the u.s. nuclear regulatory commission released 3,000 pages of transcripts showing its response in the days following the disaster at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant in japan. the documents show the agency contemplating evacuation advisory for u.s. citizens two days after the quake and tsunami disabled the facility. the transcripts cover in-house conferences over ten days from march 11th last year when the quake hit northeastern japan. a recording of an emergency conference call shows commission members discussing the seriousness of the situation. >> there is somewhat alarming language that talks about, and i'll just quote, the iaea tells us the earthquake triggered a power failure at the fukushima, daiichi unit two nuclear power plant. >> the documents show a senior member wanting to evacuate people within the radius of about 80 kilometers of the plant two days after the disaster. cesium had been detected leading

an official to fear the core of the reactors were partially damaged. chairman gregory jaczko had a scenario in which reactors one, two and three all melted down. the u.s. ultimately issued an 80 kilometers evacuation on citizen on march 16th. this was larger than the japanese government's advisory of up to 30 kilometers. japanese officials want to share what they learn from the march 11th disaster. they're planning an international conference on national disasters. the city of sendai and miyagi prefecture will host government ministers this july. officials from the united nations and the world bank will help organize a two-day meeting. some of the sessions will be held in two other prefectures hit by the disaster, fukushima and iwate. government officials will invite representatives of countries that have sperexperienced large

scale disasters including thailand, indonesia and haiti. japanese delegates will report on the damage from the march disaster and on rescue efforts. participants will also discuss recovery, reconstruction and prevention. organizers will plan to take them on tours of the region. government officials plan to use the results of discussions for a u.n. meeting on disaster prevention planned for 2015. "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" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." north korea and the united states are due to hold direct talks in beijing thursday over north korea's nuclear development. the meetings will be the first since the death of kim jong il in december.

north korea's nuclear envoy kim kye gwan arrived in beijing on tuesday. he did not speak with reporters. u.s. special envoy for north korean policy, glyn davies, arrived on wednesday. >> in the leadership in pyongyang, we will be interested to see whether they're interested in moving forward with us, what precisely his policies are, in what direction he wants to take his country. all of these are a bit unknowns at this stage. >> nhk world joins us with his view of the talks. hiroki, what do you think will be the focus of the discussions at the meeting? >> i don't think there will be a major breakthrough. that's because north korea and the united states have domestic concerns they need to address. north korea has a new leader in kim jong un whose skills are still developing. on the other hand, president barack obama is facing an election campaign.

this meeting is the first since the death of kim jong-il so it will likely reaffirm its position on its nuclear program, i think. >> what is its basic stance? >> kim jong-il never halted the nuclear development program. it's trying to bolster public support for the new leader. kim jong-un is being credited with leading the nuclear testing and firing of long-range ballistic missiles. the government is also claiming that the nuclear and missile development promoted by kim jong-il is among his greatest achievements. but north korea is facing -- so the country may show a more flexible attitude in order to secure relief supplies. >> is north korea likely to make any concessions over its nuclear development in these direct talks? >> i think there is little chance of that happening at this stage. washington has demanded that north korea suspended its uranium enrichment before the six-party talks can resume. i doubt the north will agree to that.

just because north korea's new leadership -- by maintaining a hard line stance in negotiations with the united states. >> what stance do you expect the u.s. to take? >> i think it will show its determination to stop north korea's uranium enrichment problem. its main concern is that the north may conduct a nuclear test or launch long-range missiles as leverage to seek financial aid from the international community. the u.s. wants to show north korea that this style of diplomacy, namely to get aid by threatening, no longer works. so at this early stage of kim jong-un's law, the u.s. needs to show that there is no room for compromise in nuclear talks. >> all right. nhk world's hiroki yajima reporting for us tonight. thank you. >> thank you so much. south korean president lee myung-bak says its country will welcome talks with north korea.

he held a news conference in seoul on wednesday. saturday will mark his fourth anniversary in office. lee said the north now has a window of opportunity to make changes for the future. this was an apparent reference to the transition of power under the new leader, kim jong-un. >> translator: if north korea is serious about entering into talks, the south will respond with an open mind. >> lee said his policy toward the north represented a changing direction from the misguided approaches of the past and that it has born fruit. since taking office in 2008, lee has been pressing north korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. his predecessors, kim dae-jung and roh moo-hyung, both took a conciliatory stance toward the north. a team of u.n. nuclear officials has returned from iran with little to show. inspectors from the international atomic energy

agency spent two days in tehran but they weren't granted access to the most sensitive sites. nhk world reports from tehran. >> reporter: the team, led by deputy director general, herman nackaerts, concluded its two-day tour on tuesday. this was the team's second trip to iran in a month. the iaea raised the suspicion in its november report that iran carried out tests and simulations to develop nuclear weapons. the team is believed to have asked to visit nuclear facilities but the iranian envoy to the iaea told reporters that the second round of talks had ended and the two sides will continue consultation. >> translator: the purpose of the iaea's visit is not to inspect nuclear facilities but to discuss cooperation between

iran and the iaea. >> reporter: the remarks suggest that iran denied the team access to nuclear facilities. but iran has also shown willingness to resume talks with the united states and five other countries that have been suspended for a year. the foreign minister ali akbar salehi said on tuesday that iran will soon be able to announce a schedule and location of a new round of talks with western nations. sanati, nhk world, tehran. >> the iaea has criticized iran for not cooperating with its inspectors. iaea director general yukiya amano released a statement after the team flew out of iran. he said team members were disappointed that iranian officials barred them from a military facility. they suspect scientists tested explosives needed to detonate nuclear weapons.

the iaea team will report to a board meeting next month. u.s. and european representatives are expected to criticize iranian officials for their refusal to cooperate. the international community of the red cross called for a two-hour daily cease-fire in syria to allow the daily delivery of aid. government troops have been battling dissidents for nearly three weeks in the central city of homs. army defectors intense fide the fighting. the red cross said people have been trapped in their homes for days, unable to step outside to get food or water. it asked both sides of the conflict to honor a pause so they can deliver aid and evacuate the sick and wounded. human rights activists in homs say 16 people including women and children were killed on tuesday as government troops bombarded houses and mosques. they say there is not enough medicine to treat the wounded. however syrian state run tv has shown people buying bread in homs along with interviews of a

man and a woman who say the reports of food shortages are complete fabrication. myanmar's lower house speaker says the country will allow foreign observers to monitor its parliamentary by-elections in april. thura shwe mann, one of the leaders of myanmar's former military government, made the announcement on wednesday. country will hold by-elections for the upper and lower houses as well as local assemblies on april 1st. pro democracy leader aung san suu kyi is running in the election. mann says the country will welcome election monitors. mann reiterated myanmar's promise to secretary of state hillary clinton that in november that it will hold free and fair elections. >> translator: aung san suu kyi is getting great public support. if the voters wish, she could become a member of parliament. >> aung san suu kyi is gaining support in the country side.

she's contesting a seat in the low income area on the outskirts of yangon. suu kyi's national league for democracy won the 1990 parliamentary elections but the military government at the time rejected the results. the nld boycotted the 2010 vote. 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 popping up across the city. you can also see many huge shopping malls all over hanoi. now this is the newest shopping mall that just opened up last december. it is the largest emporium in vietnam with a total area of 60,000 square meters. and there is a good selection of

apparel and appliance retailers, which makes this one of the hottest shopping spots in hanoi. >> translator: i bought a notebook pc and a cell phone. >> translator: i came to shop for a 43-inch tv. this mall is still new, but i come here quite often because it has a wide variety of products. >> reporter: as the economy grows, the lifestyles of vietnamese people are also changing rapidly. per capita income and consumption are rising year after year. the ranks of the urban middle class are swelling. now accounting for 30% of the country. vietnam has a population of about 86 million people. it is not only a huge consumer market, but also an important source of labor. and that's why the country is

attracting so much foreign investment. the average age of vietnam's population is just 27. this young and diligent workforce is a major draw for investors. the vietnamese government has set attracting foreign investment as one of its top priorities. as you can see, vietnam's economy appears to be booming in the big cities. now this boom is spreading to central regions that until now have been left behind. in 2006, the main road connecting central vietnam with laos and thailand was built, using aid from japan and other countries. it is known as the east-west economic corridor. at the land border, there is still a lot of red tape that needs to be addressed, but even so this direct route links

vietnam with southeast asia's manufacturing hub in thailand. that gives central vietnam an economic leg up in terms of logistics, compared with the north and the south. and now the region is seeing more inflows of foreign investments than ever. nhk world reports from danang. >> this is one of the most important cities in central vietnam. many foreign companies have their eyes on this old port town. the flow of foreign capital is mainly directed at the tourism sector. companies are lured by danang's beautiful beaches. the city's landscape is changing rapidly. this hotel opened last october. >> it is like the new hot

destination. mostly i enjoy staying here for long holiday very much. >> reporter: the vietnamese government is also desperate not to miss the opportunity. i am at the international airport. it opened a few months ago and features the latest facilities. the government abandoned the old terminal which was built before the vietnam war. it was a brand-new building befitting the gateway to central vietn vietnam. a south korean airliner flies two direct flights here from seoul every week. on this saturday night, the airport was crowded with tourists.

>> i choose this country to visit. >> reporter: south korea's investment in danang isn't limited to tourism. betting on the area's future growth, a south korean firm is actively investing in urban development projects. the developer is building a town complete with shopping and residential districts as well as golf courses and an international conference hall. all on some 200 hectares of land. the project is due to be completed in 2020. its scale is unprecedented in vietnam. >> we decide to invest in danang because we thought danang has a great development including industry, education, et cetera.

>> translator: danang is heading for a bright future. it has vision. we can be as big as not only other vietnamese metropolises but the great cities of the entire region. >> and now we're joined by nhk hanoi's bureau chief. can you tell us why is the ruling communist party focusing so much on developing the central part of vietnam in. >> well, in terms of per capita gdp and average incomes, the central region remains well below levels seen in the capital hanoi or ho chi minh city. income disparity between the regions could lead to social unrest. that might cause a threat to the rule of the communist party. that's why 15 years ago the vietnamese authorities chose to press danang under direct

control to oversee its development. they say danang and central vietnam are essential to their strategy of minimizing disparities of income and quality of life. >> and how successful has the government been so far? >> my report just showed how progress is being made in infrastructure and urban development. but danang is also spearheading efforts to attract foreign investment. every year the vietnam chamber of commerce and the u.s. agency for international development published a list of vietnam's populist nations for investment. and danang has been at the top for three years in a row. it scored particularly well in terms of quality of manpower, transparent access to information and cooperation by public officials. the main charge now will be to remain at the top of the list and continue attracting

investors from abroad. >> thank you so very much, akiko. and tomorrow on the second day of our special report, we'll discuss one of the major challenges to the development of central vietnam. and that is finding high quality manpower in the tourism industry. join me then. and that will wrap up our bulletin for today. i'm patchari raksawong reporting from hanoi. wednesday marks one year since a powerful earthquake rocked new zealand. people across the country remember the 185 people who died in the quake. thousands of people gathered at the park in christchurch to remember those who prished. the quake struck during the lunch hour last year. almost two thirds of the victims died in one building, an office tower that housed an english language school. police officers and firefighters read out the names of all 185 victims. the city fell silent for two minutes in tribute to those who died.

>> they'll never be forgotten. you never forget something like that happening in your life, you know? and a lot of them were my good friends, you know? so i miss them. >> three japanese families visited the collapsed building site. some of the victims were japanese students. relatives laid flowers where the building once stood. the site is still declared off limits. the previous day, they met new zealand authorities to urge a thorough investigation into why the building collapsed. >> one year has passed since that tragic day. many buildings in the historic center of christchurch still show a scale of the devastation. a court in okinawa sent a

civilian employee of a u.s. base to prison for causing a fatal vehicle collision while on duty. the ruling is a first since the application of bilateral agreement on the status of u.s. forces in japan was revised last november. the defendant rufus ramsey was driving home from work in january last year. his car collided head on with a vehicle killing its 19-year-old driver. in the naha district court on wednesday, the presiding judge, hideyuki suzuki said ramsey bears heavy responsibility for the incident. the judge said it is natural for the victim's mother to demand severe punishment. he urged ramsey to apologize directly to the victim's family, saying there should be no difference between japan and the u.s. in how one must act after causing someone's death. ramsey had been exempt from prosecution by japanese authorities under the japan-u.s. status of forces agreement. but he was indicted last november just after the two countries decided to revise the

application of the agreement. the prosecution had demanded a two-year prison term. rachel ferguson is up next with weather. >> hi there. well, it's going to be an umbrella day across japan as we head into thursday. we've got a big front moving across much of the country. and, in fact, we could see as much as 100 millimeters of rain in some places. now, it's going to be moving away fairly quickly. so by thursday night, we should be seeing much dryer conditions. however, for hokkaido, lingering snow showers and gusts. now, back in towards northeastern china, we will see some dry conditions also here. however, there will be lingering showers in the southeast for the next couple of days. looking fairly calm across the philippines, some scattered thunderstorms, but nothing of the very heavy rain that we were seeing the beginning of the week. and in the last couple of weeks preceding that. hong kong you're looking for 21 degrees.

probably morning fog and rainy patches. ten degrees in shanghai. a hot day in taipei at 25. rain all day in tokyo. and eight degrees in seoul. you should be a bit dryer across the korean peninsula. okay. as we head on into north america we've got a couple of low pressures along the front here in the west. this is bringing winter weather for you in the intermountain west and canadian rockies and near whiteout conditions in the mountain passes. it is going to start to improve from the west. we've got high pressure moving in from behind the system. that will help to clear things out for you on your thursday. wednesday is still going to be a little bit windy and wet. with that snow moving in towards the northern plains here, scattering of it here. and for places such as denver you will be noticing a big drop in temperatures. your wednesday high is going to be about 16 degrees. and then on thursday, you're back down to just one. so be prepared for that big jump in the temperatures. as we head out to the southeast we've got a couple of upper

level disturbances. and there are going to be really -- interacting with the moisture coming out of the gulf here. that's going to spell some pretty severe weather for some of you. anywhere, the red, damaging winds, large hail, locally heavy rain for you as well and the possibility for tornadoes. it's going to be generally warm though across the east. new york city coming in at 14 degrees for your wednesday. 16 in washington, d.c. very warm in oklahoma city at 23 degrees. and there's your 16 in denver. but that is not going to last. like i say, you will be down to just around the freezing point on your thursday. all right. as we head on into europe, again, a wet and wild day across the british isles and into scandinavia. most of this is going to be rain because it is fairly warm here as well. as this heads in towards france, as well as germany and the low country, it's going to be fairly light precipitation. you can see it already starting to weaken off in the next 24 hours. and then down across the mediterranean, very stubborn system will be lingering. parts of southern greece and

italy and northern tunisia and algeria. you will still see the potential for thunderstorms to turn severe and we'll see heavy rain with that as well. all right. temperatures, lots of double digits here. berlin, ten degrees. 6 for you in stockholm. london getting up to 15 degrees on your thursday. we sometimes see that in august. three degrees in kiev. and 6 in warsaw. sub-zero in moscow with some snow. i'll leave you your extended forecast.

that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline." we'll be back with more news in half an hour. i'm michio kijima in tokyo. thank you for watching. bye-bye.