the syrian government hasn't allowed a separate u.n. team to enter the country to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use. u.s. leaders said that they had confidence that president assad had used sarin gas on a small scale. >>> construction workers have putting up the 70 kilometer barbed wire fortification. israeli defense officials say the work will be completed within a few months. they're aiming to stop militants crossing over from syria's civil war. president bashar responded by threatening retaliation. >>> analyst blame the government and the military of computer based attacks against the u.s. . they levelled the charges for the first time in their annual report on china. they wrote there's a strong likelihood that chinese agents were directly involved in attacks on u.s. government computer systems. they discussed conventional weapons in their report. they wrote they are designed to target u.s. aircraft carriers. they suggested commanders in the people's liberation army have finished with their development of their missiles

they'll meet with u.n. officials next week to discuss ways to bring the parties together. >>> chinese president is trying to reclaim relations with emerging economies. he's setting off on a tour to latin america. he will make his second overseas trip since march. he'll make the first visit to trinidad and tobago by a chinese president. the nation has large reserves of oil and natural gas. but the chinese are weary of have appearing too eager. costa rica has established relations with china six years ago. he also wants to make more inroads in mexico. like china, it's enjoying rapid growth. xi will meet next week with president obama. they will sit town in california. they are expected to discuss their concerns about trade, cyber security and north korea's nuclear program. >>> defense ministers and military chiefs in the asia pacific region may soon have a chance to hear how chinese military leaders view territorial disputes. one of china's most senior military officers is getting ready to speak in singapore

a spokesperson for the u.n. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs says the boat hit rocks and capsized after leaving pauktaw township. afp is quoting a rohingya muslim who lives there and said many passengers are feared dead. aid workers called for an evacuation, because the storm is expected to tear through the temporary camps that dot the coast. about 140,000 people live there in flimsy tents. most are rohingya muslims who fled the complex with buddhists last year. they're considered illegal immigrants who came from bangladesh. and most are denied citizenship. anti-muslim sentiment complicated the evacuation effort. >> translator: we are worried that there is no protection for us here. the government has just announced that a storm is coming soon. but there is no support for us. >> u.n. officials estimate about 69,000 people are living in low-lying areas that are at a high risk of flooding and landslides, authorities fear the cyclone could make the humanitarian crisis in the temporary camps worse

. >>> a u.n. committee says the japanese government should work to prevent hate speech against so-called comfort women. many of the women were forced to work in brothels during world war ii. some internet users in japan have posted hateful messages about former south korean comfort women. members of the u.n. committee on economic, social and cultural rights issued a report covering various issues in japan including the comfort women. they recommend the japanese government educate the public to prevent the women from being stigmatized. they say japan should address the lasting effects of the exploitation and guarantee the women full economic, social and cultural rights. the report was compiled before osaka mayor toru hashimoto trig this month. he said wartime brothels were necessary. >>> he didn't give any clear dates. he said he needed to see more of an improvement in the job market before he winds anything down. ben bernanke says he will leave the easing policy as it is. he said the benefits of q

about a third wants to make changes to allow japan to take part in u.n.-led military activities. among those against modifying the constitution, about two-thirds are identified article 9 as the most important article. 16% said it doesn't need to be revised and changing the interpretation is enough. >> i personally want to keep the peace constitution as it is. >> it's been a long time since it was established. so i think it's all right to change it in accordance with reality. >> prime minister abe says he first wants to change the procedure to amend the constitution. it stipulates that two thirds support in both chambers of the diet is required. abe wants to make the seasons for the diet a simple majority. constitutional experts are split on the issue. >> people tend to think a procedure is not important. but on this issue, it has substantial meaning. a normal law can be passed with a simple majority. the hurdle was made deliberately high because of it's special importance. >> translator: the change will allow the people to express their opinions rather than making the hurdle high

they said they'd submit their proposals to the u.n. security committee. they're willing to bring members of the government and opposition together at a conference. neither side has confirmed they'll participate in the talks. ncht t ncht. >>> the leaders of japan and thailand agreed to stay in talks. japanese prime minister abe met his thai counterpart on thursday in tokyo. abe described thailand as a key country in the association of southeast asia nations. he is eager to help with development in thailand. positive contributions to such developments will bring about prosperity for both nations. the offer was welcomed. she suggested that her government will give positive consideration to the matter and promote cooperation with japan in various fields. abe also requested that restrictions be relaxed for thai imports of food products from japan. restrictions were imposed two years ago following the fukushima power plant accident. she said she'll consider the request positively. >>> choe is the director of the general political bureau. he met with liu. they w

condemns the syrian government for systematic human rights violations and demands president assad to allow u.n. investigators into the country for assessing chemical weapons used and allow for a transition. it says the national coalition should play a role. general assembly resolutions are not binding but it would carry in the security council where russia and china have backed regions. >>> researchers with the u.s. geological survey says the continental shelf may hold undiscovered crude oil and natural gas. north korean agents kidnapped them in the '70s and '80s. he was a top aid to former prime minister. in 2002 and 2004. visited the north for talkings with then leader kim jung-il. kim is a close aid e. prime minister abe said he would be willing to meet with kim jung-un if it would help resolve the issue. >> translator: if a summit with the north korean leader was considered crucial to resolving the issue, we would have to take this into account when negotiating with the country. >> abe noted that the visit led to the return of five abductees. 12 others are considered missing. >>> the senio

u.n. officials warned last week that a humanitarian catastrophe could develop if people were not evacuated. >>> the booming economies of southeast asia have created personal wealth for people who are eager to travel abroad and countries are trying to lure them. as the yen slides against the dollar in asian currencies, japan is emerging as a favored destination. nht world reports. >> reporter: this travel agency in kuala lumpur receives many calls a day from malaysians asking about trips to japan. using the falling yen as leverage, the agency is able to offer a 15% discount on a tour to hokkaido, a popular destination in northern japan. the agency has seen a 20% increase in japan by customers over the same season last year. >> now because of the low currency, we can see the new customer totally they've never been to japan before. >> reporter: this march, the combined number of tourists traveling abroad from six southeast asian countries topped 100,000. there's 150% increase since last year.

>>> the u.n. high commissioner for human rights is speaking out about a weapon. she has expressed serious concerns over the use of armed drones. she spoke to members of the human rights council in geneva. she said she is profoundly disturbed of the human rights use of drones. she's disturbed the human rights implications of the drones in counterterrorism and military operations. she raised concerns about the rising number of states acquiring the weapons, saying the lack of transparency undermines the legal basis of drone strikes. u.s. president barack obama said last week that the use of drones against al qaeda, the taliban, and affiliated groups is justified, but he promised to improve transparency and tighten controls. palaise is urging all leaders to be transparent and assure they comply with international law. drones are part of operations in pakistan, yemen and other countries. pakistani is trying to halt the attacks because of civilian causalities. >>> a fear chinese hackers are breaking into systems and stealing secrets. president obama is expected to rais

. >> spokespersons for the u.n. and human rights groups have criticized the israeli restrictions. they say the embargo makes it difficult for palestinians to earn a living. >>> thousands of dutch people crammed outside the royal to catch a capitalism of their new king. queen beatrix stepped down and made way for her son, willem-alexander. he is the first dutch king in 123 years. he turned 46 last week and is the youngest king in europe. he took on a position largely stripped of power. the 2,000 guests included royalty from across europe and the middle east, dutch government officials and leaders of international organizations. king willem-alexander and the queen appeared outside the royal palace with their three daughters to the delight of the 3,000 people in the square below. >>> turn their thumbs down on another member of the euro zone. joining us with that and other stories from our business desk. good morning to you, yuko. >> very good morning. >> seems as though europeans just get through one thing and we hear about another. >> it seems that way. this time, moody's downgraded

the event was one of a series held last month by a thai ngo brought on by the u.n. development program. thailand's sex industry is thought to employ tens of thousands of workers. prostitution is technically legal, but the law criminalizes only those who provide sexual services. they get no legal protection from abusive managers, and violence which often comes with the work. groups seeking to rectify the situation say the exploitation will continue as long as sex workers are denied legal protection. >> we are living in society, it's discrimination and stigma against our profession. i dream about to have sex workers to be a human being and stand up in society. >> reporter: not everyone shares that view. the head of the bangkok office of one u.s.-based ngo says legalizing prostitution could benefit underground organizations instead. >> to try to protect their rights in prostitution is only to try to protect them while they're being harmed. but we offer them the opportunity to have a good job, to get paid fair wages, to have benefits that come with a real job. >> report

the u.n. chief demands access to syria for officials. >> where to put the waste -- german mp's the data refresh search for a nuclear dump site in germany. >> and let's dance -- the carnival of cultures right here in berlin. we begin with the crisis in syria. the united nations refugee agency says more than 1.5 million people have fled the country since the conflict began over two years ago. >> the international community is also concerned about the threat of chemical weapons being used in the conflict as well as the continued sale of arms to syria by russia. m at the united nations general secretary on a visit to russia is demanding that a conference backed by moscow and washington be held as soon as possible. >> ban ki-moon has been to russia three times, but this is probably his most difficult mission. he is looking to get moscow and russia on the same page on the issue of syria. >> we have to end the violence as soon as possible and transition to a new future with the syrian people have pea

. >> also in july, a multinational u.n. peacekeeping force is supposed to gradually take over from the french. their troops seem to have ousted the rebels and are now securing the north, but nobody here can say if the situation will remain peaceful. most likely, german soldiers will take part in that mission. if they do, they might be in for a rough ride. >> one of the u.s. women rescued this week after being held cash bid for a decade has celebrated a joyous homecoming. >> felice escorted gina dejesus back to her old neighborhood in cleveland, ohio. crowds of well-wishers greeted her with cheers and balloons. although she was covered by a lime-green jacket, dejesus gave a thumbs-up to the crowd. another of the captives, amanda berry, returned to her sister's home earlier in the day. in a moment, we will be taking a look at the reopening of a major museum in munich. >> first, here's a look at some of the other news in brief. in britain, queen elizabeth has outlined the government's plans for the coming year in a traditional

in 2005, the german government suggested us as a model project for the u.n. year of sport project. we were able to meet people in other countries -- namely kenya and south africa of -- and we help people who are interested in girls' sports in nairobi and cape town start programs there. now fox girls international has two sites, and we have constant requests from other countries to help them build good, strong sports programs in their countries. >> thank you very much. in other news, three activists have been detained in tunisia after they have staged what has been called the first topless protest in the arab world. >> the women protested in front of tunis' main courthouse here they are demanding a third is release and 18-year-old tahitian girl arrested for painting the name of their group on a wall. ceremonies have been held this wednesday to remember the victims of a racist arson attack which took place 20 years ago there. three girls were killed when neo-nazis set their house on fire. it shocked the nation, and the town pledged there would never be a repeat of such an incident. >

the court ruled that the practice was illegal and asked the foreign ministry to propose a u.n. resolution on the matter. the west has already rejected the pakistani call to end the strike. the death toll from the collapse of a garment factory in bangladesh two weeks ago has now passed 900. hot on its heels, yet another disaster. then a fire in an 11-story garment factory claimed the lives of eight people, including a leading politician and a top official in bangladesh's powerful clothing manufacturers trade group. >> staff turning up for work found themselves in front of closed doors. the fire broke out after production had finished for the night, so most staff had left by then. the blaze started on one of the lower floors. it is not yet known what caused it. >> i think the fire originated from an electrical short circuit. a large number of staff were on the third floor. about 2000 finished garments were being stored there. >> help came too late for the factory owner and several of his employees and friends. firefighters found their bodies in the stairwell. it appears the suffo

captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >>> the u.n. high commissioner for human rights is speaking out about a weapon. she has expressed serious concerns over the use of armed drones. she spoke to members of the human rights council in geneva. she said she is profoundly disturbed of the human rights use of drones. she's disturbed the human rights implications of the drones in counterterrorism and military operations. she raised concerns about the rising number of states acquiring the weapons, saying the lack of transparency undermines the legal basis of drone strikes. u.s. president barack obama said last week that the use of drones against al qaeda, the taliban, and affiliated groups is justified, but he promised to improve transparency and tighten controls.