north korea under the mi microsco microscope. a u.n. panel has done something it has not done before. the committee adopted a non-binding resolution that condemned north korea for rampant abuses of human rights. they say the u.n. is interfering in the country's internal affairs. the resolution stated what they called systematic, widespread, and grave violations of civil rights. they report to torture, prison camps and public executions and urged leaders to resolve the abductions of japanese and other foreign nationals. north koreans kidnapped at least 17 japanese in the 1970s and '806s and only five returned home. the ambassador said they are a global issue. the envoy rejected the

resolution and called it a fabrication based on political motivation. delegates from china and russia made it clear they rejected the conclusions of the resolution. analysts with an american satellite imagery firm have other concerns. they s a recent photo showed increase activity around a missile facility in north korea. they warn authorities could be preparing for another launch similar to the one that happened last april. digital globe released the image at the facility in the northwest. the photo was taken last friday. it shows a tents, trucks, and many fuel tanks. digital globe analysts say authorities could carry out a missile launch in the next three weeks. earlier satellite images of the facility showed what are believed tbe ptsf a long range ballistic missile. protesters in egypt are back in a familiar scene playing out some familiar roles. they returned to tahrir square,

the main site of last year's up rising and this time protesting against morsi's decision to amend the constitution with decrees that will give him sweeping powers. crowds have gathered for days of protests in central cairo. in the latest police fired teargas at demonstrators marching from the square to the government district. the protesters say they will stay in the streets until the president with draws his decision. >> translator: it is a big mistake if president morsi thinks he can do whatever he wants. he should listen to the people. >> translator: we want to see a president that represents ejipss from all backgrounds, not a president of the muslim brotherhood. >> morsi's decrees will make it impossible for judicial courts to over turn his decisions.

he has told judges he will respect the judiciary but will not retract his announcement. police have fought repeated by with protesters since he made the declaration last week. the fighting left two people dead and more than 400 injured. forensic experts are testing bone samples from the body of a man who symbolized the plight of palestinians. they're checking for tracing of a radioactive poison in the remains of yasser arafat and hoping to shed light on rumors he was poisoned. >> reporter: this is where the grave of yasser arafat is. we are not allowed to get any closer so we cannot see what is happening inside. palestinian authorities opened arafat's tomb in the west bank of ri mall la and took samples and buried the remains again. the process was kept far from

public view but a ceremony was held to pay respect to the late leader. arafat died in 2004 in paris. a documentary by the tv network al jazeera prompted investigators to reopen his case. it said traces of highly toxic radioactive pu loan you mean had been detected on arafat's clothing and other personal belongings and even to this day the cause of arafat's death has not been determined. some palestinians claim he was assassinated by israel. israeli officials deny the claim. >> translator: the palestinians are confident that israel is behind the whole thing. we need to prove this to the rest of the world. >> experts from a swiss laboratory and others will conduct a detailed examination of the samples. they will take several months to conclude and clear up questions

of arafat's death. palestinian authorities are determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. nhk world, ramallah. delegates at the u.n. conference on climate change are trying to agree on what to do about global warming. it is becoming clear the climate for compromise has chilled. industrialized countries commitments to the protocol expire at the end of the year. delegates at the meeting in doha, qatar, are divided over extending the agreement. the representatives agree they need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to stop global warming but arguing over how long the protocol should be extended. delegates from the european union and australia are calling for an extension until 2020 when a new framework is scheduled to take effect. representatives of island states and developing nations want a five-year extension. they argue major economies may not be able to agree to severe

reduction targets over the long-term. japanese delegates say they will not join the extended protocol. they want to continue using something called the clean development mechanism. it allows rich countries to earn carbon off sets by providing nds and technology to poor nations to help them reduce their emissions. the people in charge of the site of the world's worst nuclear accident say they have taken a big step in cleaning it up. workers have raised part of a permanent shelter around a reactor at the nuclear plant in chernobyl. the area around the plant is highly contaminated. the workers raised an arched section that will surround the destroyed unit. the number 4 reactor was covered with a concrete and metal structure after the explosion in 1986. the so-called stone coffin deteriorated and could release radioactive substances. they began believe the new shelter in april to go around it. it is 250 meters wide and 105

meters high. government officials say engineers designed the structure to last for 100 years. workers are scheduled to complete the project in 2015. they have to minimize their exposure to radiation. japan, the united states, and europe are providing financial support. project managers estimate costs will exceed $1.2 billion. analysts are running the numbers fine-tuning their projections for what we can expect in the new year. what do analysts say ahead? >> katherine, they're certainly not seeing any of the problems we had this year going away next year. the organization for economic cooperation and development downgraded growth forecasts of major economies and analysts cited european debt and also cited the prospects for simultaneous tax hikes and spending cuts in the united states known as the fiscal cliff. the analysts expect the eurozone

will contract again in 2013 and they say the region's gross domestic product will shrink by 1/10th of a percent and predicted positive growth of 0.9% in the previous report six months ago. they lowered the growth expectation for the united states economy from 2.6% to 2%. they pointed to a sluggish recovery. the document warns the fiscal cliff would not only deal a heavy blow to the u.s. but might drag the global economy into recession. as for japan, the oect downgraded the outlook from 1.5% to 0.7%. they cited weak domestic demand. analysts urged the nation to compile detailed reliable plans for fiscal reform. u.s. consumer sentiment hit the highest level in more than four and a half years. researchers at analytics form the conference board say the consumer confidence index rose for a third straight month. the numbers rose to 73.7 in

november, up from 73.1 in october. that's against a base value of 100 set in 1985. they say that the christmas shopping season started smoothly last weekend and the analysts are still concerned about the impact the fiscal cliff may have on consumer sentiment. the index is a key indicator of recovery and consumer spending which accounts for 70% of u.s. gross domestic product. now let's get a check on the markets. japanese stock prices are trading lower after four straight days of gains in the nikkei average is currently down half a percent at 9,375. now, investors are taking profits on a broad range of stocks because they're worried share prices appear to have gone up too fast recently. over to currencies. the dollar has lost some ground on some profit taking after the recent surge dollar/yen 82.11 to

13 and the euro/yen at 106.20 to 25 and it is losing steam as market players remain cautious despite the agreement on the greek bailout. take a look at other markets open in the asia pacific right now. south korea's kospi is trading lower by two-thirds of a percent and australia's benchmark index is trading lower as well down 4/10 of a percent at 4,439 so seeing alot of downward pressure on asian stocks today and see how china opens in a few hours. officials at japanese retailers seven holdings are planning for the next major earthquake. they will introduce a computer system that can monitor the tent of damage at stores across japan. the new system was co-developed with a mapping company and is set to launch next month. it can automatically display the intensity of an earthquake at over 15,000 stores nationwide. the program also detects power

outages based on the status of atms installed at each outlet. the system then suggests possible transportation routes based on information released by transit authorities. executives say they had difficulty assessing the condition of the 7-eleven stores and supermarkets after last year's disasters. management struggled to grasp which outlets needed more staff or supplies and from which stores to send them. company officials say they hope the system will help them reopen damaged stores as quickly as possible. more for you next hour. here is a check on markets.

japan and taiwan are a step closer to resuming talks on fishing rights. the waters in question are near the senkaku islands in the east china sea. sources say the two sides agreed to hold talks in tokyo on friday. officials have been meeting in an effort to get the fishing negotiations moving. they hope talks will help mend ties strained over the islands. japan controls the senkaku islands. taiwan and china also claim them. delegates taking part in the meeting are unlikely to touch on the territorial route. they're inspected instead to discuss rules for areas where japan's exclusive economic zone and taiwan's fishing area overlap. talks on fishing rights began in

1996. they have been suspended since 2009 after the two sides failed to narrow their differences. the japanese government bought the senkaku island from a private owner in september. taiwanese parole ships and fishing boats entered japan's territory waters near the islands to protest the purchase. china has been calling on taiwan to join hands to counter japan on this issue. analysts say resuming the fishery talks will enable japan to keep china in check. moves towards democracy in myanmar have created new challenges for people who work along its borders. many ethnic minorities have fled persecution. they found their way across the border into thailand. aid workers say they have been overwhelmed. our chamra man visited a clinic for refugees and filed this report. >> this town of mae sot is located near the western border.

refugees account for almost half of the town's population. this clinic on the edge of town is supported by ngos. it provides medical subsidies to refugees and immigrants from myanmar. the first visit costs just a dollar. they get to see a doctor and receive free medication. >> translator: i don't have much money. so i can't afford other hospitals. >> she was forced to flee myanmar for protesting against the persecution of ethnic minorities. she established the clinic 33 years ago to assist other

refugees. the clinic employs some 600 medical workers including nurses, physicians, and gynecologists. they also take care of a rising number of patients who come across the border looking for better medical care. because myanmar's own facilities are rundown. this man is one of them. he lost his leg below the knee in a shooting incident, so the clinic made him an artificial leg. the clinic sees about 150,000 patients a year. managers are struggling with recent unexpected problems. the clinic needs an extra $290,000 to cover its costs for this year.

financial as from foreign ngos has been falling. organizations are channeling funds into myanmar instead to support its did he mock ra at thisization. >> over the years the case load has grown a lot. they wen't given as much money either, perhaps because of all of the good news inside burma so they might have thought the clinic no longer is no longer necessary. >> she believes the clinic still has an important role to play. she has reduced the workforce by 10% to cut costs. >> translator: if the health care system in myanmar improves, fewer patients will come to us. eventually nobody will need our services. we have to keep providing them for now. >> it will likely be some time before the government and ethnic

groups in myanmar reach a lasting peace. cynthia is working hard to improve the skills of the young one day they will be able to put them to use back home. a cutting edge factory for growing vegetables has opened its doors. the government joined forces with area businesses. together they unveiled a new research facility for biotechnology. about 70 people attended on tuesday, the opening ceremony in south paulo. it features five rooms, one as a greenhouse with glass that absorbs sunlight and repels heat, and the color and intensity of the light kg be adjusted through an array of leds and another room has labs that can recreate summer sunshine. they can control the percentage of water in plants grown inside

as well as their biochemical composition according to their intended purposes. for examples plants grown for medical purposes have different requirements than those grown for food. genetically modified or hydroponically cultivated plants can also be studied. the municipal officials and business leaders invested $12 million to build the facility. they hope it will attract biotechnology companies to the region. >> translator: i like the produce to become popular around the world but it is not just about the food. i hope we can raise the profile in the technological and medical sectors as well. >> five japanese companies are slated to move in for research and development early yex inner. the world's fastest athletes on three wheels recently raised through the streets of a city in southern japan. competitor from 15 countries took part in the international wheelchair marathon. it was an opportunity for one of

jap japan's best wheelchair athletes to show his stuff on home turf and also gave him a chance to reunite with his mentor. >> he holds the wheelchair marathon record for athletes in the severely impaired class. hinrich helped train him. the german athlete holds the same record in the same class. the two men had met at a rehab facility for people with severe disabilities. he was recovering from a terrible car accident when he was 20. they urged him to take part in a wheelchair race. >> translator: he was the one who taught me how to ride a wheelchair and how to operate it during a race. i owe him a lot.

>> just before the race the two men reunited at the same rehab center. >> good to see you. >> good to see you. everything all right with you? >> right. >> this time it is him who is coaching young athletes. >> translator: the outside of your thumb joint, there, there, even if it slips, you can relax your hand. >> can i start at the same? now he is perfect. >> translator: when you want to go straight, if you play with the handle too much, it will slow you down. so you want to lift the front wheel a little while you move. like this. >> it is great to work to see

and see the increasing numbers. >> it is the day of the race. he pushes himself hard to finish within the three-hour time limit. this hill is the toughest part of the course. he finishes 47 seconds under the time limit. he conquered the course in front of his juniors. >> translator: i want to show that if you work hard, you can do it. i hope new athletes will follow

my example just as i followed kueberles. he was a role model for me when i was training. >> his two proteges enjoyed a good outing. this he completed the half marathon for competitors in the severely impaired athlete class. snow covers buildings, streets and fields in northern japan. people are used to wintery conditions but tt doe't mean residents aren't faced with difficulties. maya tells us more in the world weather forecast. yes, katherine, even in the city snow has blanketed the city. you can see the winter storm moving away, that really massive rain cloud pulling away from the country so high pressure will be dominating the area making things much calmer than what we saw yesterday, but take a look at a video coming from ho kad owe. this is what happened. heavy snow and blustery winds battered northern japan yesterday and wind gusts of nearly 150 kilometers per hour

and an additional 40 centimeters of snow have been reported in parts of hokaido and 45,000 households were out of electricity at one point and the lows are really freezing in some locations. people are really just having difficulty with this piled up white stuff. let's pull back and show you the system has pulled away as i mentioned, but take a look at at ihas brought, 152 gusts reported and 20,000 households out of power and as i mentioned the high pressure system will be dominant pressing over head and still temperatures are really dipping down in hokaido seeing about minus 3 in the a.m. hours and it is not going to be

remaining very clear for a long time. just a short break until this system moves into the country again bringing winter storms. now it is affecting northeastern china with heavy snow and down towards north korea also mixed precipitation and towards south korea in seoul much of that precipitation will be rain. you can see that pulling in towards japan again. especially northern japan another round of heavy snow. here a different story. moisture already surging here. thunderstorms will be very active in taiwan as well as southeastern china and up to 100 millimeters of rainfall can probably be found i the next 24 hours. out towards the islands you can see this pink dot moving over the pacific. this is the tropical storm that we have been tracking which is moving at a very slow snail's pace towards palau and it will intensify over warm water and

looks like it will be a tropical storm in the next 48 hours. already affecting the arch pa lego with stormy conditions and high waves and heavy rain due to the slow pace wilbe the key elements from that. 30s in the tropics, hence the development of that storm system. tokyo looking at 11 for the high. and take a look at biting cold. things calm across much of canada and the united states. another system will pull in the pacific coast. you already have warnings of gale force winds and heavy rain and maybe mountain snow will be piling up likely in the next 24 hours as that system moves in. towards the east things are clearing up fine and nice and chilly, new york only seeing 6 degrees for the high. in winnipeg, minus 9. chicago 4 degrees for the high. here is the extended forecast.

that concludes thisdition of "newsline." i am katherine ckobachi in toky. do stay with us. we will be back with more updates at the top of the hour.