>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." japanese politicians have taken out their loud speakers and their megaphones to share their messages with voters. they launched their campaigns officially in a general election. two parties, the democratic party of japan and the liberal democratic party, have dominated japanese politics for years. their leaders started off in a place that has been the subject of countless debates. >> translator: this election is about reviving japan, so i wanted to start my campaign here in fukushima. i want to make a new start for japan in the belief that there will be no revival for japan without the recovery of fukushima. this election is about whether we can move forward with what we have to do or turn back the clock and return to the politics of old. >> translator: i will bring the economy out of deflation, correct the high yen, lead economic growth, enrich people's lives, and recover an economy where young people don't have to worry about finding jobs. i'll strengthen social security and will pr

welcome to nhk world "newsline." north korea is once again the talk of leaders and major capitals around the world. the country is facing condemnation for its latest high-profile move. north korean authorities say they used a rocket to put a satellite in to orbit. >> translator: japan asked moroco to start discussion on the launch in the council. we would like to deal with this issue civilly by cooperating with the international community. >> translator: north korea's action is threatening the peace and security of the korean peninsula, as well as the world. we strongly denounce the launch of the missile in defiance of repeated calls and warnings by the international community. >> krt made public a picture of what they say is a control facility for the satellite. officials in south korea, japan and elsewhere say the north koreans fired off a long-range missile. japanese government officials say it traveled south over okinawa. they say the launch went at the north koreans had predicted. the first stage fell in to the

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline". experts with japan's nuclear regulation authority are getting closer to determining whether the only operating nuclear plant in the country can keep generating power. they carried out a second inspection at the ohi plant to figure out if an active fault runs beneath the facility. the five member team returned to ohi to inspect a trench the nra had ordered plant operator kansai electric to double the length of the trench after the first onsite inspection in november. crews dug it to 100 meters. representatives of the nuclear watchdog say they will ask kansai electric to shut down the plant if inspectors conclude an active fault runs underneath it. government guidelines ban the construction of key nuclear facilities on active faults. kansai electric executives insist land slips and not a fault caused the fissures below ohi. after friday's inspection, the shik zach shimazaki said they will look for answers. >> translator: we'll carefully analyze what we saw today. it won't be an easy tas

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." liberal democratic party leader shinzo abe has laid out terms of a coalition with new komeito leader natsuo yamaguchi. abe is set on wednesday to be named japan's new prime minister. the two leaders will try to combat the economic malaise with a large supplementary budget for the fiscal year ending in march. they plan to implement new energy policies and the leaders agreed to encourage a national debate on revising the constitution. abe has prepared to take the reins by filling the ldp's top positions. masahiko komura and shigeru ishiba retained their posts. consumer affairs minister seiko noda as head of the party's general council. and sanae takaichi will change her focus from public relations to become the policy chief. cabinet ministers are falling into place. he selected longtime ally fumio kishida as foreign minister. he served as minister in charge of okinawa and the northern territories. analysts say that he chose him for his experience. the new foreign minister will have to d

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." the governments that keep an eye on north korea say the reclusive nation is going ahead with its next long-range ballistic missile launch. south korean sources say crews in the north have apparently installed the first section of a three-stage missile at a launch facility. north korean authorities maintain they're only firing off a rocket to put a satellite into orbit. they made the announcement saturday. they say the launch will happen between december 10th and 22nd and that the rocket will head south. they held a similar launch in april that ended in failure. south korean government sources say they believe the missile's first-stage booster has been moved on to a launch pad at a facility in the northwestern part of the country. south korean officials discussed the planned launch with ambassadors from japan and three other countries. south korean foreign ministry officials met separately with envoys from japan, the united states, china, and russia, all members of the six-party talks

nhk world, gaza strip. >>> another winter storm is hitting the southern u.s. meteorologist robert speta has more. >> we are now watching another storm, actually we had this one move off here across new england yesterday and now moving towards quebec, you do not need more snow at all. now we're watching this one starting to develop. it's expected to start to move to the northeast. already seeing snowfall already the ohio river valley and then as that pulls off here into these areas that were already hit by widespread snowfall, many people are still without electricity here and unfortunately it looks like another system running overhead going for friday and eventually into saturday. on sunday it's going to run off the east coast. but before it does so, expect heavy accumulations and gusty winds, even some thunderstorm activity further down south. the savior with this one, it is going to be moving rather fast, unplik the last storm that pushed through all week and that was a slow mover. you had persistent conditions overhead. behind it, improving weather across m

welcome to nhk world "newsline." south korean officials told nhk that north korea is removing a satellite carrying rocket from a launch pad. apparently undergoing repairs. it extended the launch period by a week to december 29th because of technical problems. officials in many countries believe the north is trying to carry out a long-range missile test. north korean technicians are thought to have examined the missile on the launchpad, but they apparently decided the problem could not be solved simply by replacing defective parts in the rocket's first stage. south korean officials say problems may exist in the entire system. repairs to the rocket may not be completed in two days, the south koreans believe the north has not given up on the planned launch. the head of the self-defense force says his agency remains on high alert. >> translator: we are fully prepared to respond quickly and deal with any unexpected developments. we will do our best to guard our nation's lives, property, and all elements of its safety. >>

welcome to nhk world "newsline." north korea has announced it will extend the period for launching what it calls a satellite carrying rocket by one week. the new launch period will end on december 29th. officials in many countries believe the north's real goal is to test long-range missile technology. the country's committee of space technology said on monday a technical problem was found in the first stage of the three-stage rocket. north korea said earlier this month it would launch the rocket between december 10th and 22nd from the tongchang-ri launch site in the country's northwest. the south korean official told nhk satellite photos taken on monday show what appear to be people and vehicles moving around the launch site. the official says a missile on the launch pad remained covered. the activity on the ground suggests a possible technical problem is being fixed. north korea's last launch in april failed. its leadership promoted the event by saying the nation was honoring the instructions of late leader kim jong

nhk world has the story. >> reporter: a video of the candidate park. she looks back on the outpouring of family sympathy six years ago. it came while he was campaigning and a man slashed her face with a knife. >>> park is reflecting an image of strength. she will never give in to violence. analysts say the edge appears to conservatives but doesn't reach that. park uses other tactics to get their vote. the candidate a's song is adapt from a hit, and campaign workers try to listen to what the young are saying. this year from students who have traveled finding work, the staff promises to do something about the job shortage. >> translator: our saenuri party is criticized for not trying to understand the concerns of young people. well, our candidate will listen to their complaints and help them. >> reporter: why park has to work hard to attract young voters, another candidate is already popular with them. but as soon as seeking their votes, he's also courting people who haven't decided who they would choose. yellow is a campaign color of his democratic unit

south korean government officials told nhk that they confirmed the three-stage rocket was being taken down, and they said it was moved to a nearby facility. on monday, officials in pyongyang extended the launch window by one week to december 29th. they said they were having technical problems with the first-stage control module. government officials in seoul say the defect may not be limited to the first stage, and it may take some time before launch is possible. but they remain on alert. they say they believe the north koreans still want to launch the missile before the end of the month. >>> south korean media have reported on claims that iranian missile experts are helping with the launch. officials in iran say the claims are baseless. >> translator: they're using propaganda to scare people and harm our relations with north korea and other countries. >> the spokesperson acknowledged the two countries cooperated militarily in the 1980s during the iran/iraq war but he says that cooperation since then has been limited to economic areas. the second in command and mahmoud ahmadinejad agr

south korean government officials told nhk that they confirmed the three-stage rocket was being taken down, and they said it was moved to a nearby facility. on monday, officials in pyongyang extended the launch window by one week to december 29th. they said they were having technical problems with the first-stagt-stage control modul. government officials in seoul say the defect may not be limited to the first stage, and it may take some time before launch is possible. but they remain on alert. they say they believe the north koreans still want to launch the missile forehe end of the month. >>> south korean media have reported on claims that iranian missile experts are helping with the launch. officials in iran say the claims are baseless. >> translator: they're using propaganda to scare people and harm our relations with north korea and other countries. >> the spokesperson acknowledged the two countries cooperated militarily in the 1980s during the iran/iraq war but he says that cooperation since then has been limited to economic areas. the second in command and mahmoud ahmadinejad ag

. >>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." officials with the nuclear regulation authority found something unsettling you should a plant in northern japan. they say faults underneath it may be active. the discovery could keep the plant offline for an indefinite amount of time. nhk world reports. >> reporter: regulators looked into the ground at this nuclear plant and didn't like what they found. >> translator: we think that active faults exist under the compound and we conclude that there is no evidence to contradict that finding. >> reporter: the plant went online in 2005. the government approved the operators assessment but there were no active faults underground. executives at the electric power company argued that's still the case. they say a sift found under the compound was caused by groundwater, not seismic activity. and they say the faults have not moved recently. the executives try to prove their point by boring into the ground and taking a sample. they hammered it and concluded the earth would not move. >> translator

welcome to nhk world "newsline." representatives of nations putting the squeeze on the syrian government have met all over the world. their latest gathering brought them here to japan. the delegates worked on their strategy to push president bashar al assad out of office and ultimately end the bloodshed. on one hand, they're strengthening sanctions. on the other, they're reaffirming their support for opposition forces. nhk world's akira saheki reports. >> reporter: delegates from more than 60 countries are attending the conference, including representatives from the gulf region and the west. they've met several times before, but this is the first time they've gathered in asia. the japanese government hosted the conference to help broaden the base of international support for sanctions against syria. >> translator: the international community has been asking the syrian government to end the violence. but the assad regime is continuing the fight, ignoring the sacrifices of its people. we need to unify our efforts and p

nhk world's anna jung in seoul. >>> a u.s. politician who helped nurture the alliance with japan has died. democratic senator inouye of how how was one of the longest members of congress. he died of a respiratory illness. he was elected to the senate in 1962 and served for half a century. he was chairman of the senate appropriations committee. he worked to promote exchanges between u.s. and japanese politicians. he helped support reconstruction efforts in northeastern japan and visited areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. inyoue sat down for an interview with nhk. >> there's turmoil and disasters in asia-pacific area. we would be effected. so, it's in our interest also. >> he served during second world war in an army unit made up of japanese ancestry. he lost his right arm in a battle of iitaly. president obama said the country has lost a true american hero. daniel inouye was. >>> meteorologist has been keeping an eye on the cyclone. >> right now it looks like this cyclone evan is starting to pull away from fiji. it a

welcome to nhk world "newsline." inspectors from japan's nuclear regulation authority said a new nuclear power plan in the northern japan may be sitting on active seismic faults. a team of five experts concluded their two-day inspection at the higashidori plant in aomori prefecture. they concentrated on two faults in the compound. official from the plant's operator told the power company that a shift in the strata was caused by ground water. they say it wasn't the result of an active fault. investigators say they cannot rule out the possibility that the two faults are active. they say they will be able to come to a finding without additional surveys. the nuclear regulation authority says all members of the team share the same view. he says there's evidence that the faults have moved. officials with the authority will meet to discuss the matter next thursday. the electric plant say the faults are not located directly beneath the regulators but if the are active they have to review their measures and give up resuming o

welcome to nhk world "newsline." shinzo abe is getting down to the business of governing japan for the second time. he says his new cabinet is taking all the challenges the country faces, including a sluggish economy and last year's disaster. abe explained in his news conference his cabinet is designed to overcome the crisis. he says reviving the economy is a top priority. >> translator: a strong economy is the basis of japan's power. reviving a strong economy is essential to japan's future. my cabinet will carry out bold financial policies, well-timed fiscal policies and a strategy to encourage private investment toward economic growth. my cabinet will carry out these economic policies and achieve results. >> are prime minister abe says he and his minister also devote energy to foreign policy. he says they will strengthen diplomatic and security policies. >> translator: we should rebuild our diplomacy to protect our national interests. we are facing many challenges in our relations with china, south korea and even w

welcome to nhk world "newsline." inspectors from japan's nuclear regulation authority said a new nuclear power plan in the northern japan may be sitting on active seismic faults. a team of five experts concluded their two-day inspection at the higashidori plant in aomori prefecture. they concentrated on two faults in the compound. official from the plant's operator told the power company that a shift in the strata was caused by ground water. they say it wasn't the result of an active fault. investigators say they cannot rule out the possibility that the two faults are active. they say they will be able to come to a finding without additional surveys. the nuclear regulation authority says all members of the team share the same view. he says there's evidence that the faults have moved. officials with the authority will meet to discuss the matter next thursday. the electric plant say the faults are not located directly beneath the regulators but if the are active they have to review their measures and give up resuming o

chie tanaka, nhk world. >> that's all for me for now. i'll leave you with the market figures. ♪ ♪ >>> officials at the united nations and elsewhere have long suspected that iran and north korea were sharing the technology for ballistic missiles. now an iranian lawmaker says the north koreans informed officials in tehran in october of their plans to launch a satellite. that's more than a month before the north's official announcement on december 1st. the head of an iranian parliamentary delegation to north korea spoke to nhk. hamid reza taraghi said members of the delegation met in october with their counterparts in pyongyang. the secretary of the workers' party of korea, kim yong il, led the north korean side. taraghi said his counterparts told him they were ready for a satellite launch. >> translator: north korea ec emphasized the launch would be a result of their technology. the country maintained it would be a satellite and not be used for military purposes. it's a good thing to break away from the western monopoly on satellite la

chie tanaka, nhk world. >> that's all for me for now. i'll leave you with the market figures. ♪ ♪ >>> officials at the united nations and elsewhere have long suspected that iran and north tenology forballisti e missiles. now an iranian lawmaker says the north koreans informed officials in tehran in october of their plans to launch a satellite. that's more than a month before the north's official announcement on december 1st. the head of an iranian parliamentary delegation to north korea spoke to nhk. hamid reza taraghi said members of the delegation met in october with their counterparts in pyongyang. the secretary of the workers' party of korea, kim yong il, led the north korean side. taraghi said his counterparts told him they we ready f a telle lach. >> translator: north korea ec emphasized the launch would be a result of their technology. the country maintained it would be a satellite and not be used for military purposes. it's a good thing to break away from the western monopoly on satellite launches and for asian countries to g

nhk world, seoul. >> we are joined once again by kehu. how did the north korea factor play a part in voters' decision to elect park? >> reporter: it's fair to say the outcome of this election reflects a state of ties on the peninsula. she maintains a conscious stance toward the north and stresses the need to strengthen security before building ties. she will need to be tough after the launch of what many nations consider a missile by the north. >> translator: south korea has not been firm with the north. but i think south korea should keep a strong stance. but park will also need to listen to citizen who's don't like the hardline approach. >> tell us more about park geun-hye as a politician. >> reporter: throughout her career, she tried to be a corruption-free politician. her credo and stance has won her support when many politicians have lost face in politics. park helped survive the senuri party and analysts consider her an excellent leader who can unite party members. voters have shown they want their next president to do something abo

hideki yui, nhk world, kabul. >>> and that wraps up our bulletin for today. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. >>> u.s. labor department officials have released the latest jobs report. they say the employment situation improved in november. this is the first employment data after president barack obama was re-elected. the unemployment rate last month fell to 7.7% from 7.9% in october. the jobless rate has now been below 8% for three straight months. u.s. employers added 146,000 jobs in the nonfarm sector such as retail trade, professional, and business services and health care. that's more than economists had forecast. u.s. employers added 138,000 jobs in october. the officials of the labor department say hurricane sandy, which shook the country's east coast in late october, did not substantively impact the national unemployment estimates for november. >>> a legal battle between two smartphone giants, apple of the united states and samsung of south korea, rages on. the california federal district court has reopened the case over smartphone and other patents.

hideki yui, nhk world, kabul. >>> and that wraps up our bulletin for today. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. >>> u.s. labor department officials have released the latest jobs report. they say the employment situation improved in november. this is the first employment data after president barack obama was re-elected. the unemployment rate last month fell to 7.7% from 7.9% in october. the jobless rate has now been below 8% for three straight months. u.s. employers added 146,000 jobs in the nonfarm sector such as retail trade, professional, and business services and health care. that's more than economists had forecast. u.s. employers added 138,000 jobs in october. the officials of the labor department say hurricane sandy, which shook the country's east coast in late october, did not substantively impact the national unemployment estimates for november. >>> a legal battle between two smartphone giants, apple of the united states and samsung of south korea, rages on. the california federal district court has reopened the case over smartphone and other patents.

from all of us here at nhk world, thanks for joining us. have a great day wherever you are. tavis: good evening. smiley. -- from los angeles, em tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with 14- time grammy winner alicia keys. "girl on fire" features many artists, including john legend and bruno mars. our conversation with alicia keys starts right now.

tomoko yamaguchi, nhk world, nara. >>> a report sponsored by the u.s. government says shipping surplus shale gas overseas will benefit the country's economy. this could fave way for getting government permission to export the commodity. the u.s. energy department released the report on wednesday. it says the export of shale gas and other natural gas products would raise energy prices but would help the economy overall. the government is now ready to examine whether to give the go-ahead to export projects. a number of energy firms hope to export natural gas as the surge in shale gas output pushes domestic gas prices sharply lower. >>> the export plans include business with japan's electric and gas utilities. japanese energy firms have had to increase their use of thermal power plants since the nuclear accident and are keen to buy cheaper u.s. gas. officials at japan's transport ministry have ordered airlines to inspect boeing passenger jets. they say state-of-the-art 787 dreamliners have had problems with their fuel lines. the emergency order followed a

nhk world's takafumi terui has the report. >> reporter: red lights don't stop these pedestrians. and crossings, who needs them? as for drivers, when they change lanes, they barely give a thought to other motorists. not a day goes by in chinese cities without a traffic accident. >> translator: when i am in a hurry, i cross streets even against red lights if there are no cars. >> translator: in china we have only one way to cross. if we all go at once, the green light is as good as on. >> translator: pedestrians have bad manners, but cyclists are the worst. they go too fast. >> reporter: chinese police conducted a survey of 10,000 people. they released their findings in november. almost 7 out of 10 people say they've ignored traffic lights. what did they do when people on foot tried to use a crosswalk without a signal? fewer than 30% of respondents say they would give the right of way and stop to allow pedestrians to cross. almost 40% say pedestrians should wait until the car has passed. as more people become better off, car ownership is soaring. chinese now own 230 million vehicle

nhk world has the story. ♪ a puppet's pins. its dress flutters. sri lankan puppetry dates back 300 years. this is a traditional puppet of sri lanka. you have to train at least five years to learn to move it freely. but the tradition is fading. a sad legacy of the country's long civil war. during the conflict, large outdoor events weren't possible because of the risk of bomb attacks. ♪ this woman is the stage director and a puppeteer. while studying overseas, she became enchanted by puppets and their rich expressions. she found herself being lured into their world. >> they allow people to talk honestly to each other. and when you talk honestly, you start listening more. so that is why i feel that puppetry is a huge medium of communication in modern-day sri lanka. >> reporter: she recently had the honor of directing a performance with a puppet master. when he performs, behind the curtain, he moves in step with his puppets. believed showing his passionate footwork to the audience would help them connect to the performance. the show opened in early

thank you for joining us on nhk world. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>>> welcome to "nhk world newsline." . officials are expected to equip the forces with an aircraft that has the functions of a plane and helicopter. ministry sources say the aircraft is among those under consideration. u.s. forces deported the plane this year. ospreys can fly twice as fast as the helicopter and four times as far before they need to refuel and they can transport three times the weight. the deployment of the osprey sparked protest in okinawa and elsewhere because of concerns about its safety record. ministry sources say they will consider public opinion and the cost of introducing the planes. japanese peacekeepers in the golan heights have begun to return home as their 16-yir-long mission nears its end. the first group of 33 members of the self-defense forces arrived at narita airport in tokyo on monday. government officials decided earlier this month to recall the peacekeepers earlier than planned. securing their safety had become difficult because of the civil war in syria. defense ministry officials say t

nhk world. >>> and that wraps up our bulletin for today. we're reporting from bangkok. >>> with christmas just around the corner, illuminations are brightening streets around japan. tonight, we have a reporter in central tokyo checking out some of the displays. >> reporter: i'm at tokyo midtown and shops across japan have unique illuminations every year and midtown no different in this respect. the displays here have been going five years and they have been popular ever since they started. i must admit i'm a fan myself and come here pretty much every year. you can see that the lights here, there are actually 280,000 leds, if you include the decorations surrounding them as well. the last friday before christmas, so the turnout here is huge. you can see many, many people have braved the cold to come and see the show. now, last year, 5 million people came here in a month and a half, and the organizers expect more this year due to increasing numbers of elderly visitors and tourists from across japan. now paths leading to the plaza are also illu

nhk world reports. >> reporter: ladies cycle into the farming villages of bangladesh. the ladies cycle house to house to villages where electricity are rare. their main tool is a battery powered laptop. it connects to the internet over a mobile phone network. >> translator: a blaze at a textile factory in the capital is making headlines. >> reporter: this lady reads news and important headlines for farmers. many people in these areas are illiterate. the ladies use simple lang that -- language that is easy to understand. >> translator: it's a great help to have someone tell us what is happening outside our village. >> reporter: the service began four years ago. affordable process made it available. the basic service costs two cents for ten minutes. for 11 cents, the info lady will send an e-mail. this woman is talking by video link to her son working in saudi arabia. >> translator: i was so happy to see my son's face. >> reporter: the digital divide is widening between urban and rural areas of bangladesh. in this northern district, less than half the population can read

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." north korean leaders appear to be moving ahead with plans to launch a rocket later this month. they say it will carry a satellite into space, but south korean officials say engineers in the north have actually built a long range ballistic missile. they say crews added a third and final section at a facility and officials in seoul say workers have not injected fuel yet. authorities say the launch will happen between the 10th and 22nd of this month. the plan has alarmed people in neighboring countries. senior officials have met with their u.s. counterparts to coordinate their response. south korea's chief nuclear negotiator and the head of the japanese foreign ministries headed to washington. they met with u.s. special representative on north korea, glen davies. they will continue diplomatic efforts until the last minute. >> translator: we also agreed that the international community should take firm action if north korea goes ahead with the launch. >> sugiyama said he hopes to visit be

nhk world. >>> and that wraps up our bulletin for today. we're reporting from bangkok. >>> with christmas just around the corner, illuminations are brightening streets around japan. tonight, we have a reporter in central tokyo checking out some of the displays. >> reporter: i'm at tokyo midtown and shops across japan have unique illuminations every year and midtown no different in this respect. the displays here have been going five years and they have been popular ever since they started. i must admit i'm a fan myself and come here pretty much every year. you can see that the lights here, there are actually 280,000 leds, if you include the decorations surrounding them as well. the last friday before christmas, so the turnout here is huge. you can see many, many people have braved the cold to come and see the show. now, last year, 5 million people came here in a month and a half, and the organizers expect more this year due to increasing numbers of elderly visitors and tourists from across japan. now paths leading to the plaza are also illu

. >>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." park geun-hye made a lot of promises during her election campaign. she said she would make life better for south koreans. now the pressure for her to keep those promises is on. people across the country are watching the president-elect closely and analyzing her victory. earlier i spoke with a reporter in seoul on the day after the election. >> reporter: the south korean media are busy telling park geun-hye's history, they're going over the twists and turns of the path that led to the start of a late president back to the blue house as president. experts say the high voter turnout helps park win more than 50% of the ballots. some initially thought it would have favored opposition candidate moon jae-in who has widespread support among young people. in past presidential elections, voters in their 30s or younger outnumbered those in their 50s or older. this time around the reverse happened within perhaps because society is aging and birth rates are declining. the 50-plus set accounted for

nhk world, tokyo. >>> nhk world's special coverage of japan's general election is a click or tap away. starting december 10th we'll add a host of features to the web and mobile sites. you'll find background and analysis and in depth reports on issues that define the campaign from the economy and energy policy to disaster recovery and more. get online and get nfd. ww www.nhk.or.jp/nhkword. >>> investigators in central japan have found hundreds of safety problems at the site of a fatal accident. concrete ceiling panels in a highway tunnel collapsed earlier in mononth killing nine people. millions of passengers take the 2 expressway on their way into tokyo. the ceiling panels of a tunnel along the highway fell onto vehicles traveling through it. they were suspended by metal rods and fastened into the bedrock above. they believe aging bolt wore away causing a chain reaction. the people that operate the highway carried out an emergency inspection on the opposite lane. they found more than 600 bolts had loosened or corroded. they managed to pull out two without any tools. they discovered 19

nhk world, tokyo. >>> nhk world's special coverage of japan's general election is a click or tap away. starting december 10th we'll add a host of features to the web and mobile sites. you'll find background and analysis and in depth reports on issues that define the campaign from the economy and energy policy to disaster recovery and more. get online and get nfd. ww www.nhk.or.jp/nhkword. >>> investigators in central japan have found hundreds of safety problems at the site of a fatal accident. concrete ceiling panels in a highway tunnel collapsed earlier in mononth killing nine people. millions of passengers take the 2 expressway on their way into tokyo. the ceiling panels of a tunnel along the highway fell onto vehicles traveling through it. they were suspended by metal rods and fastened into the bedrock above. they believe aging bolt wore away causing a chain reaction. the people that operate the highway carried out an emergency inspection on the opposite lane. had loosedr corroded.600 bolts they managed to pull out two without any tools. they discovered 19 pieces of hardware and bo

. >>> nhk special coverage japan general election is a click away. we'll be adding features to our web and mobile sites. in-depth looks on what could define the campaign. get online and get informed. >>> delegates from more than 100 countries noticed them as legitimate people. barack obama did the same thing a day earlier. the de the delegates met in morocco, the so-called friends of syria from the u.s., european union, and various arab countries. more than 50 opposition groups formed the coalition last month. the friends of syria say the organization is now the lawful government. they say president bashar assad should step down. delegates did not state whether they would provide weapons to the coalition. some are concerned that those weapons could fall into the hands of radicals. a spokesperson said that they believe their allies will help arm them if the situation changes. the leaders of russia and china continue to support the assad government. delegates from those countries did not attend the meeting. >>> 20 years after the u.s. closed its last m

. >>> nhk special coverage japan general election is a click away. we'll be adding features to our web and mobile sites. in-depth looks on what could define the campaign. get online and get informed >>> delegates from more than 100 countries noticed them as legitimate people. barack obama did the same thing a day earlier. the de the delegates met in morocco, the so-called friends of syria from the u.s., european union, and various arab countries. more than 50 opposition groups formed the coalition last month. the friends of syria say the organization is now the lawful government. should step down.bashar assad delegates did not state whether they would provide weapons to the coalition. some are concerned that those weapons could fall into the hands of radicals. a spokesperson said that they believe their allies will help arm them if the situation changes. the leaders of russia and china continue to support the assad government. delegates from those countries did not attend the meeting. >>> 20 years after the u.s. closed its last military base in the p

nhk world has more from doha. >> the meeting taking place this year in the oil rich qatar has entered the final stretch. delegates are making the final appeals. >> doha must mark the transition from the old system with the two tracks and the future system with one track. >> delegates have been trying to piece together a new agreement on curbing carbon emissions. they hope to forge a framework, succeed the kyoto protocol that goes to the e of this year. they want a stricter limit on greenhouse grasses in growing countries such as china and india. they're currently not committed to targets. representatives from china, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, said the country has done its share. they note that during the first nine months of 2012 china's energy consumption fell by 3.4% from the previous year. >> translator: we made a commitment at our party congress. we prioritized building and eco friendly society. we'll make a strong effort to promote a recycle-based society. china will act on climate change with other nations. >> some delegates also want reassurance on financi

nhk world. >>> populous, prosperous, pushing ahead. china's wealth brought it power, wealth and problems. pollution threat continues their health and strained relations with its neighbors. find out the challenges that china faces on "newsline." >>> investors on tokyo markets are seeing numbers they haven't seen in months. we have been seeing a weaker yen. >> exactly, catherine. we have been seeing it for a few weeks now. that's pushing up the nikkei way higher today. in fact, the nikkei reached the highest level since early march 2011 which is prior to the major earthquake. the nikkei index is trading at 10,367 which is a gain of 1.3%. the nikkei's gains are due to optimism that the bank of japan is likely to take further easing steps. there are hopes that exporters will post higher earnings. traders said overseas institutional investors are returning and taking an aggressive stance on tokyo stocks. let's look at the markets. market players are buying up dollars and selling the yen on the yeps the bank will take action. the pair is quo

nhk world. >>> populous, prosperous, pushing ahead. china's wealth brought it power, wealth and problems. pollution threat continues their health and strained relations with its neighbors. find out the challenges that china faces on "newsline." >>> investors on tokyo markets are seeing numbers they haven't seen in months. we have been seeing a weaker yen. >> exactly, catherine. we have been seeing it for a few weeks now. that's pushing up the nikkei way higher today. in fact, the nikkei reached the highest level since early march 2011 which is prior to the major earthquake. the nikkei index is trading at 10,367 which is a gain of 1.3%. th kkei's gains are due to optimism that the bank of japan is likely to take further easing steps. there are hopes that exporters will post higher earnings. traders said overseas institutional investors are returning and taking an aggressive stance on tokyo stocks. let's look at the markets. market players are buying up dollars and selling the yen on the yeps the bank will take action. the pair is quoted

nhk world has morerom doha. >> the meeting taking place this year in the oil rich qatar has entered the final stretch. delegates are making the final appeals. >> doha must mark the transition from the old system with the two tracks and the future system with one track. >> delegates have been trying to piece together a new agreement on curbing carbon emissions. they hope to forge a framework, succeed the kyoto protocol that goes to the end of this year. they want a stricter limit on greenhouse grasses in growing countries such as china and india. they're currently not committed to targets. representatives from china, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, said the country has done its share. they note that during the first nine months of 2012 china's energy consumption fell by 3.4% from the previous year. >> translator: we made a commitment at our party congress. we prioritized building and eco friendly society. we'll make a strong effort to promote a recycle-based society. china will act on climate change with other nations. >> some delegates also want reassurance on financial

i've been to the nhk labs in tokyo, and it's better than 3-d. got depth of field, it's got a clarity of picture. it's not even

aaron, nhk is reporting a one meter high tsunami wave. what are the nuclear authorities and energy authorities saying right now? >> we just reported that, that's right, that's coming off nhk. what we're hearing from all the nuclear operators, that all northeastern stations are operating normally or all shut down actually. nuclear power says there is it no spike in radiation levels. and the one so badly damaged last year, there's been no changes with the cooling system and no irregularities inside the reactors. and the station nearby, a similar story. and that extends to the other stations up the coast. >> reuters is now quoting saying tokyo electric power has ordered workers to evacuate the fukushima nuclear plant. would that be a standard procedure or not? >> we're checking in with them. my guess would be a precaution. because there is a tsunami warning out. but it would be nothing of the magnitude of last year's tsunami and i doubt that it would affect the plant. having visited the plant myself. >> and we know the damage that happened l

nhk world. >>> many people in advanced economy feel a sense of responsibility to help those in developing nations but the contributions sometimes miss the mark. they can spend a lot of money and still fail to meet local needs. a japanese group is taking a different approach with simple, affordable solutions. >> reporter: many people survive on less than a dollar a day. in this village people life stands for the better a few months ago when they received their basic construction. it's a water purifiepurifier. it makes ground water drinkable. another simple solution is a portable light charged by sun. he has a nonprofit organization from japan. in some places he walked alongside staff from the united nations. he has seen first hand that many people need assistance. >> translator: programs to assist people in developing countries seem to be too complicated these days. i felt we should return to basics. we should see how people in poverty live their lives. and think about what they struggle with. that's what led me to simple technology. >> reporter: he runs to find affordable solutions. he in

islam, nhk world, islamabad. >> some people may have been surprised to have woken up this morning. the so-called new agers were convinced the world would end on december 21st with the end of the mayan long count calendar. archeologists say their beliefs are groundless. the supposed end of the mayan calendar has prompted apocalyptic speculation around the world. about 1,000 tourists are expected to visit the mayan ruins in mexico. a museum in moscow is offering a place. ticket prices are around $100. museum curators say they are sold out. police have been busy trying to keep visitors away. >>> people in china are busy trying to detain the myths. the police have obtained more than 600 members of a banned cult. the communists parties official newspaper has called on all chinese to stay calm. the rumors have no scientific basis. the beijing times reported a strong cold snap will grip the country over the weekend but it has nothing to do with the world ending. >>> they are facing their toughest test this century. the state run newspaper publiced a commentary. it notes the rift with japa

nhk world, manila. >>> some homeowner may need to check the land beneath them. nearly 6,000 kilometers sank by two centimeters after the earthquake in march last year. that's the highest since they started keeping records in 1968. they tested dozens of areas. they found the land on 30 of them is sinking. about half of those areas are dropping enough to compromise the stability of buildings. they point to one piece of ground in northeast japan as the worst example. it sank by more than 73 centimeters. residents have seen land drop by more than ten centimeters. >>> rather than see their village become another ghost town, residents are putting new life into it. they are turning their community into an outdoor art display. >> reporter: it represents a villager. they civilize the strong ties that bind the residents together. these big masks are made from trees to only a few ridges including this one. visitors can relax and forget their cares. obara lies near the mountains of the archai prefecture. only about 4,000 people remain. every year at this time more than 150,

nhk world, manila. >>> some homeowner may need to check the land beneath them. nearly 6,000 kilometers sank by two centimeters after the earthquake in rch la ar. that's the highest since they started keeping records in 1968. they tested dozens of areas. they found the land on 30 of them is sinking. about half of those areas are dropping enough to compromise the stability of buildings. they point to one piece of ground in northeast japan as the worst example. it sank by more than 73 centimeters. residents have seen land drop by more than ten centimeters. >>> rather than see their village become another ghost town, residents are putting new life into it. they are turning their community into an outdoor art display. >> reporter: it represents a villager. they civilize the strong ties that bind the residents together. these big masks are made from trees to only a few ridges including this one. visitors can relax and forget their cares. obara lies near the mountains of the archai prefecture. only about 4,000 people remain. every year at this time more than 150,000 pe

nhk world. >>> many people in advanced economy feel a sense of responsility t hp those indevel contributions sometimes miss the mark. they can spend a lot of money and still fail to meet local needs. a japanese group is taking a different approach with simple, affordable solutions. >> reporter: many people survive on less than a dollar a day. in this village people life stands for the better a few months ago when they received their basic construction. it's a water purifiepurifier. it makes ground water drinkable. another simple solution is a portable light charged by sun. he has a nonprofit organization from japan. in some places he walked alongside staff from the united nations. he has seen first hand that many people need assistance. >> translator: programs to assist people in developing countries seem to be too compcated these da. i felt we should return to basics. we should see how people in poverty live their lives. and think about what they struggle with. that's what led me to simple technology. >> reporter: he runs to find affordable solutions. he introduces the winners. the inventer