. >>> myanmar opened a new session of parliament tuesday. the main topic of discussion was the annual budget. lawmakers have decided to aggressively pursue foreign investment to rebuild the country's economy. one of the poorest in southeast asia. we have a report. >> about 600 lawmakers from the upper and lower houses of parliament attended the session. the government forecast for annual income was $52 billion. funds to update myanmar infrastructure, and invite companies to help. the nation needs to build irrigation systems, power stations, and communication lines as a foundation for economy growth. myanmar will hold bi-election in april. democracy leader aung san suu kyi is standing in the poll. during tuesday's session, a lawmaker from one of the countries' ethnic groups welcomed the prospect of aung san suu kyi entering parliament. >> her presence will be welcome and force changes here, too. >> about a quarter of the seats in parliament are -- those lawmakers were more cautious on the topic of aung san suu kyi, but they were welcoming of

: myanmar will undergo real change this time. i strongly feel the country's reform path will lead to concrete plans in every field. >> reporter: even so, some other executives believe significant hurdles remain. one of them is this man. his trading company is interested in developing infrastructure including industrial parks. >> translator: i believe it's difficult for private firms alone to take on the risk of investing in myanmar. infrastructure projects should involve both the public and private sectors. >> reporter: one of the last frontiers in southeast asia. myanmar is attracting attention as a potentially lucrative market. but some observers say the risks cannot be ignored. getting the japanese government to support new ventures in myanmar could be one solution to ease those concerns. >> and that wraps up our bulletin in bangkok. >>> "newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on japan post march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. nuclear watch

. >>> turning now to myanmar. the country's leaders are already planning for life after economic sanctions. with reforms regressing, western countries have indicated that sanctions on myanmar could be lifted within months. with that in mind, the president is inviting foreign companies to consider investing in his country. leaders from japan are in myanmar to assess the opportunities. during a meeting on monday, laid out a proposal to turn the airport into a transport hub. the airport opened in december last ye, but so far only serves domestic routes. the president's also invited companies to invest in highway linking myanmar to thailand and other countries in the region. >> translator: through his work, i understood his strong commitment to reform in myanmar. >> foreign investors look at myanmar as the last frontier of southeast asia. it has a wealth of natural resources and plenty o cheap labor. with the end of economic sanctions in sight, chances to secure business opportunities are likely to intensify. >>> one

. >> foreign investors look at myanmar as the last frontier of sooegs asia. it has a wealth of natural resources and plenty of cheap labor. with the end of economic sanctions in sight, competition to secure business opportunities is likely to intensify. improving infrastructure is also crucial for indonesia's continued economic growth. one of the largest thermal power plants officially opened on monday. the new facility reflects surgerying demand for power as indonesia's economy expands. foreign companies from several countries are competing to plug into this booming market. >> reporter: with the maximum amount of capacity of 2,600 megawatts this power plant completes a power supply of 6% for the entire island of java. a group of japanese firms invested about $5.2 billion to construct the power plant in java. the island is home to about 60% of indonesia's 240 million people. officials say the plant will help address the problem of regular electricity shortages. demand for power is growing rapidly and many power plants under construction. companies from china,

so far, nine families from myanmar totaling 45 refugees have reset theresettled in japa.he number of applicants has fallen short. >> translator: there is a need to give refugees better information about the japanese-run program. and we also need to work with other entities like our embassy in thailand and the unhcr to enhance the refugee understanding of japanese culture and society. >> reporter: last month, the government of myanmar agreed to seek a cease-fire with ethnic rebel forces after more than 60 years of conflict. this is giving refugees encouragement about returning home. japan also faces challenges to better support refugees from myanmar with issues to resettle. some have struggled with language barriers. the japanese government will decide by the end of march whether or not to continue with the resettlement program. reporting for nhk world. back to you. >> that wraps up our bulletin from bangkok. >>> many are commuting in cold weather this morning. we have rachel ferguson with the weather picture here and elsewhere. >> we are certainly going to be feeling the

when myanmar's president thein sein visits. he added the government will grant 5 billion yen or $62 million in march. the humanitarian aid is intended to help myanmar's recovery from floods last year and provide food to ethnic minorities. gemba says he believes myanmar's efforts toward democratization and national reconciliation are real. >>> a japanese equipment maker plans to test cell sheets to restore weakened heart muscles. cells are taken from the patient's thigh and cultured to create thin, round 5 centimeter membranes. when they are placed on a patient's heart, they emit over 20 substances that help repair heart muscles. 13 patients at the osaka university hospital had the procedure. one patient is no longer bedridden, after undergoing the treatment. the pharmaceuticals and medical devices agency has approved the clinical trials. the company hopes to commercialize the product in five years. >> translator: the patient's age is not a problem. their condition will improve if the treatment is started while they are still re

official thinks it's too early to lift the economic sanctions on myanmar. u.s. assistant secretary of state for human rights says myanmar has not made enough progress with democratization. >> hundreds of political prisoners are still being held and the number of laws used to arrest and detain them remain on the books. >> poser says myanmar needs to make greater efforts for democratization before restrictions on trade and investment can be lifted. the u.s. recently decided to upgrade diplomatic ties after myanmar released 651 inmates including political prisoners. the u.s. is urging myanmar to allow local and international monitors to supervisor the by-elections scheduled for april 1st. prodemocracy leader kyi has filed her candidacy and is widely expected to win a seat. the philippine military says 15 militants have been killed in an air raid on the southern island of holo. the dead reportedly include leaders of grouped linked to al qaeda. >> reporter: the military says at least 15 people died in thursday's u.s.-backed strike on an islamic militant camp. it says

so far, nine families from myanmar totaling 45 refugees have resettled in japan. the japanese government have planned to accept 90 people over three years. but the number of applicants has fallen short. >> translator: there is a need to give refugees better information about the japanese-run program. we also need to work with other entities like our embassy in thailand and the unhcr to enhance refugees' understanding of japanese culture and society. >> reporter: last month the government of myanmar agreed to a cease fire with ethnic rebel forces after more than 60 years of conflict. such developments are giving some refugees encouragement about returning home. japan also faces challenges to better support refugees from myanmar who choose to resettle. some have struggled with culture and language barriers when they get to japan. the japanese government says it would decide by the end of march whether or not to continue the resettlement program. >> that wraps our bulletin. >>> before the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant, nuclear reactors supplie

european commissioner for development peyble held talks with myanmar's president. and pro democracy leader aung san suu kyi. he later told reporters in bangkok on tuesday that he was optimistic about myanmar's progress. >> it is a process but the ongoing process gives a lot of optimism. >> meanwhile, campaigning for landmark elections has begun in earnest. aung san suu kyi is contesting a seat in the low-income area on the outskirts of yangon. nhk world followed the nobel laureate to appeal for their support. >> reporter: opposition leader aung san suu kyi has begun campaigning in yangon. she visited the constituency on saturday. her first official campaign appearance in the district she hopes to represent. >> translator: the most important thing is to create new jobs for people who are unemployed. if you believe in us, i promise to implement this without fail. >> translator: aung san suu kyi will definitely win. >> translator: we believe that she will improve our living standards. >> reporter: komu district, south of yangon, is home to about 80,000 borders. farmin

official thinks it's too early to lift the economic sanctions on myanmar. u.s. assistant secretary of state for human rights say as myanmar has not made enough progress with democratization. >> hundreds of political prisoners are still being held. and the number of laws used to areas and detain them remain on the books. >> he says myanmar needs to make greater efforts for democratization before restrictions on trade and investment can be lifted. the u.s. recently decided to upgrade diplomatic ties after myanmar released 651 inmates including political prisoners. the u.s. is urging myanmar to allow local and international monitors to supervisor the by-elections scheduled for april 1st. prodemocracy leader kyi has filed her candidacy and is widely expected to win a seat. the philippine military says 15 militants have been killed in an air raid on the southern island of holo. the dead reportedly include leaders of groups ink willed to al qaeda. >> reporter: the military says at least 15 people died in thursday's u.s.-backed strike on an islamic militant camp. it sa

eu development commissioner will visit myanmar on sunday. he plans to meet the president and the opposition leader aung sasuky they have been stepping up reforms, like allowing aung san suu kyi to run in parliamentary bi-elections in april and releasing many politic prisoners. they say all economic sanctions may be lifted in april, depending on the outcome of bileio and release of more political prisoners. the eu foreign policy chief katherine ashton is scheduled to visit in april. the eu hopes to improve relation with myanmar, following recent announcement by e s.t ll send an ambassador to the country. >> mo tn 60,000 households were set to evacuate after the disaster at the fukusha iii. eyeceived claim forms from tokyo electric power company. half of them have sent the forms back. now nearly a year since the accident, the compensation process is ineffective or too slow. today's nuclear watch focuses on coenti fvictims. first we hear of one family who isn't happy with the compensation they received. >> he and his family were forced to leave

the election is seen as a touch stone in myanmar's move toward democracy. with just over a month to go, the eyes of the world are now focused on how it will turn out. >>> next, we go to vietnam for the first in our series of special reports about the rapid economic development of central vietnam. patchari raksawong is in the capital, hanoi. >> reporter: international media often refer to vietnam as a country with a vibrant economy. but in reality, economic development has taken off, primarily in the north, around the capital hanoi, where i am now, and down in the south, around the great metropolis of ho chi minh. until recently, central vietnam had been left behind in this race to prosperity, but that picture is starting to change. over the next three days, we take a closer look at how vietnam is trying to bring the central provinces up to speed. now, hanoi is at the forefront of the nation's economic development. earlier i went to take a look at how things in the capital are changing. hanoi is experiencing a construction boom. high rise buildings are poppi

this isn't something i ever expected to find in somewhere like myanmar, the former burma.ave been doing there over the years have been about repression. but changes are taking place. big changes. and surprising changes. i experienced one face of that when i hooked up with a bunch of hip-hop dissidents. myanmar's top hip-hop band is back on stage. ♪ >> reporter: after an enforced absence while their singer served a three-year prison term for anti-government activities. [ rapping in foreign language ] >> reporter: the band called acid made hip-hop the most popular music among youngsters here. they returned with a brief performance in combative style with a new note of defiance. >> we just want to live a normal life. we want to live freely and we want to do whatever we want. that's all. >> reporter: and there are flickers of hope for that. myanmar is in the grip of unexpected reform from an easing of censorship to the release of political prisoners. now the lines are much less clear and fans like acid are preparing to push the limit. acid is now bringing together top myanmar

the april elections will be a bench mark in determining myanmar's progress towards democracy. attention is focussed on whether the elections will be free and fair and just how many votes she's able to win. nhk world. >> thailand is taking steps to rebuild its reputation in the wake of recent floods. a devastated industrial park has begun construction of a huge wall designed to protect against future flooding. the complex was among several industrial zones hit by last year's record floods. weeks after, most water receded, many factories are still struggling to restart operations. on wednesday, a ceremony was held to mark the laying of the first piece of the flood wall. >> this protection wall will help them to protect the flooded in the next season. >> there is only so much one industrial complex can do to fight massive amounts of water, so i'm pinning my hopes on the government's flood control efforts too. >> when finished, the wall will stretch 20 kilometers around the complex at a cost of about $19 million. that's it for our bulletin today here in bangkok. >>> the head of ja

. >>> a fire destroyed nearly a thousand bamboo shacks at a camp in myanmar. it destroyed about a 5th of the homes in the encampment. a number of people suffered fromburns. official say the fire spread because the shacks are highly nammable especially in dry weather. it took an hour and half to get the fire under control. >>> now "good morning maryland." >>> maryland is on track to become the 8th state

a fire has torn through a camp housing in myanmar refugees in western thailand just ninety minutes the blaze destroyed more than one thousand bamboo shacks the damage wiped out a fifth of a camp that houses seventeen thousand people there were no reported deaths so ever authorities attributed the quick spread of the flames to the highly flammable nature of the buildings but the initial cause remains under investigation. the future of one of the most controversial web regulation bills to date the active treaty is in limbo the e.u. suspended ratification of the proposed law over fears it would trample on people's rights and freedoms this is a pension of all this continent wide protests against the treaty with allegations that actually could lead to a net wide censorship originally conceived as the brainchild of the japanese and american politicians and lobbyists the builders shrouded in secrecy from the start the trees compatibility though with e.u. values set to be decided by the blocks court of justice. from the on line magazine point. if passed would only punish the innocent. the prob

mediocre four year media projects myanmar t.v. dot com. good afternoon and welcome to capital account i'm lauren lyster here in washington d.c. here are your headlines for monday february thirteenth. probably seen images like this by now been on fire this city literally gurning as politicians within parliament voted to pass a tough austerity measures to meet the demands of the e.u. and i am out there international lenders this story is about so much more than just austerity and riots though it's wealth extraction i mean it's economic collapse at work we're going to break down exactly how that works and while we're on debt let's talk about how the u.s. is dealing with it or not dealing with it you want the president brought go bomb our releases two thousand and thirteen budget today well it will be analyzed how did any tax why should you care or really why should you not care we'll tell you and as more economists come out saying the federal reserve is making a big mistake if it sticks to keeping interest rates near zero for the next three y

the marines based in myanmar, san diego, were conducting a training exercise when their cobra helicoptersded in mid air. no one survived the crash. the cause is still under investigation this morning and the identities of the seven marines killed have not been released. >>> new reports say the american tv producer found dead in a hotel in uganda had large amounts of cocaine in his stomach. 39-year-old jeffries was found friday night. his assistant was found in the same room unconscious. originally police thought that they had been poisoned. now rice's family members are speculating that the pair was forced to ingest the drug. rice original sly from oklahoma and he once worked for shows including "the amazing race" and "whale wars." >>> an 8-year-old girl shot in an elementary school is in critical condition today. police say a boy in the third grade shot the female classmate at a school near seattle. the police say the student brought gun to school at the end of the school day the firearm discharged while in his backpack. a bullet went through the backpack hitting the 8-year-old girl. >>>

i myanmar owe drag mario draghi said it would come out with cheaper loans, more loans for the economy, but if they just started is that going to outweigh any amount of cheap funds they get from the ecb? >> i think it is for the moment. we know that the banks -- or at least the whole range of them have got to meet certain capital ratios by june, according to the european banking authority. that's going to be on their minds. the question of making sure they're funded themselves, and therefore they're going to be looking for low risk assets, so i think we don't see much movement. when we look at the last mo moveme movements, they actually slowed down in the last compared to the previous month. so there's still no sign that this is feeding through to the real economy and i don't think we can expect that for some time ahead. >> to my mind, i don't think there's any doubt that the ecb will have to do more over time. whether it's in the form of an ltro 345 or through s&p at some point later this year. the key issues that are going on as far as europe is concerned is still too much debt, not

bailout of the money market mutual funds -- right after lehman brothers, there was a bailout of the myanmar -- the money market mutual funds. there was an intervention by the united states into that market. could that be something people begin demanding right here in washington. we bail out the money markets as a result of a disorderly default in europe. >> in terms of preparations, other than beyond the swaps, which we just discussed, the federal reserve has been operating as a supervisor working with other banks to understand the exposures of other banks to european nations, to european banks, european economies. we have been trying to help them manage the risks and reduce the risks however possible. the other set of tools we have in the event of a crisis, it it was severe enough, would have adverse affects for our economy and our financial system -- in the event of a crisis, which -- crisis which, if it were sincere enough, would have severe effects for our economy and financial system -- we can land to other institutions that are underfunding pressure. we would try to -- we can lend to

the myanmar government released political prisoners. and is also allowing the opposition leader aung san suu kyi to run in parliamentary bi election in april. the development commissioner was there to show support for the reforms. foreign affairs chief katherine ashton plans to visit after the bi-election. the eu is considering lifting sanctions on myanmar since 1996. >>> u.s. government officials plan to impose more sanctions on iran. they accuse them of supporting terrorism. the u.s. treasury department said thursday the iranian ministry is providing support for terrorist networks. it specifically cited al qaeda and hezbollah and hamas. under sanctions, the u.s. will stop issuing visas to ministry officials and freeze any ministry assets in the united states. the decision comes after a series of bomb attacks in several countries earlier this week. monday, a blags in new deli targeted israel diplomats. it was followed by three explosions in bangkok. they arrested three suspects one who carried an iranian passport. >>> a u.s. court decl