleviated yet there. so further flooding risk there. because of the northeastern

monsoon affecting the area with a few showers and heavy rain at times still. bangkok at 34 degrees, looking at hong kong at 26. and ulan bator at 8 degrees for our tuesday high and the low is going to be around minus 6 degrees. seoul at 11 with the cold front passing there, it's going to be chilly and tokyo we're looking at 26 degrees, pretty warm here for our tuesday high. here in north america, we're looking at this tropical storm, this is rina. now it is moving at the speed of nine kilometers per hour. so it's going to be lingering just around this area, east coast of, east of the eastern coast of honduras, i should say, heading towards belize and then towards the yucatan peninsula. as it does, it will become a hurricane. so the intensity will be intensifying. and as it reaches yucatan peninsula, by overnight thursday i should say, local time, it will become a hurricane and we do have tropical watch just over here in effect in the eastern coast of honduras. this is our 72-hour precipitation outlook. it looks like it's going to be heading towards, making this

kind of path. and the rain is going to be up to about 100 millimeters in some areas. vancouver at 11 degrees, seattle at 12, just around this area, northern rockies especially, we will be looking at winter weather to come for you. we do want to be aware of that. houston at 31. oklahoma city at 27. and just around this area, it's a good recipe for critical fire risks, so that warning is in effect in oklahoma, kansas and panhandle of texas. new york at 18 degrees. heading over to europe, we have disturbance just over the british isles. low pressure system and this cold front will be bringing some severe weather to come. just in british isles. just a few showers and some strong winds to come. but this could be nasty. just around france and then towards the alpines and italy. we may see some severe thunderstorms even to pop up there. but out towards the east, a different story. looking pretty dry. scandinavian peninsula, also dominated by the high pressure

system. but just in the eastern area of the black sea, we have an upper-level low disturbance. and we know that this is van, just around turkey, where the earthquake hit and some precipitation, it's ing to be cold. so the recovery could be affected by this kind of rain. and higher elevations will be a mix of snow. the low on friday, minus 2 degrees. this is your five-day forecast for van, turkey. and here's your extended forecast.

hope of finding more survivors is driving a rescue crews in turkey. they've been digging through the rubble for more than 24 hours, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the eastern part of the country on sday and brought hundreds of buildings crashing down, killing more than 260 people.

[ speaking foreign language ] >> by monday morning, about 1,200 rescuers and soldiers have arrived to help. they worked as more than 100 aftershocks shook the area. they're using heavy machinery to search for people trapped inside collapsed buildings. turkey's home sector says along with t dead, i quake injured about 1,300 others. the tremors were strongest in the eastern province of van. [ speaking foreign language ] >> some survivors are taking shelter in tents. support crews are handing out food and other supplies. the earthquake cut off communications in the area. the number of dead could rise as more reports come in.

in thailand, central bangkok has flooded again, forcing the closure of nearby roads. the chao phraya river overflowed on monday evening, along several hundred meters of its banks. streets are under about 50 centimeters of water. shop owners are working to keep the water out. the flooded area is one kilometer north of the royal palace, and five kilometers north of the business district. military personnel and police are barricadingoads to insure safety. the floods have washed into factories that make key components for computers. some manufacturers have suspended operations. retailers are running short on hard discs in tokyo's electronics district. they've increased prices by 20%. hard disc drives are essential parts of computers and are used as external storage devices.

>> translator: since supplies are running out, a lot of companies are eager to secure their stock. i'm concerned supply may fall short of demand ahead of the year-end sales season. that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline," we'll be back with more news in half an hour, i'm michio kijima in tokyo. thank you for watching. bye-bye.