shady deals. u.n. experts say many countries are still trading with north korea violating u.n. resolutions. the united nations security council has taken a closer look at what's crossing north korean borders. it made it uncomfortable for some of the representatives in the room. a new report found many member nations are violating u.n. resolutions and exporting goods to the country. the council met behind closed doors to review the work of panel of experts. they monitored the implementation of u.n. sanctions. sources say their report reveals some countries are exporting materials that could be converted for use in missiles

and some were exporting luxury goods, too. european nations and japan are included in the list of those breaking u.n. sanctions. the report suggests much of the trade is passing through the port of dalian, china. delegates of western nations are asking the u.n. to release the report as soon as possible. they want member countries to strengthen their checks on exports to north korea. japan's ambassador to the u.n. said that all u.n. member states should comply with u.n. resolutions. >> translator: all u.n. members are bound by u.n. resolutions. everyone is obliged to abide by and implement them. >> nishido announced a meeting late this month to help developing nations comply with the north korean trade embargo. u.s. president barack obama is encouraged by the progress of democracy in myanmar. he's rewarded the government there by suspending sanctions.

and he's named the first ambassador to myanmar in 22 years. secretary of state hillary clinton made the announcement after meeting with foreign minister wunna maung lwin. clinton said they've nominated the current special envoy to myanmar derek mitchell. she said the administration will allow u.s. firms to invest in the country, including oil and gas companies, and mining interests and central firms. the u.s. will maintain its arms embargo. >> we will keep our eyes wide open to try to ensure that anyone who abuses human rights or obstructs reforms or engages in corruption do not benefit financially from increased trade and investment with the united states, including companies owned or operated by the military. >> clinton said u.s. officials will continue to urge leaders in myanmar to release more political prisoners and to engage in peace negotiations

with ethnic minorities. u.s. sanctions in iran, meantime, are having their intended effect. japan's largest bank has suspended transactions with the government and central bank. other firms warn their businesses operations might come to a standstill, too. a court in new york ordered the bank earlier this month to freeze up to $2.6 billion held by tehran and disclose the details of those accounts. the bank of tokyo mitsubishi ufj said on thursday that it would freeze all transactions. the order stems from a u.s. court decision that iran must compensate victims of the 1983 bombing of a marine corps barracks in lebanon. the court ruled the iranian government was involved in the attack. the bank's suspension could have serious consequences for japanese firms in iran. japan imports crude oil and exports machinery and steel to the country. annual trade between the two countries is worth $12.5

billion. tokyo mitsubishi handles most of the transactions. >> translator: many japanese firms view it as a very serious problem. we need to resolve this issue quickly. >> many japanese firms have already scaled down their activities or pulled out of the country completely. may the 12th marked the fourth anniversary of a powerful quake that struck sichuan province. more than 80,000 people are dead or missing. the chinese government has spent more than $270 billion on rebuilding the area. but its efforts do little to help grieved families recover from their pain. nhk world's yuko akutani reports. >> reporter: four years after the earthquake, the government sponsored memorial services

across the province. yingxiu is the nearest town the quake's epicenter. the powerful jolt flattened all the houses. 6,000 people died, about half the town's population. i visited a junior high school that used to stand in the town center. the remains of several students are still buried under the wreckage. officials are preserving what is left of the building as a quake memorial. they say with the parents' consent. china's government is quickly restoring the destroyed areas. because the region has become widely known as the one closest to the epicenter, authorities are making it a tourist spot. the government has spent about $270 million on restoration projects such as building apartment blocks, souvenir shops

occupy the first floor. a four-star hotel now stands near the school debris. the government is encouraging local residents to open inns. >> translator: i want to run a high-end hotel. in just four years, yingxiu has undergone 30 years worth of development. >> reporter: now people can reach urban areas on the new expressway. it is said that yearly income of each resident has increased $750. that's up 1.5 times from the level before the earthquake. >> translator: the recovery after the disaster gives us a good opportunity. with further investment and our own human resources, our town has grown.

>> reporter: but not all residents are satisfied with the government's restoration efforts. in a neighboring town, many parents gathered at the cemetery. they prayed for the souls of their children killed when their school building collapsed. the parents clean up the graves and made food offerings. when we tried to interview the parents, security officials tried to stop us. they seized the permit of the driver, checked our camera and ordered us to delete the footage. the earthquake toppled many school buildings in the area. experts say they were poorly built. as for the government's response, few bereaved families are satisfied with it. when parents try to make the issue public, police harass or

detain them. despite this, we manage to interview a parent. she said that when police learn about the interview, they will threaten her. >> translator: i just want officials to explain clearly whether it was shoddy construction or the earthquake itself that caused my child's death. the town is being developed through the sacrifice of our children, but i can never forget my child's death. >> reporter: each time parents ask for the truth about what caused their children to die, the government doesn't give a straight answer. and it cracks down on defiant paren parents. for their own safety, they have no choice but to keep silent. the chinese government allows no one to criticize it to keep society stable. in quake-hit areas, that policy is clear to everyone.

ryutu okutani, nhk world. the leaders of japan's space agency have gone somewhere they've never gone before. they sent up a rocket in their first commercial launch of a foreign satellite. they put a south korean satellite into space. the h2a rocket blasted off around 1:40 a.m. from the tanegashima space center. the multipurpose south korean satellite separated about 15 minutes later 670 kilometers above earth. the rocket then released a japanese observation satellite designed to monitor climate change. jaxa engineers used the same type of rocket last december to put a domestic information gathering satellite into orbit. that operation brought the h2a success rate to 95%, which appeals to clients hoping to launch satellites. the space agency has now launched 15 of them in a row,

without a major problem. this latest launch could help the agency secure commercial orders from other countries. europe and russia currently control 80% of the international market for commercial satellite launches. people who work in japan's space industry have spent years dreaming of the day when they could launch a satellite for another country. but despite this success, they still face challenges. nhk world's daisuke kogure explains. >> reporter: japan's space engineers sent the country's first satellite into space more than 40 years ago. since then, they've had 81 launches. but previous to the h2a rockets in 1998 and 1999 led to a major setback. u.s. companies considered a

contract to launch 20 satellites. space engineers started using the next generation h2a rocket in 2001. since then, 19 of 20 launches have been successful meeting international standards. that helps representatives of jaxa and mitsubishi heavy industries secure a contract with south korea to launch a satellite. >> translator: we'll be developing a new type of rocket to compete in the international market. >> reporter: however, japan's competitors have stronger track records. the united states atlas rockets have both had more than 300 launches. europe's ariane rocket has had more than 200. it is also more expensive right now to launch a satellite in

japan. space engineers are currently working on plans to develop new rockets. in the meantime, they'll keep encouraging countries to launch satellites in japan. it's a business opportunity but also a chance to strengthen the domestic space industry. daisuke kogure, nhk world, at the tanegashima space center, japan. 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." the agency that oversees japan's nuclear industry says it pressured the country's nuclear

watchdog to not tell the truth about aging plants. their revelation comes as japanese officials tried to increase transparency in the industry. >> translator: we apologize. we must remain neutral to ensure the country's nuclear power plants are safe. >> the commission toughened up its earthquake resistance guidelines for nuclear power plants six years ago, but the agency pressured the commission to state that nuclear plants build under old guidelines were safe against earthquakes. the agency was afraid that their decision to keep the older nuclear plant in operation would be criticized and they'd be end in lawsuits and plants would be forced to shut down. u.s. lawmakers are urging government leaders to do something about debrew floating across the pacific from japan. the disaster in march of last

year left tons of wreckage in the ocean. >> the tsunami unleashed debris on an unprecedented scale. some 5 million tons were swept out to sea. while most quickly sank, noaa estimates 1.5 million tons of sna tsunami-generated debris is still afloat and being driven by winds and currents towards a west coast of north america. >> begich said at the hearing that large quantities of plastic netting are washing ashore in alaska and washington. lawmakers voiced frustration at the federal government's failure to lay out plans and retrieve the wreckage. they cited complaints from residents of coastal communities. they demanded the government provide information before debris washes ashore. an association noaa admitted that its attempt to track the debris by satellite is not entirely successful. he said the agency is developing models to better predict the

path. japan's government has raised its overall assessment of the economy for the first time in nine months. it says the economy is on the way to recovery. the government's monthly report released friday says personal consumption is rising at a moderate pace due to robust auto sales helped by subsidies for purchases of fuel efficient vehicles. it also says exports are showing signs of picking up, along with employment. but the government is warning about the impact of the ongoing european crisis and with all japan's nuclear reactors offline it is also weary about the possibility of power shortages this summer. u.s. credit analysts don't like what they see happening in athens. analysts at fitch have downgraded greece's credit one notch. the analyst announced that they

lowered greece's rating ing to . that's the lowest possible grade for a country that has not defaulted on its debt. greek politicians failed to form a coalition after parliamentary elections earlier this month. the analysts say greeks must choose a government that will implement austerity measures. if not, they say it's probable greece will leave the eurozone. the analysts say if that happens, government bonds and loans to the private sector could fall into default. they say they will review sovereign ratings of all eurozone members if greece leaves the common currency. in greece, a caretaker government cabinet was sworn in on thursday. council of state head pikrammenos took his oath as temporary prime minister. the caretaker government cabinet is tasked with holding repeat elections on june the 17th. the country's austerity program is the main focus. the radical left coalition opposes austerity measures and finished second in the last

election. the latest poll in may found the party just a few percentage points behind the conservative new democracy party which supports austerity measures. public approval ratings for the two parties are both over 20%. meanwhile, another major credit rating agency, moody's, downgraded the ratings on 16 spanish commercial banks by at least one notch. the country's biggest bank banko santande was downgraded by three notches. spanish banks have been suffering from an inglees bad loans. these are the results of a collapse in spain's real estate prices. this has been a major market concern together with deteriorating state finances. and a british prime minister david cameron gave a strong warning on the future of the eurozone. >> the eurozone is at a crossroads. it either has to make up or it is looking at a potential breakup. either europe has a committed

stable, successful eurozone with an effective firewall, a system of fiscal burden sharing and support in monetary policy across the eurozone, or we are in uncharted territory. >> cameron went on to say that it is in britain's interest for the eurozone to sort out its problems. he said britain is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the british economy and financial system. britain is not a member of the eurozone. now in a few days, millions of people will pause to stare at the sky. they'll grab a glimpse of a solar eclipse. for the first time ever, the majority of residents in japan will have one of the best views. rina nakana has the story. >> reporter: this isn't your average arts and crafts class. these people are preparing for a special moment in celestial

history. 73-year-old kunio fujimori is taking it pretty seriously. >> translator: i hope sunlight doesn't seep in from the cracks. >> reporter: fujimori and others here at this free class are making pinhole telescopes so they can safely watch this -- an anular solar eclipse. the last time people in japan saw one was in 1987 and then only from okinawa and the surrounding areas. the moon will eclipse most of the sun to create a glowing ring or annulus. people living in these parts of the planet will be able to see it. and for the first time in

history, that includes residents in most of japan. eclipse fever is hard to miss. some jewelers are selling wedding rings to celebrate the event. stores are promoting their stock of protective glasses and books about the solar system. and astronomy buffs are already staking out the best spots. >> translator: in the past i've had to travel around the world to see solar eclipses. but this time i get to watch it from right outside my own house. this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that i cannot miss. >> reporter: people at this arts and crafts class don't want to miss out either. they don't have high quality equipment, just household items. they hope their pinhole telescopes will do the trick.

sunlight passes through a small hole on the top. they'll see a light on the bottom, and then a ring during the eclipse. that way they won't damage their eyes. >> translator: if you look in here, you can see the sun. >> translator: the next time is in hundreds of years, right? i have to watch it. >> reporter: kunio fujimori plans to do the same thing. a five-minute spectacle he'll share with the person he's >> translator: i'm hoping to take turns using this with my wife. >> reporter: this will be the first and last chance fujimori and others in japan will see the moon take a bite out of the sun. experts predict the annular solar eclipse won't be visible in the tokyo area for another 300 years. rina nakano, nhk world, ebina,

japan. >> pinhole and professional telescopes are a couple of ways to see the solar eclipse. here is another. you can stand under a tree and look at the shadows that are created by the leaves and branches. sunlight will seep through the leaves and make shapes. if you're in the right spot at the right time, you will be able to see a crescent turn into a ring. that, of course, all depends on the weather. here's sayaka mori. >> let's start off with the weather in japan. remain i remaining. thunderstorms gusty winds and hail and even tornadoes are possible this afternoon. but western japan should stay dry under the influence of this high pressure system. similarly dry across the korean peninsula as well as northern half of china. down towards the south, a seasonal rain band is still affecting much of southeastern china, as well as taiwan and additional 100 millimeters of

rain is in the forecast in hainan area but unsettled weather should remain for the next few days. down toward southeast asia, scattered thundershowers across much of indochina, particularly wet in northern and central sections of thailand as well as laos today. now moving over to the americas, a low-pressure system is sliding along the u.s./canada border producing scattered showers across parts of western canada, northern plains, as well as the central rockies. rain could become heavy at times on your friday. to the south, very strong, hot and dry winds are blowing -- flowing into this area raising the risk of wildfires in and around the four corners region. out towards the east, you could be seeing some pop-up showers across the southeastern corner of the u.s. during the heat of the day. to the north, clear conditions and less windy conditions. and those conditions are ideal for creating overnight cooling.

actually frost warnings and freeze warnings have been posted across a wide area. temperaturewise, during the daytime hours, it should be reaching 20 in toronto. 23 in new york and 20 in chicago but out towards the west, 16 expected in seattle. now let's go to europe. a high pressure system starting to expand across eastern europe. as it does so, things will get clear across the baltic states, southern finland and northwestern portion of russia. down towards the south, severe weather is continuing across western turkey as well as parts of the balkan peninsula. out towards the west, rain could become heavy across the british aisles, france and spain over the course of friday. as for the highs, 18 degrees in berlin. the same for vienna. out towards the west, 28 degrees in madrid. but temperatures should be cooling down as we head into next week. speaking of next week, the solar eclipse will occur across southern china, japan, as well

as southwestern portion of the u.s. anywhere, anyone in this orange zone could be seeing the annular eclipse if the weather is nice. but unfortunately weather doesn't seem to be cooperating in southern china. rain is in the forecast in hong kong and thick clouds in taipei. as for tokyo, where the eclipse will reach its peak in and around 7:35 a.m. local time, could be seeing some cloud cover. but it's a different story for the southwestern u.s. mainly dry conditions. conditions could be ideal for watching the ring of the sun. here's your extended forecast.

and our top story once again -- members of the u.n. security council say member countries are breaking u.n. rules and exporting goods to north korea. the council met behind closed doors to review the work of a panel of experts. they monitored the implementation of u.n. sanctions. sources say their report reveals that? countries are exporting materials that could be converted for use in missiles. and some are sending in luxury goods, too. european nations and japan are included in the list of those breaking sanctions. and that is all for this edition of "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. thank you very much for watching.