thank you for joining us on nhk world.aptioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: trade, security and immigration topped the agenda, as president obama kicked off a three-day swing through mexico and costa rica. good evening, i'm jeffrey brown. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, we examine the state of u.s.-mexico relations as mr. obama meets with mexican president enrique pena nieto. >> brown: then, we look at the fight over access to the morning after pill. a federal judge had ruled it should be available over-the- counter to women and girls of all ages. but the obama administration is now appealing that decision. >> woodruff: ray suar r

nhk's daisuka azima reports. >> reporter: malaysians have watched the economy boom. it expanded by 5.6% in 2012 and imf analysts predict similar growth this year. across the capital city, there is a frenzy of construction. buyers are snapping up penthouses at record prices, even before they are built. consumption is up, despite a 10,000 hike in prices over the last decade. and the healthy economy is encouraging malaysians to buy. >> translator: i plan to spend about $170 on clothes today. >> translator: the economy is developing because clothes are getting more expensive. >> reporter: despite economic growth, there are still plenty of people who feel aggrieved. mohammed is an ethnic malay. he works as a motorcycle courier. he says the policy hasn't helped him because he has no political connections. he earns 560 u.s. dollars a month. his wife works as well, bringing the total household income up to $1,000. that's 60% the national average. he always dreamed of buying a home for his family, but rising prices have put a damper on his plans. >> translator: people like me

masaaki suda, nhk world, islamabad. >> reporter: mubarak aburke from nhk's islamabad bureau is here to give us some background. now, the campaign has demonstrated that voters want change more than ever. discontented young people are especially enthusiastic. what is your take on this? >> pakistan is seen as a feudal society. elders always have the strongest voice and it hasn't been easy for young people to speak about politics. but now, passion for change among younger voters is spreading from urban areas to the countryside, young people are taking an interest. this is a huge departure from elections in the past, which were greatly influenced by communal and family guides. >> reporter: and how do you see the situation just before the polls open? >> it is still unclear. no party is expected to win a majority, and a coalition government is the most likely outcome. but of course, we don't know at this point which party will form the new government. the biggest concern is political instability that would allow islamic militants to increase their influence. this election campaign was the big

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> a top north korean official is now in china as relations between the two allies cool down. people in oklahoma are picking up the pieces after a deadly tornado ripped through the u.s. state. . japanese space experts are ready to launch their first new rocket in 12 years. they hope the cut in cost will make japan more competitive in the global satellite launch business. >>> north korean officials are trying to smooth out relations with their long-time ally. they've sent one of the closest aides to leader kim jong-un on a trip to china. the director of the jem political bureau of the korean people's army was sent. north korean's state run news agency says he's making the trip as kim's enjoy. he was able to be filmed leaving pyongyang. he met with the leader of the communist international department in beijing. this the first time for north korea to send a top official to china following its missile launch in december and

>>> thanks for watching nhk world. 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

a nhk survey shows that workers have succeeded in cleaning less than 5% of the designated area. even after that work is completed, radiation levels in many places have not fallen to the government's standard. this town lies 30 kilometers south of the plant. workers have almost finished cleaning up the area. >> translator: it's 0.39. >> translator: the radiation level is not falling. >> residents are calling for another round of decontamination work. >> translator: the radiation must drop to a level that we feel safe to live with. otherwise, we can never rebuild this area. >> the workers are washing down roads and roofs and scraping off the topsoil in gardens. but town officials say it's difficult to remove radioactive substances from tiny gaps. the work is demanding, and it takes a lot of time. in winter, the task is hampered by heavy snow. workers are also having trouble finding places to temporarily store the contaminated soil. >> translator: radiation levels over the long term are expected to drop below the standard only in some of the areas. in the high-level areas, official

nhk has been given exclusive access to the latest research effort. so first, here is a snapshot of where things stand at sea. >> fukushima daiichi is located on the pacific coast. after the meltdown, many scientists estimated that most of the fallout ended up in the ocean. but now radiation levels near the plant are thought to be low. it's thought that the radio active particles in the water have disbursed. in fact, in areas over one kilometer from the plant, radioactivity is almost undetectable. the japanese government is lifting entry bands in waters off of fukushima. the off-limit zone was reduced in august last year. this april, it was reduced to five kilometers by five kilometers off the plant. but people are still concerned. local marine life is still showing high concentrations of radioactive materials. in august, a fish showing radio activity 250 times above the government safety limit was caught near the sea floor. the percentage of marine samples exceeding the limit remains above 10% of the total caught off fukushima. fishing in waters off

>>> welcome to welcome to nhk world "newsline". i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we are following this hour. the factory outside cambodian capital has collapsed. >>> the w.h.o. says it has confirmed that two health workers in saudi arabia caught a deadly new strain of the coronavirus from patients, the first such transmission within a hospital. >>> militia groups in lebanon are lining up against each other as the violence in syria spills over the border. >>> shoe factory in cambodia was the site of a deadly accident on thursday. the ceiling of the building fell in killing two workers and injuring at least six others. the factory is under contract supplied companies and other foreign brands. the incident follows the collapse of a factory in bangladesh last month which killed the garment workers. it occurred in the suburb of the cambodian capital. a representative of the trade union at the factory said the ceiling caved in around 7:00 a.m., causing panic among the workers. around 100 employees were at their posts at the time. th

nhk world, seoul. >>> heavy rains causing floods in china.hel ferguson has an update. >>> it has been a very bad week in terms of the heavy rainfall in southern china. let's go straight to a video to see some of the effects of these inundations. this was in guangdong on thursday. this resulted in a landslide and three deaths. eight people were saved by rescue personnel. a few people are still missing. the last is a latest in a series of events to strike china this week. there was also a tornado in addition to flooding, flash glooding, and it resulted in an economic loss estimates around $16 million u.s. dollars. it is still lighter today, but that will not last into saturdays we'll see a return of rain 50 to 100 millimeters. into sunday, it is expected to intensify further. the next three days. we're expecting 100 to 150 millimeters of rain. the tail end of the front line will be moving over taiwan as well as okinawa. into japan, you'll see showers moving into south korea as well. it's not a particularly significant rainfall, but you could se

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. >>> a japanese envoy visiting north korea has received some praise. the north's second highest ranking official said they he appreciates the efforts by an officer to the prime minister shinzo abe. this is being seen that the mission is held in high regard. ijima held talks with the president of the supreme people's assembly leader. the state-run korean central news agency released a short video clip of the meeting on its website. >> translator: we know that mr. ijima has been making an effort and we highly appreciate it. >> a north korean interpreter quoted kim as saying ijima is visiting pyongyang once again on a very important mission. kim and ijima are believed to have discussed the abduction of japanese nationals by north korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. ijima accompanied foreign former prime minister minister koizumi on his two trips to pyongyang in the early 2000s. in tokyo, chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga said prime minister abe is serious

nhk has given exclusive access of the research efforts. first, here's a snapshot of where things stand at say. >> reporter: the fukushima daiichi plant is located on the pacific coast. after ththth scientists estimated that most of the falloutnded up in the ocean. but now radiation levels in seawater near the plant are found to be l l l l l l l l l l. it's thought that the dispersed. in fact, in areas over 1 kilometer from the plant, radioactivity is almost undetectible. the japanese government is lifting bans in waters off fukushima. this april, the zone was reduced to 5 kilometers by 5 kilometers off the plant. but people are still concerned. local marine life is still showing high materials. a fish was caught near the seafloor. the percentage of marine samples exceeding the limit remains above 10% of the total caught off fukushima. fishing in waters off the prefecture is still restricted. >>> japanese and american scientists have started a broad survey of those waters. they let nhk world join them on their first field excursion. >> repo

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> pakistan's election campaign is about to wrap up. millions of voters will soon weigh in on everything from domestic issues to their country's role in the u.s.-led war on terror. >>> japan's airways confirms it will put its 787 dreamliners back in service on june 1. the planes were grounded worldwide for more than four months. >>> and a japanese sculptor who lived through the earthquake and tsunami two years ago has changed his approach. he's using his art to share his new outlook of the world. >>> people in pakistan have a lot to think about before the weekend. they vote in a general election on saturday. a wave of violence has overshadowed the campaign. but it hasn't drowned out the issues, which include everything from poverty to pakistan's place in the world. we are in islamabad leading our special coverage. >> behind me you can see the buildings of the national assembly and presidential palace against a background

thanks for joining us here on nhk world. this is "newsline." here are some of the stories we're following this hour. japanese opposition leader toru hashimoto apologized for saying u.s. servicemen in japan could turn to the sex industry as a way to prevent crimes. >>> a south korean newspaper has expressed regret for recent commentary that described the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki as divine punishment. >>> a jab news opposition leader apologized for a comment he made about u.s. troops in japan and the sex trade industry. hash m hashimoto is reacts his comments. >>> the mayor of osaka. he spoke in tokyo and said his intention was to ask u.s. forces to prevent sex offenses. and he argued his strong sense of crisis led to the use of an inappropriate expression. >> translator: my remark could be construed as offensive to the u.s. forces and american people. i retract my comments. >> he also made comments about comfort women. many of the women were forced to work in brothels for japanese soldiers. he said earlier this month that comfor

stay tuned for more here on nhk world. 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?

nhk world john ellis is now in the hardest hit area of moore. tell us the situation at this time. >> reporter: fran tick search and rescue operations are still under way in the town. i'm here in the parking lot of a hardware store. this is the main staging area for the emergency responders. it's very dark right now, but i can still see the massive damage caused by the tornado. the streets and properties are strewned with uprooted trees, electricity polls, and debris from homes. i'm a block from the plaza elementary school where many children are feared to still be trapped under the rubble. the building is a chaotic pile of rubble. a large number of soldiers spent the day and night combing through the debris. many residents are being sheltered in a shelter tonight, and no one really knows just as of yet the full scale of the damage in this town. >> that was nhk world's john ellis in oklahoma. >>> president xi jinping will meet u.s. president barack obama next month. it will be their first summit since xi took office in march. the leaders will hol

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani. here's a look at the stories we're following this hour. a boat carrying rohingya muslims who were fleeing a tropical storm has capsized off western myanmar. >>> the u.n. food agency wants more people to consider the benefits of bugs as eco-friendly source of protein in an answer to future food shortages. >>> the sumo spirit is spreading in russia as more wrestlers move from a homegrown martial art to japan's national sport. >>> rescuers are searching the waters off western myanmar looking for survivors of a boat accident. about 100 row ming ga muslims had evacuated their temporary homes, and were trying to flee a tropical storm. patchari raksawong in bangkok is following the story for us. patchar >>> the boat hit rocks after hitting pauktaw township. aid workers called for an evacuation because the storm is expected to tear through the camps that dot the coast. most that live there are rohingya muslims who fled there last year. >> we're worried there is no protection for us here. the

nhk world, yokohama. >>> nhk is just one of a number of media covering the ticad meeting. many journalists from africa have come to report on the event. some spent part of their time before the start of the conference touring an elementary school in yokohama. the reportered asked the students what they know about africa. the children reflies the continent has plenty of natural resources. they also said it's not just a hot place. that won them some applause. >> now i feel that africa is closer than before and i feel like traveling there. i want to help them in what little way i can. >> the education system here is good. maybe we should emulate that. >>> africa, a continent of promise and plunder. more than a billion people in more than 50 countries form a cultural mosaic. many live in lands rich in minerals. a source of economic growth and conflict. "newsline" is looking at the challenges on this continent. don't miss our coverage. >>> chinese government officials are looking into the possibility of joining the transpacific partnership free trade agreement. they've disclose

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> i special envoy for kim jong un said north korean authorities are ready to hold talks. >>> u.s. president barack obama has defended the use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists. >>> and exclusive access as impacts of the nuclear disaster are monitored. >>> north korea is apparently ready to resume six party talks. they reportedly made the comment in a meeting with xi jing pink. the director of the general bureau of the korean people's army travels to beijing. president xi told him that china wants parties involved in the six party talks to work for the denuclearization. he called for the talks on the nuclear program. the six countries are the two koreas, china, russia, japan, and the united states. they said they're willing to resolve problems through the six party talks and through die lolg to security peace and stability. the reported comment would be a reversal for north korea officials have repeatedly sai

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." gunmen in pakistan have killed the main prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister buto. he had been looking into the role that musharraf played in her death. gunman opened fired on his car on his way to testify. musharraf is accused of failing to provide adequate protection. he is also charged with illegally dismissing several judges while he was in office. he roughered to pakistan in march. he intended to make a political come back ahead of next week's parliamentary election. he is currently under house arrest. people think that supporters angry about his arrest could be behind it. >>> north korean leaders are getting closer to their goal of being about to hit the united states with a nuclear weapon. authority rs are continuing to develop their nuclear and ballistic technologies. the report says the north koreans have deployed missiles capable of hitting targets throughout south korea, japan, and the pacific region. it says those advances are in line with py

kaori nagao, nhk world, zambia. >>> africa, a continent of promise and plunder. more than 1 billion people in more than 50 countries form a cultural mosaic. many live in lands rich of minerals, a source of economic growth and conflict. "newsline" is looking at the challenges and the opportunities on this continent in the lead-up to an international conference in tokyo. don't miss our coverage all this week, 8:00 p.m. japan time. >>> experts on a japanese government panel have come up with a new idea to stop leaks of contaminated water at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. they say the ground should be frozen. build a frozen wall around the reactor buildings. they say they should implement the measure by middle of 2015. they also want to pump out the ground water from wells outside of the buildings and release it into the ocean. they hope to gradually reduce the flow of water and stop it completely. the panel members also urged the government to help temco maintain the frozen wall. ministry chiefs in the asia-pacific region may have a chance to hear. one of the

mark ho, nhk world, singapore. >>> u.s. naval commanders are making another show of their military ability out at sea. they conducted the first-ever launch of a drone from an aircraft carrier. the x-47 drone is about ten meters long and 20 meters wide. operators carried out a test flight of one off the state of virginia. they catapulted it from the deck of the "uss george h.w. bush" over the atlantic ocean. landing on an aircraft carrier is more difficult than taking off from one so the operators landed the drone at an airport inland. u.s. commanders have made the development of drones for information gathering one of their top priorities. >>> a powerful cyclone is churning through the bay of bengal and has killed at least three people in sri lanka and left thousands more displaced. it is expected to hit myanmar in bangladesh later this week. officials in myanmar are urging residents to flee, but evacuation efforts are not proceeding smoothly. tropical cyclone brought heavy rains and landslides to sri lanka. the central and

. >>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." the international olympic committee is telling tokyo's governor to respect his rivals in the bid for the 2020 olympics but the ioc says it won't hand down a penalty after ino made remarks critical of istanbul. inose is the chair of tokyo's bid committee. "the new york times" quoted him as saying the only thing islamic countries share is allah and they are fighting with each other. the governor apologized. ioc protocol bans representatives of candidate cities from commenting on others vying to host the games. ioc spokespersons say tokyo olympic bid committee has been asked to abide by the rules and they say the issue has been concluded. tokyo and istanbul are competing against madrid to win the 2020 summer games. the winner will be announced in september. >>> politicians in malaysia are making their final push for support ahead of an election that could trigger the first power shift in 56 years. the ruling coalition has been in charge since the country gained independence from britain.

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. japanese share prices took a beating. the key index lost more points in one day than it had for 13 years. >>> recovery work is in full swing in oklahoma after monday's deadly tornado tore through the u.s. state. >>> china's oscar winning composer's symphony has been showcased in tokyo. >>> investors in japan's stock market got a jolt. shares have been rallying on hopes for economic turnaround but the tokyo stock market had its biggest sell-off in more than a decade. the nikkei averaged ended, down 7.3%, or 14483 points from wednesday's close. that was the biggest one-day point loss in 13 years. trading volume hit a record. we spoke to people on the street to get their views, the ones we met seemed to take the news in stride. >> translator: i think stock prices have been going up too sharply so the pullback is not surprising. >> translator: i don't expect share prices will continue to go down. i certainly want prices to go

nhk reports. >> reporter: pakistan's economy has been shugish for five years now under civilian rule. many young people in urban areas are unemployed. and the overall jobless rate in towns and cities stands at almost 9%. this 24 year old man lives in islamabad. last year he obtained a master's degree in business administration. but so far, he has failed to find the job. he sends out his resume to sometimes ten companies a day. but he's it still waiting for a job offer. >> if i got a great e-mail after a month or two mail, so i feel very disappointed. >> reporter: amid public miss content, he is looking to the party that by the former winning cricket captain. >> he made a promise that he will bring opportunities and improvement in the economic situation in pakistan. >> reporter: the movement for justice has set up a task force to attract young voters. it's using facebook and other social networks to provide information. task force members post photographs from the kahn's campaign rally. they are listening to concerns. the modern approach taken by the movement for justice has made the m

nhk world's reporter has more. >> reporter: residents who fled the oklahoma suburb of moore returned two days later to find their town mangled beyond recognition. they picked through the debris with the family and friends, looking for something, anything, from the remains of their home. >> it's my middle name. >> reporter: what's your middle name? >> stella. >> our first day to come back and try to salvage what we can and stuff. >> we are here today, my sister and my husband and some friends from my sister's work, and this gentleman that's just offering going up and down the road, offering help. we're trying to salvage as much as we can of memories. >> reporter: people lined up in this church parking lot for insurance payouts. state authorities say so far there have been nearly 3,000 requests. the state of oklahoma has established a fund to support people affected by the catastrophe. >> well, i'm staying with my nephew, and they're taking care of me. i don't have anything. >> reporter: support teams distributed water and food at a number of locations. people all over the country have

nhk world, new york. >>> u.s. consumer prices posted >>> an 80 year old japane adventurer has finished day one of his attempt to scale mt. he s out from e 5,300 meter high base camp on thursday with his son and other climbers. he told nhk by telephone before departing that he did not mind dying to achieve his goal. he and his team climbed for about eight and a half hours to get past the ice fall and arrived at camp one. it's about 6,000 meters. he said the ice fall is difficult as usual but his condition is better than when he was 70 or 75. he said i was able to enjoy the climb. he plan does ascend about 500 meters a day. if everything goes smoothly, he'll reach the summit next friday. >>> one of the world's largest diamonds was sold for $26.7 million at an auction in switzerland. it was a record price for a colorless diamond. >> sold! number 9107. thank you very much. >> it took two years to cut and polish the stone. >> 101 karat diamond. it was auctioned on wednesday. a pink diamond holds the record for the most

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gooene otani in tokyo. north korea has launched short-range missiles. it's the third straight day of what the country calls a military trial. >>> china and india agree to boost economic ties and continue efforts to resolve a long-running dispute on the border. >>> and a business owner in myanmar is ung his experience to strengthen ties between the two countries. >>> south korean defense officials say north korea launched two short-range missiles toward the sea of japan on monday. it's the third straight day the north has fired missiles. north korean authorities say the launches are part of a regular military drill. they are believe todd have dropped in the sea of japan. >> translator: they may launch more missiles, so we're closely watching military movements in the north. >> dealership lomatic sources say they have resorted to less provocations. north korea authorities acknowledged the test. >> translator: the launches are part of ordinary drills. we're exercising our legitimate right as a sovereign nation

nhk world, kabul. >>> european union saying they are dumping. tell us more about that. >> some eu officials want to impose a heavy tax on those imports but others are against it. they want to settle this via dialogue. now it's up to china whether the world's second largest economy can resolve this trade dispute. china's next move will determine whether the two sides can find an amicable solution. he made the comment after an unofficial meeting with a senior chinese official. the european commission is looking to impose new tariffs of around 47% on china made solar par panels and related parts. some eu companies are against the move. they say it could be detrimental to firms in the block that rely on solar panels from china. they suggest priority should be given to the eu as a whole. european markets ended higher on monday while markets in the u.s. and the uk were closed for a public holiday. germany's main index rose .9 of a percent. for more on japanese markets let's go to eileen lee. japanese stocks took another battering on monday. how are we

kaho izumitani, nhk world, tokyo. >>> u.s. defense analysts have levelled unprecedented accusations against the chinese leadership. analysts at the pentagon blame the chinese of computer-based attacks against the u.s. officials at the defense department levels the charges for the first time in their report on china. they wrote there is a strong likelihood that chinese agents were involvemented in attacks on government computer systems. they wrote that some chinese ballistic missiles are designed to carry aircraft carriers. they suggest that the people's lip ration army finished developing the missiles and they say the chinese deployed those weapons despite limited capability. they say they have appear to have changed tactics. they have upgraded their warships while trying to keep u.s. forces out of their waters. >>> the report also raises concerns about china's attempts to redraw territorial boundaries around a group of disputed islands. it says chinese officials drew a line around the senkaku islands illegally. china and taiw

nhk world. >>> u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon has made solving the problems africa faces one of his top priorities. we'll be broadcasting a special conversation between ban at the times and dates on your screen. don't miss rising africa here on nhk world. mpblt bank of japan governor has a target. 2% inflation in two years. how much closer is he to his target? >> he still has a ways to go. that 2% inflation in two years is the monetary side. officials at the internal affairs since it fell 0.4% from the year before. the index includes fresh food prices. they say the low cost of household appliances like televisions is factor behind the drop. tv prices fell more than 16%. the prices of energy related prices are down. gasoline fell 2% the utility charges such as electricity and gas rose due to a weaker yen. electricity rose more than 4% while gas was up 1.3%. now let's get a check on markets. stock prices in new york rose on thursday. that's as weak data pointed to stimulus by the federal reserve. stock

nhk surveyed people. 65% said they back abe's cabinet. compare that to the recent prime ministers from the former democratic party government. after five months in office, 31% of people surveyed supported the previous cabinets. a third of those who support prime minister abe's cabinet said it appears to be better than others. a fifth said it has the ability to act. the survey asked if the constitution should be amended. the results were pretty evenly mixed. 31% of respondents were in favor. 26% were opposed. 36% couldn't decide. the liberal democrats want to revise the constitution and rename the self-defense forces as a national defense force. 27% agreed with the idea. 26% disagreed. the biggest group was the 40% who said think couldn't decide. the ldp wants to modify article 96. 35% disagreed. 20% were in favor, 39% said they couldn't decide. government leaders around the world have reopened their constitutions with varying degrees of success. german leaders have revised theirs 59 times since world war ii. the americans have made six am

kaori nagao, nhk world, zambia. >>> africa, a continent of promise and plunder. more than a billion people in more than 50 countries form a cultural mosaic. a source of economic growth and conflict. "newsline" is looking at the challenges and the opportunities on this continent in the leadup to an international conference in tokyo. don't miss our coverage all this week, 8:00 p.m. japan time. >>> a freight train has crashed into a large truck and derailed in the eastern u.s. state of maryland. the collision triggered a massive explosion. >> back up. >> the accident occurred on tuesday in a suburb of baltimore. 15 cars of the train derailed. some exploded and burst into flames. police say the driver of the truck was injured and brought to hospital. they say the train was carrying unknown chemicals, but these are not hazardous. the explosion sent up a thick plume of smoke. police told nhk that investigations are still under way and residents are being advised to leave the area. >>> well, many people in tokyo are carrying their umbrellas into work this morning. we se

nhk world, hammerfest, norway. >>> you have the country's first quarter gdp figures? >> i have. many people have been happy and people in the markets were expecting a positive reading for this gdp but this number coming in stronger than expected. japan's economy grew between january and march for the second quarter in a row. by category personal spending was up 0.9% due to higher stock prices and improved consumer sentiment. housing investment rose 1.9%. many people bought homes due to a consumption tax hike. exports rose 3.8%. let's get a check on markets now. u.s. stocks extended their record closing highs on the dol time high and the nasdaq up 0.26%, the highest level since november 2000. for more on stocks, let's go to ramin. stocks just keep powering ahead in the u.s. how is the market opening here in tokyo? >> pretty strong performances as we have been covering in the u.s. a stang at highlevels. that's despite some economic data on wednesday coming out in market consensus and the empire state manufacturing region data also. it does raise hopes the u.s. federal reserve may

nhk world, new delhi. >>> reporters from japan and from the u.s. were both killed last year in syria. now journalists from around the world have recognized their bravery and professionalism. members of the international press institute selected them for the 2013 world press freedom hero award. participants attended the awards ceremony on monday in the jordanian capital. bethel mckinzie talked about their coverage of the afghan and iraq wars. she handed the award to her colleague. he was with her just before she was killed. >> i feel the award is a validation of her life as a journalist. without the eyes of the media, the violence in syria will never end. >> ipi representatives said 132 reporters lost their lives in 2012. 39 of them were killed in syria. >>> physicians without borders, or rather physicians with doctors without borders say they're facing some unprecedented challenges in syria. the head of the japanese unit has added her voice to those calling for international action to end the civil war. she just returned from a month in northern sy

nhk world, iwaki fukushima. >>> time now to get a check on the weather. a sunny warm morning here in japan. >> many people in japan enjoyed a national holiday. however, people in the north saw the late season heavy snow. i want to show you the scene coming out of southern hokkaido. it's may, but still like winter. residents haven't seen snow settle on the ground for eight years. but they saw 3 centimeters of snow pile up. another location observed 12 centimeters of the white stuff. the lingering low pressure system stationed north of hokkaido is pulling in cold air sending temperatures plummeting about 5 degrees colder than average. rain is expected in parts of the northe japan as well. but for the western half of japan, looking dry. plenty of sunshine for you. similar situation for the korean peninsula. but rain is coming down for southeastern china once again. heaviest rain is going to be found here. 100 millimeters likely into the next 24 hours. the heavy rain will move into the northeast into tomorrow. meanwhile, we can see another point showing up in

do stay with us on "nhk world."tioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama answered questions from reporters today on topics from syria and the boston bombings to the budget and his own political clout with congress. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. on the newshour tonight, we examine the president's renewed pledge to close the guantanamo detention facility once and for all. >> woodruff: plus, we look at the relationship between the white house and congress, and what that means for spending cuts, immigration, and more. >> ifill: then, we update the investigation into the boston bombings with the latest

nhk world's chikashi takaoka is in kuala lumpur. >> reporter: thousands of protesters hit the streets outside kuala lumpur in november. most were ethnic chinese. they called for more chinese language education at schools. teachers use malay as the official language due to the government's bumiputera policy. >> translator: we face various restrictions on our access to knowledge and jobs. >> reporter: chinese business owners also face disadvantages. this man said his event company has no malay executives. he says that means they can't win any lucrative government contracts. >> somehow somewhere we see we are in one malaysia. >> reporter: but ethnic malaysians also showing frustration. many say they don't feel the benefits of the bumiputera policy. they say there is a widening wealth gap, even among the malay people. i'm in central malaysia. the majority of population here is ethnic malay, but as you can see, there are a lot of opposition flags on the roadside. rosti grows oil palms. his father started the farm with a government grant offering land to ethnic malays. government officials

nhk world, samoa. >>> there's a bit of relief for peopleho are uneasy with the idea of injections. a new type of needle has been devised that makes the piercing of skin virtually painless. it is gaining popularity around japan. it not only causes less pain but is made from a renewable resource for easy disposal. >> reporter: he has diabetes. levels checked every day.d sugar that means about three needles a day. it's eight for some patients. he wanted to get rid of the pain and stress. so he tried a new type of needle. >> translator: it doesn't hurt. it's good. it's a hassle having to do it a few times a day. this needle doesn't make me feel stressed like usual. >> reporter: the needle is just 0.9 millimeters long. it was put onto the market about a year ago. a venture firm founded ten years ago developed the needle. fukuda is the president. he spent 30 years working in marketing and sales in pharmaceutical firms and equipment companies. he was often close to patients. >> translator: i was visiting hospitals every day. children burst out crying when they got shots or had their blood

nhk world, islamabad. >>> syrian military commanders have acknowledged something for the first time. they say their troops have attacked israeli soldiers in the golan heights. but the two sides have different versions of what happened. the syrians say they destroyed an army vehicle that crossed into their territory. the others say they were in their area in between the two countries. they say their vehicle was damaged, not destroyed and they say no one was hurt. they fired back with anti-tank misls. reports of gunfire from across the border. but syrian commanders had never admitted to targeting them. on missile stockpiles in damascus. syrian leaders threatened to retaliate for those strikes. >>> a small airline company in the south pacific has gone where no airliners have dared to go. it's begun charging passengers by how much they weigh. officials at samoa air say they've taken the measure as the way of using limited space better. with the world's population getting heavier, the pay as you weigh system is drawing a lot of attention both at home and abroad. >> reporter: passengers pr

do stay with us on "nhk world." captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: three additional men, two pictured here, were arrested in connection with the boston bombings, charged with trying to help dzokhar tsarnaev in the days after the fatal blasts. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff on the "newshour" tonight. we get the latest on the charges against the college students suspected of covering up for the alleged bomber and obstructing justice. >> ifill: then, on may day, thousands of european workers take to the streets to protest dramatic government spending cuts. we debate the merits of austerity there and in the u.s.

nhk takes us there. >> reporter: american people are hoping that shale gas will bring a full-fledged economic recovery. the southern states of texas is already enjoys some benefits. construction firms are rushing to build hopes for a fast growing local population. as shale gas boosts businesses' hiring people are moving in from other states. new communities are springing up. a nearby port is booming as well. this area had been undeveloped until two years ago. today building materials are brought in through the port. they are sent to sites where shale gas and oil are produced. the state's government built port facilities, but space ran out quickly. construction is now under way to expand the area but 300 meters. >> the shale gas that's being brought up from south texas and from other areas of the country has led to unprecedented growth. >> reporter: in the u.s., riding shale gas production has had a major effect on the chemical industry. they use natural gas as a low material for their petro chemical products. chemical companies have announced plans for major investment in texas. ener

nhk world, manila. >> actors who work in kabuki have performed their dramas for audiences across japan and around the world. they don't just work in big cities. even today amateur actors in small venues are struggling to keep the art alive. for one troop, it's an a local tradition, using it as a way to revive their community. >> the district gifu city. this area used to be the commercial heart of town. vibrant, full of life. a decline started after world war ii. businesses moved away and so did many of the residents. a group of young shop owners is trying to do something about it. three years ago they started the gifu young masters club. the group has been promote iing cultu cultural and sports activities. that brought people together again. the club still felt something was missing. a sense of community. that's when they learned at gifu ha bucky, ha buky. it was popular before the war. >> translator: we had to think about ways to get people in this town to come together and get things turned around. >> reporter: trouble was no one in the group had any kabuki experience, not on the sta