deepening chaos. leaders in greece come under more pressure to forge a coalition as the european union hardens its stance. it's been said that all governments are funded -- founded on compromise. that may explain why greek political parties are having trouble forming one. they can't agree on austerity measures and those are necessary to receive an international bailout. so a left wing party will make a last-ditch attempt to establish a government and avoid a new elexs. the two parties in the forming ruling coalition lost their parliamentary majority in an election on sunday. the radical left coalition won

the second largest number of seats but leader alexi tsipras has failed to find government partners. his talks with the two former ruling parties collapses. they couldn't reconcile their views on austerity. the new democracy party finished first in the election but it, too, failed to form a government. pasok came third, the leader of e socialist party venizelos is expected to begin coalition talks but few expect him to succeed either. all the main parties are lobbying groups that failed to win parliamentary seats. they want to shore up support in the event of another national election next month. eurozone leaders have decided to hold back part of a scheduled bailout to greece. they are concerned about the turmoil. the bailout fund is known as the european financial stability facility. leaders said in a statement that they are releasing more than $5 billion to greece. they agreed to pay out almost $7 billion this month.

but they have decided to withhold more than a billion dollars until june. they say the current payment is enough to tide the country over for the time being. they say the disagreements over forming a government are jeopardizing the austerity measures that are preconditions for the bailout. the withholding of the funds is seen as a message from the eu that greek politicians must follow through on their promises. eurozone finance ministers are expected to meet next week to discuss the situation. barack obama has declared his support for same-sex marriage. he's the first sitting u.s. president to take the stand. the issue has divided americans for years. obama made the declaration in an interview with abc news. >> i've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> mitt romney immediately

criticized obama. the presumptive republican challenger in the presidential race said marriage should be between a man and a woman. same-sex marriage is legal in new york, six other states and the district of columbia but many conservative christians are opposed. recent opinion polls suggest those who favor same-sex marriage slightly outnumber those who don't. many obama supporters are among those in favor. kim jong-un has gone somewhere and done something rare for a north korean leader. he visited an amusement park and he scolded staff for neglecting their duties. korean central television and other media say kim made the remarks when he toured the fun fair in pyongyang. they say he grew exasperated over the park's appearance. grass grew from cracks in the pavement, paint peeled off buildings and other signs of neglect. he said such conditions were insulting to the people. he then ordered soldiers to be

mobilized to clean up the facility. north korean media often cover official tours of military units, factories and industrial sites, but it's rare for them to report on the leader's anger or his scolding of officials. political analysts say the news is part of a strategy to project kim as a benevolent ruler who cares for the people. united nations observers in syria have seen the perils of life there firsthand. a bomb exploded near their convoy. they escaped without injury. but the explosion wounded the six government soldiers who were guarding them. the observers were traveling through the southern province of daraa. a roadside bomb hit the military truck carrying the guards just after they passed by. norwegian major general robert mood is leading the u.n. mission. he said syrians live with such things every day. the observers remained focused on their work. it's not clear whether the bomb targeted the observers or the

military. still, it raised doubts about the monitors' ability to work effectively. government and opposition forces are still fighting despite an agreement to cease-fire. and u.n. general secretary ban ki-moon condemned the attack. >> this attack is unacceptable. i know the world joins me in condemning it without reservation. >> ban said the bombing underscored the difficulty and risks for u.n. observers. but he said the mission is the only way to achieve peace in syria. u.n. leaders are sending more observers there. they hope to have 300 on the ground by the end of the month. u.s. state department spokesperson victoria nuland said the assad administration is not following through on its promises. >> it is further evidence that the cease-fire is not holding, and we really have to continue to pressure the assad regime and all actors. >> nuland said there should be more monitors in syria so the

international community will have the opportunity to protect the syrian people. officials in austria have marked a dark time in their past. they held a memorial ceremony for victims of nazi medical experiments. the nazis killed thousands of people they regarded as inferior, including those with disabilities. president hines fisher led the ceremony in vienna. it was the first memorial in ten years for those who suffered. officials named more than 60 newly identified victims. the nazis consigned about 70,000 people deemed unworthy to execution or for use in medical experiments during world war ii. more than 18,000 of the victims were from austria. about 170 participants in the ceremony heard accounts of how people were sent away and killed. participants placed an urn containing the ashes of the newly identified victims in a monument engraved with their names.

the victims were identified over the past decade at hospitals around the country. an 83-year-old survivor said he still is haunted by the image of children's bodies being carried away. austrians are still coming to terms with what took place. high school students now study the atrocities committed during nazi rule. south korean exporters like samsung and lg are famous around the world. but south korea is also making a name for itself as an importer of students. an increasing number of young people from asia's emerging countries are traveling there to study. south korea's government and business communities are trying to make the most of their talents. nhk world's anna jung has the story. >> reporter: and now in a university classroom about an hour away from seoul. almostalf of the students here have come from overseas to study in south korea.

the department of energy, science at the university graduate school is considered one of the best in the country. researchers here work to develop new energy sources like solar power and nanotechnology. about half of the 35 students in the program are foreigners. they come from india, vietnam and china. all classes are held in english. he came from india to study here in 2007. he was attracted by south korea's reputation for cutting edge technology. >> we must give high stress on the improvement or technology, new technology and new research interview. that is the main strong point and which is totally different

than other growing countries. >> reporter: the population of foreign students in south korea is growing dramatically. in the past eight years, the number has increased sevenfold. last year, there were about 90,000 foreigners studying in the country. >> in the past, foreign students tend to choose the u.s. or the uk to study abroad. however, these days it's korean peninsula getting more attention and they are rising on the world stage. they started to select korean universities to run the new technology in korea. >> reporter: the government is encouraging more foreign students to join domestic companies after graduating. it started a program to let students extend their visas and also expanded categories of jobs that can apply for. the cj group is one of south

korea's leading international companies with offices in 18 countries. it's involved in businesses ranging from food service to pharmaceuticals and it's looking to expand. the company has been holding information sessions for international job seekers since 2008. the meetings are specifically for foreign students in south korea. last year, more than 550 students from 24 countries applied. about 20 were hired. >> translator: we will actively seek to find foreign talent. we'll also hire workers overseas. >> reporter: and this woman is from indonesia. she's one of the students who was hired after attending an information session with the cj

group. she attended a south korean university in 2009 majoring in international trade. she now analyzes import/export data. >> i work with korean company, maybe somehow i can help this company to become like bigger and globalize and establish one company in my country. >> reporter: as more companies cultivate talent from overseas, foreign students may soon have a greater presence in south korea's economy and corporate life. anna jung, nhk world, seoul. japan's current account surplus for the fiscal year through march showed a record percentage drop. the surplus is down to half of what it was the year before.

the finance ministry said the current account surplus was down 52.6% from fiscal 2010. this is the first drop in three years and the biggest since 1985 when comparable data became available. the drop in surplus was led by a weak trade balance. exports fell 2.8% amid a global economic slowdown while imports increased 14% due to higher imports of fuel. that's because of the shutdown of nuclear reactors following the accident at fukushima. the current account balance is a broad measure of a country's foreign trade. it includes income from foreign investments and dividends in addition to exports and imports. another country struggling in the face of the european debt crisis is hungary. in its search for new sources of revenue to reduce public debt, they have decided to levy a telephone tax. a phone call or mobile text message will cost an additional two forent per minute. that's about 1 u.s. cent. the government is expecting

additional revenue benefit $135 million if the tax bill passes. last year, hungary introduced a tax on food with high sugar or salt content such as potato chips and cakes. the japanese government approved a prere structuring plan for the japanese power company. but many struggles remain for the japanese power plant. under the plan, tepco will receive about $12.5 billion in public funds. the proposal aims to turn around their loss-making operations and show a black in 2014. it will decommission the fukushima plant while continuing a stable supply of power. it also includes early repayment of the public money. tepco's restructuring will be led by the government. restarting a nuclear power plant in niigata prefect surincluded in the plan but the governor of the prefecture has already said he opposes restarting the reactor.

>> translator: tepco needs to understand that they caused the fukushima accident. i want the utility to reconsider whether they are really qualified to operate nuclear power plants. >> industry minister yukio edano also acknowledged that the government at this point has not given the go-ahead to restart the nuclear power plant. the plan may lead to an increase in electricity charges for households. users are expected to voice their opposition. a government backed fund and an internet service provider will jointly set up a firm to help japanese digital content operate in emerging asian economies. the region is considered to become a market with high growth potential. the innovation network corporation and major internet service provider nifty will launch their new company in autumn this year. most content developers are small enterprises and find it

difficult to expand operationses overseas on their own. the new firm will discover smartphone apps, games and other software and adapt them to meet local needs, for example by changing languages. now there may be hope for sufferers of als or lou gehrig's disease after japanese researchers took the first steps in unraveling the mechanism of the illness. this could lead to an eventual cure for the muscle-wasting disease. als destroys a motor neurocells eventually taking away the ability to breathe and leading to death. the exact cause of the disease is not clear but it is thought to be genetic. kyoto university researchers re-created the process of cell death brought by the disease.

they created moto neuron cells from human embryonic stem cells. the neuron cells contained a gene responsible for 2% of als cases. they found that the cells used in the experiment died in the same way as the cells affected by the disease. and the team re-created cell death by introducing culture taken from a type of cell blamed for the worsening of the condition. the culture killed motor neuron cells just as in cases of als. the experts hope their results will show how neuron cells are killed by the disease and lead to a breakthrough. astronomiers have discovered some asteroids between march and jupiter and named them afterareas devastated by the march 11th disaster. the international astronomical union approved the namings. members of the organization agreed that the move might give a boost to rebuilding efforts. the 12 new names include the prefectures of miyagi and iwate

as well as rikuzentakata. members also chose the village of sakaemura and tsunamachi. an earthquake struck both areas a day after the march 11th disaster. the deputy head of japan's national astronomical observatory proposed the names after consulting colleagues in the u.s. >> translator: even though the asteroids cannot be seen, i'd like the survivors to be able to look up at the sky and imagine them there. maybe it will ease their pain and give them hope. >> he's a native of fukushima prefecture. japanese bartending has never been bigger. the country has two reigning world champions. and overseas bartenders now come to tokyo specifically to hone their skills. nhk world's yoko tanaka visited the latest show to see the best of the best in action. >> reporter: with 8,000 people attending and 50-plus

exhibitors, the first tokyo international bar show is one of the biggest events of its kind ever held in asia. the leading names in japanese bartending are behind this celebration of the cocktail craft. distillers and brewers passed out samples of hundreds of drinks. top bartenders from europe and asia came to talk about bartending and serve their signature cocktails. >> translator: they are so cool. it's fascinating to watch them shake the cocktail. >> pretty interested in japanese bartending because we all, as bartenders in our country also. so we take the opportunity to come and learn something and see how they work. >> reporter: japanese bartenders are hot in the cocktail world. manabu otaki beat more than 10,000 competitors from 34 countries to win the latest

world class, one of the biggest bartending contests around. >> reporter: otaka impressed the judges with his creativity and customer rapport. >> translator: i don't make a drink to satisfy myself. i always talk with my customers and try to serve them a one and only drink. >> reporter: takahume yamada is japan's other reigning world champion. he took the international bartenders association title last november. yamada's signature great sunrise cocktail was inspired by japan's recovery from last year's disasters. the orange peel and cherry garnish represent the rising sun. it also features an apple cut into the shape of a cherry

blossom, symbolic of rebirth and renewal. the spotlight on japanese cocktails has never been brighter. and some of the world's top bartenders are paying attention. >> this sort of detail is important for bartenders in other countries to observe and to -- for each of us to learn our own lessons from it. >> translator: we are definitely winning lots of praise, but it's not that japanese bartenders have changed. it's more that the world has begun to understand our work. >> reporter: former world champion isahi kishi helped organize the show. >> translator: over many generations, japanese bartenders have established a broad consensus about style. we spend 10 or 20 years trying to master it. this has raised the technical level in japan and that's what's

eye catching to the world. >> reporter: kishi says japanese-style bartending reflects the beauty of form. just like the tea ceremony and martial arts. and the world is beginning to take japan's cocktail culture just as seriously. chikako tanaka, nhk world, tokyo. japanese scientists have succeeded in capture something rare footage of a type of sea slug called clione feeding on its prey. clione thrive in cold water and can be seen when ice floes from the sea of okhotsk reach the northern side of hokkaido. clione feed on tiny shellfish. when it is fed a shellfish, it extends six tentacles called buccal cones. it grabs its prey and sucks the body out of its shell. for an animal sometimes called

the sea angel, its behavior is far from angelic. >> a researcher says they will analyze the footage to gain a better understanding of the clione's eating habits and life cycle. time now to check the world weather forecast with sayak sayaka mori. >> things are getting wet across central japan. thunderstorms and gusty winds have already been reported. the unstable weather should be expanding into the rest of the country this afternoon. thunderstorms, gusty winds and even tornadoes are possible today. rain should dissipate by tonight. however, unsettled weather should return tomorrow afternoon. northern japan is also looking at rain this afternoon. meanwhile, the southern half of japan and much of the korean peninsula are staying dry and settled, but behind it, dry across northern china but heavy rain should be moving in to the beijing area tomorrow.

down towards the south, seasonal rain is affecting much of southern china. central china is experiencing a respite from the rain at this moment, but rain will develop from friday and that will continue into sunday here. taiwan will also see wet conditions for the next 72 hours. down towards the southeast asia, scattered thundershowers are developing across much of the philippines, as well as much of the indochina peninsula. now moving over to the americas, things are getting very settled across much of the east coast of the u.s. however, southern quebec and much of the canadian maritimes will continue to see unstable weather into thursday. someone else has been dealing with wet conditions is the u.s./mexico border. it's been raining over the past couple of days. however, more than 80 millimeters of rain are expected over the next 48 hours. actually, some locations could be picking up as much as 150. the reason why we are seeing a

huge amount of rain is that very humid and warm air are coming from the gulf of mexico. it's colliding with cooler air aloft. in fact, the heat is extending all the way up to central canada pushing up temperatures 29 degrees in winnipeg. 30 degrees in bismarck, which is about ten degrees higher than average. actually some areas in europe is -- are also experiencing warmer than average temperatures thanks to these high pressure systems. we'll show you the figures in just a moment. meanwhile, staying dry across much of continental europe. but things are different across the west. a well-developed low pressure system which already producing heavy rain in the southern uk and northern france and the low countries starting to move into the scandinavian region as well as northern germany. down towards the south, daytime heating is creating thundershowers across much of the balkan peninsula as well as

turkey. as i mentioned, it's very warm for this time of year across many locations getting up to 25 degrees in warsaw, 26 in berlin and 27 in vienna, and it could be reaching the 30-degree mark on your friday here. the hottest spot is going to be the iberian peninsula getting up to 30 degrees in madrid and 31 degrees in lisbon. so feeling more like midsummer here. that's it for me now. and here's your extended forecast.

and the main story once again -- eurozone leaders have

decided to hold back part of a scheduled bailout to greece. they are concerned about the turmoil. the bailout fund is known as the european financial stability facility. leaders said in a statement that they are releasing more than $5 billion to greece. they had agreed to pay out almost $7 billion this month. but they have decided to withhold more than a billion dollars until june. they say the current payment is enough to tide the country over for the time being. they say the disagreements over forming a government are jeopardizing the austerity measures that are preconditions for the bailout. the withholding of the funds is seen as a message from the eu that greek politicians must follow through on their promises. eurozone finance ministers expected to meet next week to discuss the situation. and that's all for now on this edition of "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. thank you very much for watching.