welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. north korean troops have carried out live fire drills near the maritime border with south korea. it's the second time in a month the north has carried out military exercises in waters off the korean peninsula. south korean military officials said the drills began around 2:00 p.m. local time. about 50 artillery shells fell on the north korean side of the border over the course of ten minutes. south korean troops were on high

alert. they warned people on nearby islands to take shelter. the south korean defense ministry spokesperson said authorities in pyongyang issued a notice earlier in the day. the notice said the drills were imminent. the north carried out similar exercises on march 31st, about 100 shells fell on the south korean side of the border. south korea returned more than 300 rounds of artillery. north korea's leaders have lashed out over talks last week between u.s. president barack obama and south korean president park geun-hye. defense officials in pyongyang warned that they may take measures more threatening than a nuclear test. members of north korea's national defense commission issued a statement condemning obama and park for discussing nuclear issues. they say they won't abandon their nuclear arsenal just because the u.s. tells them to. they say they need to maintain and upgrade their nuclear weapons until the u.s. stops its nuclear threats.

analysts at johns hopkins university in the u.s. said last week that satellite images show an increase in activity around a nuclear test site. they say workers appear to be moving vehicles and materials near the entrances of two test tunnels. people in south korea have strongly criticized the government over how it handled the "sewol" ferry disaster. now president park says she's sorry. >> translator: i should apologize for the failure to prevent the accident. and for the insufficient response. i wonder whether this apology will be able to comfort those who were hurt and ease their pain. because it breaks my heart. >> park said problems that piled up for many years led to the disaster. she pledged to come out with basic safety measures to prevent future accidents. park also says the government will set up a new agency to handle serious accidents.

she attended a memorial service for victims of the disaster. park offered incense in front of photos of the victims. the prime minister said on sunday he will resign and take responsibility for the government's response to the sinking. but south korean media haven't stopped criticizing the government. divers are still conducting search operations at the scene of the disaster. but strong currents are making their work hard. 205 people, many of them high school students, have been confirmed dead. 97 are still missing. u.s. president obama has wrapped up a four-nation tour of asia. the main purpose of the trip was to re-energize his asia strategy. nhk world has been traveling with the president and reports on what he has achieved.

>> reporter: on the last day of his week-long trip obama spoke to members of the armed forces. he stressed that u.s. alliance with asian nations is central to his asia strategy. >> deepening our alliance is part of our broader vision for the asia-pacific. we believe the nations and peoples have the right to live in security and peace and have their sovereignty and territorial integrity respected. we believe that international law must be upheld. >> reporter: japan was the first to support obama, japan's government hosted him as a state guest. the president held a joint press conference with prime minister shinzo abe. the u.s./japan security treaty covered the senkaku islands.

japan administers the islands in the east china sea. china and taiwan claim them. in south korea, obama stressed ubty with president park geun-hye against north korea's provocations. the two leaders warned the nation's leaders could face tougher sanctions, if they conduct a fourth nuclear tst. they tell me that the tour has been successful in reinforcing america's unshakable ties with the asia-pacific region. but there were some shortcomings, too. u.s. and japanese leaders had hoped to reach a deal on the trans-pacific partnership free trade talks, during obama's visit. but hours of discussion turned to agreement. a joint statement released at the end of obama's visit only

said some progress had been made. obama also left malaysia empty-handed on trade. prime minister razak said malaysia was far from being ready to sign any deal due to internal sensitivities. obama's visit resulted in some gains with its allies on security issues. but there is more work to be done for all parties concerned when it comes to trade. nhk world, manila. pro-russian separatists in eastern ukraine are showing no sign of ending their use of violence, despite renewed

pressure from the united states and the european union. in the largest eastern city of done ez k pro-russian militants wielding metal clubs attacked people rallying in support of ukrainian unity. some demonstrators were injured. they also stormed a bank in the city and blocked its entrances. the mayor of the eastern city of karkiv is in critical condition after he was shot on monday on the way to his office. he is thought to support the pro-western interim government. the u.s. department of defense says it has received assurances that russia will not invade ukraine. a statement says russian defense minister sergei shoigu made the promises to his u.s. counterpart chuck hagel in a phone call. russian troops have recently carried out major exercises near ukraine's border. shoigu explained that the military presence is due to concerns about possible violence in eastern ukraine. he said ukrainian authorities

could use force against unarmed civilians. leaders in the u.s. and the european union are urging president vladimir putin to halt what they call russian intervention in ukraine. white house spokesperson jay carney said russia has not failed to meet its commitments, but has escalated the crisis. russian diplomats had agreed in geneva this month to help de-escalate the tensions in eastern ukraine. carney also said the administration will apply sanctions to seven more russian officials, as well as 17 financial institutions and energy firms. leaders in europe added 15 names to their sanctions list. those targeted will face travel bans, and asset freezes. russian officials are criticizing the u.s. administration's decision. deputy foreign minister told the interfax news agency that the u.s. has demonstrated its lack of understanding about what's going on in ukraine. he said it's not a responsible

approach. he said russia has a wide range of measures already in hand to retaliate. a judge in egypt has sentenced nearly 700 people to death for their role in an attack on a police station last year. he handed down the sentence on monday against muslim brotherhood loader mohamed badie and 683 supporters. they were accused of killing an officer at a police station in central egypt. the sentences must be approved by the country's top islamic authority. the attack was part of a series of protests against the ouster last july of president mohamed morsi. the muslim brotherhood says the sentences are unjust, and politically motivated. the united states condemned them. >> these actions will add further instability, extremism and radicalization, and these are issues that, while the egyptian government has pledged to resolve, clearly they don't represent the kind of democratic ideals and progress that we need

to see made in egypt. >> u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon expressed concern. ban said the judge's decision does not appear to meet basic fair trial standards. he said it will likely hurt prospects for long-term stability in egypt. the same court last month sentenced 529 other supporters of the muslim brotherhood to death. but on monday, it reduced that figure to 37 after egypt's top religious authority gave his opinion on sentences. negotiators from israel and palestine gave themselves nine months to agree terms for a palestinian state to exist alongside israel. they reached that deadline tuesday with nothing to show for it. the parties resumed peace talks last july for the first time in about three years. u.s. secretary of state john kerry mediated. but the talks ran into trouble last month when israel refused to honor a promise to release palestinian prisoners. then palestinian president mahmoud abbas said he was prepared to form a government with islamist militant group

hamas. israel regards the group as a terrorist organization. it suspended the peace talks last week. kerry had proposed a framework to extend the talks beyond a nine-month target. he has yet to say whether he will try to revive the peace process. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has departed for a six-nation tour of europe. he is to hold discussions with several european leaders on a range of issues, including the crisis in ukraine. abe is scheduled to arrive on tuesday in germany. he'll also visit britain, portugal, spain, france, belgium over ten days. abe plans to seek closer cooperation with other leaders of the group of seven nations, ahead of a summit in june. >> translator: with regard to the situation in ukraine, i want

to frankly exchange ideas with other g-7 leaders on how we can work together to reach a peaceful resolution through dialogue. >> abe is also scheduled to deliver a speech at nato headquarters in brussels. he'll explain his policy of pro-active contribution to peace. the policy outlines possible changes to the interpretation of japan's constitution. those changes will allow the country to exercise the right to collective self-defense. that would enable japan to use armed force to defense allies under attack. up until now, such activity has been considered to exceed constitutional limits. abe will also speak at the headquarters of the organization for economic cooperation and development in paris. he's expected to emphasize his government's efforts to revive the japanese economy. government officials from all over the world are meeting in new york to talk about how to control the spread of nuclear weapons. delegates from the 190 nations

that have signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty met at united nations headquarters. they're preparing for a conference next year that will review the treaty. japanese senior vice foreign minister nobou kishi says that countries that have atomic weapons should hold bilateral negotiations with the aim of abolishing them. but he says multilateral talks are also important. delegates from the united states and russia will report on what their countries are doing to reduce their nuclear arsenals. officials attending the meeting will also discuss the possibility of an international conference to promote a non-nuclear middle east. crews at japan's damaged nuclear plant must navigate high and potentially lethal levels of radiation every day. in some areas at fukushima daiichi they can only work for short periods of time. in others, they can't work at all. so engineers are racing to develop the technology that would offer full access with

minimal risk. nhk world's noriko okada has the story. >> reporter: right after the accident, tepco engineers sent a remote controlled robot inside one of the reactor buildings. the device detectived significantly high levels of radiation. and it managed to make it out. since then, tepco has used several robots to survey dangerous areas of the crippled plant. the utilities need for technology has pushed developers to design robots that can go where humans cannot. researchers and engineers are trying to make devices that can carry out more advanced decommissioning tasks. some attended a convention in january. they are now focused on designing robots that can do

decontamination work. this robot uses a laser technology to clean up the radioactive substances. the arms stick out of the device, and emit a beam. the laser can evaporate radioactive substances. then the robot uses a vacuum to collect the radioactive dust. this model is designed to cut through rubble which is littered inside reactor buildings, because of the explosion. >> we're proud of this robot which will be used in areas inside fukushima daiichi, where no people can go. >> reporter: the most daunting challenge is removing extremely radioactive nuclear fuel from the damaged reactors. tepco officials say molten fuel burned through the damaged reactors and piled up at the bottom of the containment vessels.

the fuel is inaccessible right now. engineers are exploring ways to reach it. they are trying to develop a 30 meter long robotic arm. it would have special sensors inside that would create a 3-d picture, so engineers could monitor its movement. >> translator: radiation could effect all electronic parts of the robot. so, we have to overcome that hurdle. >> reporter: this institute is developing a laser for the robotic arm. teams of engineers are working on one that would slice through the melted-down nuclear fuel, which is now extremely hard.

they also need the laser to work under water. the reactors must be filled with water to shield the emission of radiation from the fuel. the institute runs an experiment using a mock reactor. the engineers injected gas into water to clear a path for the laser, so the beam wouldn't weaken. then, they aim the lace irat the simulated fuel, and managed to cut some of it. but the fuel at the fukushima plant is expected to be more difficult to deal with. some of it mixed with debris when it melted down, making it much harder than the simulated fuel. tepco engineers don't fully understand the condition it's in. >> translator: this is a huge challenge. we have to combine techniques in

ways that we have never tested before. some combinations will work. but in other cases, we will have to make fundamental adjustments. >> reporter: there are still many hurdles. engineers haven't fixtured out how to collect and remove the fuel. and tepco workers would need to carry out the job in three reactors. for now, they know the technology they need is a long way away from being put into practice. noriko okada, nhk world. some online gamers in japan are putting down their controls and trying something new. they're spending more time playing a new puzzle game, that's quickly gaining popularity. business leaders have taken notice and seen the potential to help bring in new customers. nhk world reports.

>> reporter: at this venue in tokyo is a haven for riddle solvers. young people come here to play real-life puzzle games. customers form teams of six to solve brain teasers within a limited time. for example, they try and figure out what this number stands for. the clue is in the color. the first two numbers are in black. the fourth letter of the word black is "c." following this rule, the answer is "card." players also take on roles of detectives in a mystery story. >> translator: when i try to crack a problem in the real world in a certain scenario i feel a true sense of mission. more than online.

>> reporter: this company makes problem solving games. their business is growing fast. 350,000 people played the games last year. that's almost double the number of players in 2012. >> translator: i think people want to experience stories in real life that they see in movies, or read about in mystery novels. >> reporter: real-life puzzle games are also getting the attention of players in places like san francisco and singapore. businesses are taking a close look at real-life puzzle games as a way to attract customers. an official from the game company visits a bookstore. few young people come to the shop these days. the store's managers hope a puzzle game will help solve that problem. players look for books with

title titles with the answer to a problem in the game. >> translator: we hope that players will buy books if they find anything interesting during the game. >> reporter: local government officials on the southern island of miako have used the trend to boost tourism. the entire island became the setting for a game. the theme is escaping from the island. for over a month hundreds of young people flocked to the island to play the game. players scoured the island in search of clues. the idea is to show people that this place has more to offer than just beautiful beaches. a player finds a clue inside an

old well. the well is an example of a historical site the local officials want tourists to visit. >> translator: you won't find this place in a guidebook. we wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for the game. >> reporter: officials hope word about the island will spread. >> translator: we're hoping that the participants will post their discoveries on facebook and twitter, and those who read them will visit the island. >> reporter: real-life puzzle games are serious business for many companies and regions. they're getting their game on as they try to raise their public profile. chee tanaka, nhk world. tornadoes plagued the

southern united states monday night and more severe weather may be on the way. our meteorologist jonathan oh has the forecast. jonathan? hello, yes, we're continuing to track this particular system that has been plaguing the central eastern portions of the united states during the past couple of days. you can see here on the satellite picture the very bright clouds that are slowly pushing toward the east. on monday night, tornadoes were spawned in mississippi, causing even more damage, and now the core of that activity has pushed eastward into georgia and south carolina. the same upper low that's really powerful, bringing in really cold wind, is pushing against the warm air that's pushing in to the carolinas. and so, because of that, this activity will continue as we go through the next couple of days. for tuesday, it looks like the focal areas for severe weather go up to the great lakes, down into portions of mississippi and alabama, and as far east as the carolinas and into virginia. the main threat will include damaging winds, and also hail.

in the process of this, because the low is so powerful, it is dragging cold air from the north, so ontario into parts of the dakotas, you'll be seeing some snow and down towards the desert southwest it looks like we'll be guying with fire weather because of the dry and gusty conditions. 12 for a high in denver. winnipeg 9, chance of rain, maybe even some snow. chicago at 9. d.c. up to 19 degrees but rain and thunderstorms for atlanta and into houston. by the way, the western partial of the united states seeing warm conditions. that's creating a concern for avalanches into the pacific northwest. here's a look at tapa. this particular system is intensifying, but it looks like that as it moves toward the north and northwest, the core of the rain will be east of saipan and guam. still seeing some rain, still seeing some gusty winds, but looks like the majority of the precipitation is tracking further toward the east as we go through next few days. here's a look at east asia. we do have high pressure controlling the northern portions of china, but beijing,

you're dealing with air pollution once again. that's going to eventually track toward the korean peninsula and eventually in to japan as we go through the rest of this week. low pressure controlling the weather for western japan, and because of that, we're seeing rain totals up to 200 millimeters in some places. and it looks like the rain will continue to spread toward the east and northeast of tokyo, as we go in to tuesday, and wednesday during the next couple of days. temperatures topping off at 24 in shanghai, seoul at 17 with rain and thunderstorms in tokyo, with a high of 18 degrees. here's a look at europe. europe, also a very active weather scene right now. especially from the southern portions of the continent. what's happening is we have a couple of low pressure systems that's creating this busy weather pattern. what's happening down toward greece, rain, heavy downpours, also tornadoes, and also some hail being reported down there. it looks like the severe weather concerns will continue in to tuesday and even into wednesday, a good portion of the continent looking at the chance for some

thunderstorms, and severe weather highlighted in orange, all the way up to germany and even into parts of france. so yes, make sure that you pay attention to the local weather alerts because it looks like it's going to be a very busy day on tuesday. paris at 16 with a chance for rain. rome at 15. moscow also seeing some rain with a high of 19 degrees. a little bit warmer in madrid, 21 with sunny skies. very fair pattern for you in that particular location. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's a look at your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.?/cúcúc

>> welcome back. 1:00 in the french capital. you are watching live from paris. we will be together for the latest news and analysis from around the world. the headlines -- moscow says there will be no crimean scenario in southeastern ukraine. this as the u.s. and brussels hardin sanctions against russia. on the ground, pro-russian separatists have extended their grip on public buildings. remainsions in donetsk high. the eve of the first general election in iraq since the withdrawal of american troops. 11 people killed and 19