on the edge. greek political leaders abandon their efforts to form a government and send voters back to the polls. greeks share a long history of democracy. but their future seems a bit murky. they are preparing for another round of parliamentary exercises. the vote is expected to compromise greece's finances and its place in the eurozone. party leaders will meet later in the day to choose a caretaker government for the weeks leading up to the elections. greeks voted just ten days ago but party leaders have failed in their efforts to form a coalition. they and voters are divided over

spending cuts and other measures to reduce the national debt. any greek govnment would need to implement the austerity package to receive a bailout from the international monetary fund and the european union. the parties in the former ruling coalition are expected to warn voters that greek leaders must follow through on promises or face an exit from theeurozone. >> translator: if we change the austerity measures, our economy will collapse. staying in the eurozone is our first priority. >> we block the formation of a government that would continue the austerity measures. let's put an end to the policies that shatter people's lives. >> many greeks say they oppose austerity. still opinion polls show more than 70% favor staying in the eurozone. they'll head to the polls in mid-june at the earliest. german chancellor angela merkel and former french

president nicolas sarkozy advocated austerity as a solution to europe's debt problems. sarkozy's successor francois hollande takes a different view. now they are trying to figure out how they'll work together. here's our report from berlin. >> reporter: hollande flew to berlin on tuesday, hours after he was inaugurated as president. during his election campaign, hollande criticized eu responses to the debt crisis by focussing too much on the austerity. merkel has taken the initiative in the matter. differences between the two leaders raised concerns that the two key eu members would not be able to take concerted action. back in the news conference, they stressed that they will continue to cooperate, despite their differences.

>> translator: i am visiting berlin because i want to show our friendship with germany. we will work together to overcome our differences. >> translator: we agreed that we have an obligation to tackle the crisis together. we have different opinions but also something in common. so i'm looking forward to working with the new president. >> reporter: the two leaders indicated that they will discuss economic growth measures. they also expressed hope that greece will keep its agreements with the european union and stay in the eurozone. hollande said he wants to tell greek leaders that the eu will take steps to promote growth.

hollande and merkel wanted to reassure the financial markets that they will continue to work together. joshua otonabe, nhk world, berlin. timny geithner said that europe is making progress in dealing with the debt crisis. >> the greeks have a particularly unique set of challenges. but we should welcome this new debate about growth in europe. i think it's a welcome debate. they have a stronger set of tools to manage the crisis now in place. that allows them to shift the focus where they should. how they create the conditions for more growth. >> geithner said in a speech in washington on tuesday that europe is taking measures to restore fiscal sustainability at a steady pace. he also mentioned the discussions have begun to promote spending on infrastructure in debt-ridden nations to support their economies. geithner added that europe has become aware of the need to boost the global standing of those countries with excessive

debts. but he warned against slowing down efforts to overcome the crisis. japanese companies seem to be reluctant to spend. machinery orders fell in march for the first time in three months. the cabinet office says domestic firms placed orders worth $9.3 billion with major machinerymakers. that's down 2.8% in yen terms from february. the figure eludes orders for ships and power plants. chemical firms and other manucturers placed fewer orders in march. other manufacturers such as telecom firms held back on spending, too. still the cabinet office projected more robust spending in the months ahead. government analysts expect orders to rise in the next quarter. executives at japan's three major financial groups like what they see on their books. the books posted higher net profits over the past year. the increase is largely contributed to gains from selling japanese government

bonds. mitsubishi ufj reported a 68% increase in net profit from a year ago to about $12 billion. sumitomo mittsu i rose 9% and mizuho's increased 17% to about $6 billion. outstanding government bonds held by the banks added up to a record more than $1.3 trillion. analysts suggest a decrease in the price of japanese government bonds would weaken the bank's bottom line. agents with the federal bureau of investigation have launched an inquiry at jpmorgan chase. traders at the bank made errors that led to losses of more than $2 billion. fbi spokespersons told nhk they see the trades as a problem and are looking into possible fraud. executives at jpmorgan chase have denied illegal conduct, but they have not disclosed details about the transactions. the head of the bank's investment strategy division resigned on monday. ina drew oversaw the traders who

were responsible for the losses. jpmorgan chase's top executive jamie dimon has apologized for the losses. he attended a stockholders meeting in tampa, florida. he told them the bank would take necessary measures to improve risk management. dimon opposed president barack obama's attempt to tighten regulation on financial institutions. he changed his stance at the meeting and expressed support for the plan. some shareholders raised an issue with dimon serving as both chief executive and chairman, but they rejected a proposal for two different people in the post when it came to a vote. now indonesia is facing a serious energy shortfall. there's simply not enough supply to meet the needs of its expanding economy. as a solution, the government is hiring to tap into an abundant research underground.

>> reporter: this steam is like the breath of the planet. produced by magma about two kilometers below the surface. ulubelu power plant is the newest and one of the largest geothermal power stations in indonesia. it will soon start operating. a symbol of the liberation taking place in indonesia. >> we have almost 40% of source in the world. we still have a -- potential. >> reporter: the island of indonesia erupted with volcanoes. the country boasts some of the largest geothermal resources in the world. unlike wind or solar, geothermal can run 24 hours a day.

it produces almost no carbon dioxide and for indonesia, it's also a potential solution to the country's dependence on imports of foreign oil. >> we have problem with the production of oil, and the oil production decreasing about 9% a year. we know that this is the place where geothermal resources so enormous and need to be developed for electricity. >> reporter: indonesia has an ambitious plan to increase current geothermal output eightfold by 2025 to 9500 megawatts. that's the equivalent of nine or ten nuclear power plants. to achieve that goal, indonesia is working together with japan.

in 2007, japanese geothermal experts conducted surveys across the archipelago to draw up a master plan. geothermal expert was a lead writer of the plan. >> translator: we work abroad to look for geothermal projects which can contribute to power generation for the country and its people. i'm happy to see definitive progress in indonesia being made by government agencies. >> reporter: the front line of geothermal power development is the island of sumatra. sumatra has massive untapped resources. about 60% of planned geothermal

developments are located on the island. here in the jungle in sumatra island, japanese experts is prospects with special equipment. locating underground hydrothermal reservoirs is a critical part of finding locations for geothermal development. >> translator: we have a sense of pride because we can increase the probability of tapping into the hot steam reservoirs. >> reporter: in another province in south sumatra, construction of the newest geothermal power station is nearing completion. the plant uses japanese-madeatujapanese-mad japanese-made turbines and generators. >> translator: in the near future, developments in sumatra

will decide the fate of geothermal development in indonesia. we are happy to provide electricity for indonesian people. >> reporter: efforts are progressing to turn indonesia into a geothermal giant. as the world rushes to find alternative sources of energy, power generated by the planet itself could be a solution. soichiro tanazawa, nhk world. people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of the 2011 disaster. but it won't be easy. they have to rebuild homes, businesses, entire communities. we'll show you their struggles and their successes on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." nato leaders are moving to repair strained relations with pakistan. they've invited the country's president to their summit on

afghanistan. nato is trying to organize an orderly withdrawal of troops and pakistan's cooperaon is seen as critical. president asif ali zadari is expected to accept the invitation. pakistan is blocking supply routes for u.s. forces in afghanistan. the blockade started in november. it was imposed after an accident u.s. strike on pakistani posts on the afghan border. >> as a neighbor of afghanistan, pakistan does have an important role to play in supporting afghan security. we do want to see these land routes opened. we are continuing to work on it, but we thought it was important to have them at the summit in this partnership role. >> nuland hoped an agreement would be reached on reopening the border before the summit opens. delegates from the international atomic energy agency and iran say they had

positive talks on the country's nuclear program. but they did not announce any agreement. the two sides will meet again next week. iaea deputy director general herman nakurz and the chief nuclear envoy attended a second day of talks on tuesday. their focus was on whether iran will allow international inspectors to visit the military site. experts believe iran is developing nuclear weapons there. >> we have had progress on these issue regarding the preparing, negotiating, modality and framework. >> we had a good exchange of views, and we will meet again on monday. >> however, neither side elaborated. diplomatic sources say iran may seek a compromise with the iaea in the next meeting. the talks will resume two days before iran meets with the

united states and five other nations to discuss its nuclear program. the sources say iranian leaders believe that a deal with the iaea would give them an upper hand in negotiations to ease economic sanctions. china's navy is extending its reach in the pacific ocean. japanese officials say chinese boats have just returned from a deep water exercise. they say the drills are aimed at improving china's capability for long-term operations. defense ministry officials say crews on patrol aircraft spotted two friggets and one intelligence gathering ship. the flotilla passed through international waters and two islands in okinawa prefecture. they then headed to the east china sea. the drill took place 700 kilometers east of japan. the area is closed to the u.s. territory of the northern mariana islands. the chinese navy has been conducting exercises in the pacific for several years but ministry officials say the

vessels have never gone this far before. south korean officials say their country's gps is functioning normally again. they blame north korea for 16 days of disruptions to their satellite-based navigation system. crews on aircraft to and from south korean airports had been reporting problems with the gps since late last month. but officials at the ministry of maritime affairs say the system has been running smoothly since monday. south korean president lee myung-bak raised the issue on monday with chinese president hu jintao. the leaders agreed their countries will cooperate on the matter. the governments of myanmar and north korea have a long history of keeping secrets. myanmar's president thein sein admitted officials there traded arms with the koreans over the past 20 years. now he says they'll abide by u.n. security council raze losings banning all arms trade

with pyongyang. a south korean government official says thein sein disclosed the deal with south korean president lee myung-bak. president lee became the first south korean leader to visit myanmar in almost three decades. thein se in told him officials in myanmar have no plans to develop nuclear arms. he denied suggestions they are cooperate with counterparts in north korea on such a project. the president acknowledged officials in myanmar, bought conventional weapons from north korea before the two countries restored diplomatic ties five years ago. she works in paint. the brighter, the better. has a passion for flowers and fruit and brings freight containers to life. those are the broad strokes of this week's "road ahead." the story of a shop designer who is adding a splash of color to a

troubled town. >> reporter: dazzling oranges. luscious apples. this cheerful cafe is an oasis of color. in a town turned gray, this is a temporary shopping mall in rikuzentanaka. a shop designer has come to town. naoko is from iwate prefecture. she oversaw the cafe renovation. her mission is to brighten up the disaster area, one shop at a time. >> translator: i want customers to feel excited as they approach the shops and see all the bright colors. i want staff and customers to feel good when they see them. >> reporter: other shop owners are interested in using her talents. they gather at the cafe. the city used to have five

shopping centers. the tsunami wiped out all of them. the store owner set up their new site in the autumn using freight containers. they called it the mall of the future, a declaration of their positive spirit. that spirit caught the attention of tanazaka. she relocated to the area and offered her services. she says it's not just customer satisfaction she is after. it's customer inspiration. >> translator: there are still many people feeling deeply sad. i hope they will be able to forget their troubles at the shopping center for just a moment. i want them to feel joy here. >> reporter: this is her next project. it's a clothing store. in business for more than 50 years, it's badly in need of a

post-tsunami face-lift. the team gets to work. tanazaka directs a group of eight volunteers. the paint and other materials were provided free of charge. mostly through internet donations. first, the base coat goes on. with the canvas in place, the artistry begins. snaking lines and splashes of color. two weeks later, the job is almost done. the final brush strokes. this metal box has come to life. the motif for this design is a tree reaching up to the sky festooned with colorful flowers. >> translator: it's very pretty.

>> translator: it cheers me up. >> reporter: the shop owner is delighted. >> translator: i had no idea that it could turn out this well. it isn't just an ordinary picture. to me, it says stay strong or smile. i think it conveys a lot of messages. >> translator: it may seem like a small thing, but i think it's important to inject some color into this gray region. we want this to be a place where people can take a break from it all. >> tanazaka's team has already completed renovations of a third shop. they plan to work their magic on eight more by the autumn. and sunshine is back in tokyo on wednesday afternoon. here now is rachel ferguson with the world weather forecast. >> sunshine indeed. and about 28 degrees. very hot day here in the capital. as we head on into thursday,

there is going to be a change in the afternoon. and it's because of the heat meeting some colder air aloft. like three see some nasty thunderstorms during the heat of the day. pop-up storms including hail, gusty winds and heavy rain as well. for the time being, hokkaido still being impacted by the low that's just moving across at the moment. and then this long front line still targeting also the southern japanese islands, as well as taiwan. taiwan has been get somethiting very severely heavy rain. and southern parts of coastal china, too, expecting to see more downpours as we head on into thursday. now parts of indochina have been experiencing some heavy rain. started off in the eastern half of the beginning of the week. now we're getting the southwest monsoon. we're seeing it invigorate and starting to really bring those downpours across parts of thailand. let's head now into north america. severe storms for you in texas,

down into mexico and the other side of the gulf, in fact, more heavy rain moving all the way up in towards the northeast. now it will start to ease off for you on wednesday. still staying very unsettled. we also have a tropical storm. aletta. this is the first named storm of the season in the east pacific. it started to curve around to the northwest, but it is still going to be running out of steam, becoming a remnant low by thursday or friday. we're not expecti to see any problems with this one. all right. pop-up thunderstorms moving through the rockies, as some of these are going to be a bit intense as well. it's because it's so hot at the moment. the desert southwest seeing temperatures up to about 40 degrees. phoenix there at 39. now the heat is going to be moving up towards central canada and the northern plains. i want to show you what some of these cities that usually see temperatures around 20 degrees for their average this time of year are going to be looking at. regina, 29 degrees on thursday. the heat is going to shift further towards the east. winnipeg, 32 on friday.

bismarck, north dakota, also getting up to 30. so seeing some really intense heat as we head in toward the end of the week. all right. here we are in europe. a bit of a break for the british isles today but it isn't going to last too long. a heavy round of rain coming in across northern ireland and scotland, particularly. chilly showers targeting sternaway, edinboro, belfast. also a low over the adriatic. this one developing. it is going to be bringing thunderstorms and shorttime heavy rain. gusts as well could reach up to about 90 kilometers an hour in southern germany, austria, croatia. also gusty winds. western hungary will be getting some of that action as well. out towards the east a long rain band and then a high pressure system is just stopping that rain from moving very far east. it's also helping to whip up some really warm air around the edge of the high pressure which is bringing the temperature up for you in moscow. 27 degrees. absolutely scorching for this time of year. kiev 24 and thunderstorms for

you as well. now central and northern locations are looking decidedly cooler. ten in stockholm, 14 in berlin and just 15 in paris. but you are keeping it very hot in the iberian peninsula. 28 in madrid and 34 today in lisbon. here's your extended forecast.

and the top story once again -- greeks are stoat

participate in another parliamentary election. talks to form a coalition government broke down once again. the new vote is expected to further threaten greece's finances and its place in the eurozone. party leaders will meet later in the day to choose a caretaker government for the weeks leading up to the elections. greeks voted just ten days ago but party leaders failed in their efforts to form a coalilation. voters are divided over spending caughts and other measures to reduce the national debt. any greek government would need to implement the austerity package to receive a bailout from the international monetary fund and the european union. the parties in the former ruling coalition are expected to warn voters that greek leaders must follow through on promises or face an exit from the eurozone. and that's all for now on this edition of "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. thanks very much for watching.