"newsline." inspectors with japan's nuclear regulation authority are preparing to check if another power plant in this earthquake-prone country is sitting on unstable ground. they'll be examining the shug rah facility in fukui prefecture to determine if active faults run underneath it. this is the second plant of six undergoing inspections. he'll visit with four other experts. inspectors carried out a separate survey in april. they found an extra fish sure underneath the compound. they believe another one below reactor two could be an active fault. following that, japan atomic power company started investigating six fish sures. it was supposed to finalize the results of the survey this month. spokespersons say the process will be delayed.

government regulations state if inspectors determine a fissure beneath a key nuclear facility is an active fault, the plant could be shut down for good. international energy agency leaders have lowered their growth forecast for nuclear power generation. some governments are starting to reduce their reliance on the energy source. last year's iea report stated nuclear power generation could grow by 70% from 2010 levels, but this year the organization expects 58% growth by 2035. agency officials say last year's accident at japan's fukushima daiichi power plant is a factor for germany and switzerland's reducing independence on atomic energy. they also expect power generation from renewable sources like wind and solar to increase to about one-third of the world's total out put by 2035. countries that catch blue fin tuna are trying to determine

how much is too much. they're meeting in morocco to set quotas for this endangered fish. japanese consume 80% of the global catch. they eve watched stocks bounce back. they're wondering if it's time to cast their nets wider again. nhk world's virginie pinon reports. >> reporter: this is the main fishing port in the country where tuna is exported to japan. it's here that the future of the tuna stock will be decided. >> the road to start recovery is a long and art ous one. if we keep on the right track, we can meet our goals. >> reporter: the big question for the international commission for the conservation of atlantic tuna or iccat is whether blue fin fishing quotas should be expanded. there are fears that stocks of the fish have been shrinking.

some experts say atlantic blue fin may be on the brink of extinction due to over-fishing and poaching. the quotas have been cut by more than half from the level five years ago. major tuna consumers and fishing nations like japan have worked at restoring fish populations. for example, they introduced a system to strictly monitor where tuna is caught. the new report by iccat scientists say there are clear signs of a fast blue fin recovery in the mediterranean and the atlantic ocean. in london last month, an exhibition featuring photos of celebrities posing with fish raised awareness of the issue. one of the show's organizers is nicholas rowe, he runs a uk sush shy restaurant. he's philosophy to serve only fish properly managed.

he also holds workshops for children. the classes are one way of teefing respect for marine resources. >> okay. if everybody always eades cod, the numbers of cod in the sea are going to go down and down and down. >> and they're going to go extinct. >> that's right. well done. >> reporter: he is concerned that tuna may suffer from overfishing again if the meeting in morocco approves the decree. >> i think the fishing stocks of blue fin should be given time to rehabilitated. >> reporter: some members countries at the conference are, in fact, pushing for increased limits despite concern from the public. >> the quota amounts have been decreased. it's almost shrinked to a very small amount and fishermen are struggling with it and suffering because of it. >> if it is true what they say in madrid, then i think there's

a way to go back. >> reporter: japanese officials have been criticized for their lax attitude toward the tuna trade. delegates are cautiously making the case to increase quotas. >> translator: the participants may not easily agree to increased fishing quotas for next years. we want good discussions on how to confirm the recovery of tuna stocks and how to increase the quotas for next year and beyond. >> reporter: observers say the debate is likely to continue through the meeting until november 19th. virginie pinon, more radko. the most powerful people in china are in the final days of a meeting that will determine the country's future. members of the communist par stay started their national congress last thursday in

beijing. they're talking about the issues faced in different provinces and cities across their country. but they're having most intense discussions about who will be among china's next generation of leaders. party spokespersons confirmed the new leadership lineup will be unveiled thursday. nhk world's james tengan is in beijing covering the congress. james. >> reporter: the discussions and deal-making are coming the a climax. roughly 2300 delegates of the congress will pick about 200 members for the communist party central committee. then wednesday, the congress will close. the next day around 20 individuals from the central committee will be chosen to sit on the party's political bureau. after that officials further whittle down the list to see who will be on the plight bureau's standing committee, china's top decision making body. analysts say xi jinping will

replay hu jintao in the job of general secretary. they also say the number of politburo standing committee members will be reduce prd the current nine to seven to speed up the decision-making process. if that forecast is correct, seven people will essentially run a nation of 1.3 billion. it's how china's one-party system has functioned for years. but democracy activists consider that system dysfunctional, and they say the communist party under hu jintao has continued to stomp ons. chen gaung chong would agree with that assessment. he became the face of activists in china. he is a lawyer who campaigned against forced abortions but endured abuse by local security officials. he escaped house arrest and took refuge in the u.s. embassy. after tense diplomatic negotiations officials permitted him to travel to new york with

his family on a student visa. chen is just one of many activists who put it all on the line to go toe to toe with the chinese government. we met another human rights campaigner who says the only way for china to move forward is to move toward democracy. nhk world's makoto oda has his story. >> reporter: 39-year-old fujia is one of the democracy activists who are being watched closely by the chinese government. he's been involved with environmental issues and also campaigned for the rights of hiv patients. in 2007 he was arrested after he criticized the government on the internet. he was charged with plotting subversion against the government. and in 2008 he was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. he finally returned to his home

in beijing in june last year. >> translator: the communist party doesn't care about people's suffering, only protect v texting its one party dictatorship. we must transform this country into a democracy. this would lead to benefits for every chinese citizen. >> reporter: hu has not stopped campaigning. he was involved in helping the activist leave for the united states in may. hu uses the internet mostly for his activism. >> translator: the communist party is the biggest violater of the rights of the chinese people. >> reporter: however, his

activities are monitored closely and he continues to be harassed. one time he was attacked without warning by police agents as he left his house. another time he found the tires of his car had been flattened. his wife is also an activist. in this video she is being obstructed as she leaves the house. the harassment has extended to the whole family. the situation got so bad that his wife left for hong kong in september together with their daughter who was 4 at the time. they were worried that they were no longer safe in beijing. >> translator: i'm happy that my

wife and daughter will be somewhere that's safe and free, but i'm really going to miss them. >> reporter: 11 days after they left, on september 18th, hu was placed under house arrest. a week later on october 25th, a head of the communist party congress who was moved to anhui province, 1200 kilometers south of beijing. the authorities are still watching him. speaking by telephone, hu had this to say. >> reporter: ahead of the party congress, many human rights lawyers and campaigners like hu

were forced to leave beijing or placed under strict surveillance. in the world's second biggest economy, china's international influence is continuing to grow, but there has been no change in the way it treats citizens who speak out. >> reporter: nhk world's beijing correspondent makota owed da is here with me now. when president hu jintao took power in 2002, chinese democracy activists hoped a major change would happen in politics and society in general. how would they evaluate the past decade? >> i think it's safe to say they feel frustration that their hopes of democracy in china. some of them believe the human rights situation is the worst since 1989 tiananmen square

incident. chinese authorities haven't stopped their dissent. last thursday nhk aired a report on activists. the government has also increased its effort to crack down on free speech. this has resorted to violence on several occasions, loud calls for democracy. the crackdown has forced an increasing number of writers and actives to free china. premier hugh engine bow has asked to create a system that would allow people to monitor those in power. but no progress has been made. >> how is xi jinping, the communist party's presumed next leader address calls for

democracy? >> they believe it will crack down on abbivists -- a grow number of citizens believe china will fail without moving toward democracy. however, this is not the mainstream view within the communist party. activism in china isn't going away though, and it's being filled by the internet. public governance of human rights is growing. wh more people are voicing opinions that contradict the government stance. he hopes this will turn into a driving force to recognize a civil democratic society. >> thank you very much, makota, our beijing correspondent. we'll continue to guide you through issues related to the communist party's congress and chinese transition of power. party representatives and

officials will close the meeting wednesday after they approve new policies. then we'll find out who will be among the country's next generation of leaders. we'll have all the details and analysis. so stay with us. i'm james tengan in beijing. cradle of culture. economic power house. many enjoy the fruits of prosperity along the path to a new china. but millions are missing out. at a time of growing public discontent, members of the communist party are choosing their new leaders. "newsline" correspondents are reporting from the party's national congress. don't miss our special coverage. "china: the next generation," 8:00 p.m. japan time, here on "newsline." the north korean envoy for upcoming talks with japan has declined to say whether their abduction of japanese nationals will be on the table.

he was talking to reporters in beijing on the way to the meeting in mongolia. >> translator: we are going to have bilateral talks with japan in mongolia on thursday. there is no knowing what will be discussed until we start it. >> the representatives of the two countries are to hold bureau chief level discussions in the capital ulan ba tore. lower levels officials met for the first time in four years. north korean officials allowed japanese families to visit the graves of relatives who died there around the end of world war ii. they preetdly said the abductions issue is resolved. north korea state-run media has reported the two countries are to discuss how to improve ties. microsoft has been trying to play catch-up to apple's world of back-to-back hits like the ipads. some are calling it quits and

moving on. yonggi canning has the latest. >> it's interesting. we're seeing a series of departures at u.s. tech giants. last year we learned apple was losing scott for stall. now we're hearing from microsoft. microsoft announced its windows division chief has left the company. the announcement came as a total surprise. less than three weeks since microsoft's high profile release of the windows 8 personal commute computing system. he quit on monday. microsoft hasn't given reasons for his departure. some reports say san nof ski may have had troubles in his relations with steve ballmer and other executives. in his statement, the 47-year-old executive thanked for what he called the countless blessings he received at microsoft. he also expressed his appreciation for the professionalism of workers at the company. san nof ski led the development

of the surface tablet as well as windows 8. he was seen as a candidate for ceo in the future. now, let's get a check on the markets. european shares are traceding lower. here is a picture of how the benchmarks are performing now. we're seeing losses across the board down about 1%. london ftse 100 is down about .9%. and the dax down about 1%. and in paris, the crack 40 is down by 1%. investors are becoming less willing to take risk because a decision on the bailout fund for greece has been put off till next week. in tokyo the nikkei extended losses to seven days. chinese stocks were treated because of fierce that the on going communist party congress would make little change in economic policies. let's have a look at currencies. the euro is losing ground against the yen. investors are keeping a wary eye

on the debt situation in greece. the yen is quoted at 100- 75-79. many countries are now seeking to diversify their energy sources. industry ministry officials in japan are aiming to launch the world's first futures trading market for liquefied natural gas. they hope to put it into effect by march 2014 to bring down lng prices. liquid natural gas prices have surged since the fukushima daiichi plant accident, it led to shutdowns of all but two reactors in the country. the commodity has been traded at a premium since the link to crude oil prices. officials hope lng can be obtained to prices that correspondent to natural supply and demand on the proposed futures market.

the officials say they will form a council with power and gas company representatives and people from financial institutions. the council will look into how lng prices are set and ways to structure the new trading system. the ministry officials hope other asian countries that use lng will join the market. now, in corporate news, officials from japan's suzuki motor and germany's voerks wagon will appear at a hearing that will rule on whether they can scrap their business alliance. officials of the two automakers and their attorneys will be attending the first closed door hearing on the case at the international court of arbitration in london sometime this week. the companies signed a business-type agreement back in 2009. but in november last year, suzuki took volkswagen to court. it's seeking a ruling on whether it can put an end to the deal. suzuki is also asking volkswagen to sell back the 19% of its stock the german automaker holds.

suzuki says volkswagen didn't make good on the promise to share environmental technology. volkswagen denied the claim. at the hearing, an arbitrator will hear arguments from both sides and sort out the issues. a decision by the court is legally binding. researchers from germany, switzerland and austria unveiled a robot they say can walk around and find its way even in crowded cities with some help from people. the researchers say the robot iuro, interactive urban robot asks people for directions to get to its destination. >> in seems to recognize speech and detect obstacles in its way. it follows instructions like go straight and turn left. when iuro arrives at its destination, kit ask if it's in the right place. the researchers are hoping to

develop robots that can help elderly people and others in the future. that's all for now in business news. i'm going to leave you with the recap of market figures. tokyo has been enjoying a break from the rain, but that may not last with the storm headed this way. rachel ferguson has the latest in weather. >> that's exactly right. there's a snowstorm heading across to japan.

before we go to japan, i want to show you what the storm has been doing in china. let's look at that video. you can see the conditions that people have been dealing with in northeastern china. this is a snowstorm moving through hailong jiang province. it doesn't just the snow. the temperatures dropped below freezing and were accompanied by gusty winds. so that made for dangerous windchill as well. the strong winds were accompanied by about 34 centimeters of snow in some places, and that led to road closures and the suspension of buses in the main city. behind the strong winter storm, high pressure is building in. so we're going to see things clearing now the the sky. but it is going to mean that things will stay very cold with that high pressure in place. let's take look ot our maps. this storm is heading across to japan. rather than heavy snow, we'll be seeing rain here. it could amount to as much as

100 millimeters or so along the western coast and the north. the upper elevations will be seeing some snow and we're also going to be dealing with some dropping temperatures. so watching those temperatures come down by a few degrees. the good news for us here in tokyo is we look like we're going to be escaping that heavy rain. back across the continent, very dry under that high pressure. in fact, you'll be seeing some more rain coming in from central china from wednesday. but for now you're looking pretty clear. you will notice, though, there's another tropical system down here in the south china sea. this one is heading towards southern vietnam. it's going to be spreading heavy rain in here and also to cambodia. it doesn't look like it's going to be organizing, so no major worries here. there will be enough rain to have concerns about flooding. we also have gail warnings across the philippines. here are your temperatures, 33 degrees expected in bangkok on wednesday. meanwhile dropping to the mid

teens in shanghai as well as chongqing. tokyo looking for 16. single digits in seoul. six degrees here, ten in beijing and minus six for the high in ulan bator. a quick look into the americas tells us things are looking very clear here across much of the center of the continent. in fact, mexico right through central canada. however, our low pressure, the system that's been pushing into the pacific northwest still seeing showers, coastal rain and mountain snow. that is actually starting to settle down. out east we have this long front which has been bringing showers all the way down to the gulf of mexico. it's going to be bringing you, in fact, some snowshowers in parts of new york state, pennsylvania, up into new england new england. but it's not going to be accumulating. it's not going to lie. just a few light snowshowers. temperatures will drop dramatically but should rebound by the end of the week. we'll have high pressure moving in. things will be nice and clear for you into the weekend. a quick look into europe before we go.

things are settling down in the center where we've been dealing with heavy rain. talking northern italy as well as northwestern parts of the balkans. now we'll see clearing and high pressure moving in. still see heavier rain down across northern algeria. that will weaken on wednesday and start to move away. things are clearing towards the south. still seeing heavy rain for northern parts of the uk and up into scandinavia. you'll see steady streams of moisture coming up over the next couple days. temperatures are looking like this. i'll leave you with your extended forecast.

we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with thomas ricks. tonight, a conversation with thomas ricks.