i'm james tengan.hanks for watching. ♪ >>> "design talks." >> folding a single sheet of paper to make beautiful shapes, animals, birds and flowers. the traditional japanese art of origami is now known worldwide. but what is origami y?

james tengan spo with hi rlier. >> malaysia is seeing a widening wealth gap. is that the biggest issue in this election? >> yes, many malaysians are unhappy with the situation. the difference are not just between ethnic groups. the difference is also within the groups, as we saw. another sort of difference is between the countryside and the city. kuala lumpur residents earn more than rural workers. politicians on both sides promise to deal with the problem. but the solutions are mostly the same. >> so how likely is it that the opposition party will secure a majority for the first time? >> the election will be close, but rather than the opposition gaining, it may be that ruling party -- since independence in 1957. during this time, the economy has expanded. but critics say there is too much corruption. on top of this, prices are rising. as a result, even ethnic malay are turning away from the party they have traditionally supported. at the same time, however, many people lack confidence in the opposition people's alliance, so both have to weigh their unhappines

i'm james tengan. welcome to "newsline." here are some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> operators of some nuclear plants in japan get ready to face new safety checks as they prepare to apply for permission to restart their reactors. >>> two reactors in south korea are being pulled offline after the nuclear regulator there determines some parts had bogus safety certificates. >>> and japanese businesses play catch-up in africa as mining and other industries on the continent open up a wealth of opportunities. >>> operators of four nuclear plants in japan are taking a step toward a goal that's been distant for a couple of years. they say they're preparing to apply for permission in july to restart reactors. only one plant is online following the accident in fukushima. utility companies must meet new rules in order to fire up others. nhk world explains. >> reporter: the four plants in question are dotted across japan from the south to the northern island of hokkaido. operators must prove reactors at the facilities ad

>>> hi i'm james tengan. welcome to this hour's "newsline." >>> a joint statement. public and private sectors will support myanmar's economic development. prime minister abe met him on sunday in the capital. the joint statement says both countries confirm that it will continue to make his efforts to resolve various issues. this

i'm james tengan in tokyo. welcome to "newsline." south korea defense ministry said that north korea fired one short-range missile on sunday afternoon on the sea in japan. they're trying to spot where it landed and identify the type of missile. north korea fired three missiles on saturday. a senior pakistani politician has been killed ahead of sunday's repolling of the national elections.

i'm james tengan in tokyo. welcome to "newsline." people in pakistan are taking part in the first transition of power in their history. they're voting on saturday in a general election. and security is tight. islamic extremists have vowed to continue the attacks that have made the campaign a bloody one. voters are choosing lawmakers for the lower house of parliament. more than 4,600 candidates are

i'm james tengan. welcome to this hour's "newsline." massive explosions have shaken the syrian capital damascus. the country's state media condemned israel for the attacks causing the blasts. the explosions took place at a military research center on the outskirts of damascus on sunday. syrian television said the israeli attacks were likely to raise the morale of

i'm james tengan. this is "newsline." the fighting against government security forces lasted for nearly ten hours. a taliban spokesman has claimed responsibility. afghan police say four people were killed including a 6-year-old child and a police officer. they say all five attackers died. the police say 14 other people were injured,

i'm james tengan. here are some of the stories we're following this hour. the world health organization is warning nations to be on alert for a deadly virus. the new corona virus has killed 18 people and has been detected in the middle east and europe. >>> crews on u.s. warships are taking part in drills with the south korean navy. north korean leaders say the exercises are nd

i'm james tengan. welcome to "newsline." >>> pakistan's largest opposition party, led by former prime minister nawaz sharif is certain to become the dominant force in parliament. vote-counting continues in the country's national assembly election, which was held on saturday. pakistan state-run tv reports that based on its ballot count, sharif's pakistan muslim league is leading, securing 125 of the

>>> thanks for watching nhk world, i'm james tengan. welcome to "newsline." south korean officials say north korea has fired three short range missiles toward the sea of japan. the defense ministry confirmed the launch in seoul. a south korean defense ministry spokesperson says two missiles were fired on saturday morning, and one in the afternoon in northeastern direction. all of them are likely to have fallen into north korean waters. the spokesperson says the missiles are believed to be short-range missiles,