>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." it's september 19th. policy makers at the u.s. federal reserve had to throw investors for a loop. many who work in the markets expected the people at the fed would decide to start retreating from their stimulus campaign. the policy makers surprised them when they announced they would stick with their strategy of easy money. chairman ben bernanke said the economy is growing at a moderate pace. he pointed to rises in household spending and business investment. he said the job market still lacks steam. >> in evaluating whether a modest reduction in the pace of asset purchases would be appropriate at this meeting, however, the committee concluded that the economic data do not yet provide sufficient confirmation of its baseline outlook to warrant such a reduction. >>> fed officials noted that an uncertain outlook on the debate over the u.s. budget is holding back economic growth and prices for goods and services are below targets. the central bank will keep buying $85 billion worth of treasury bonds and mortgage backed securities every

"newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> new concerns about north korea. sources tell nhk the country has tested a ballistic missile engine. >>> the company in charge at fukushima daiichi says it's safely disposed of rainwater that built up at the nuclear plant during the severe tropical storm. >>> and as tensions between their governments persist, many japanese are staying away from china, but more chinese are choosing to come to japan. >>> diplomatic sources have told nhk that north korea has tested an engine for a new intercontinental ballistic missile. they say the test happened last month at a launch site in the country's northwest. the sources say the engine tested could be used in this type of missile, which was recently on display at a military parade. similar tests were carried out at the same launch site in february. this comes amid suspicion that pyongyang has restarted a nuclear reactor capable of making weapons grade plutonium. north korean lead

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's monday, september 9th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> u.s. secretary of state john kerry is still trying to get support for a military strike against syria. the top diplomat says inaction sends the wrong message to iran and north korea. kerry has been trying to convince arab leaders. >> assad's deplorable use of chemical weapons, which we know killed hundreds of innocent people including 426 children on this occasion, this one occasion, this crosses an international, global red line. >> kerry was referring to last month's chemical weapons attack in the suburb of damascus. he earlier met with arab league foreign ministers. kerry said no reaction would be like sending a signal permitting the government of syrian president bashar al assad, the iranians, north koreans, and all terrorists to use chemical weapons. >>> arab league members are divided over military action against syria. khalid al atia attended the conference. he said that arab nations will soon issue their own statements on the situation in syria. earlier, kerry met with his counterp

nhk world "newsline." >>> the secretary general of the united nations says a urn team is likely to conclude chemical weapons were used in syria but they're not saying who is to blame. government or opposition forces. >> our team came out with the report but i believe that the report will be an overwhelming report that the chemical weapons was used. >> he's expected to receive the report by the inspectors as early as next week. he isn't pointing fingers but he strongly criticized syrian president, bashar al-assad saying his government committed many crimes against humanity. they say they used poison gas in an attack last month on neighborhoods in the suburbs of damascus. hundreds of people died including many children. syrian leaders have denied the accusations. president al-assad:00 claim lon he didn't have chemical weapons but admitted this week his country has them and promised to join the chemical weapons' convention. the top diplomats for the u.s. and russia are working if on a plan to put the chemical weapons under international control. president obama is keeping options opened for mi

>>> welcome to "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. the leaders of the g-20 nations have wrapped up their summit in st. petersburg, russia. they entered the talks with profound differences over a u.s. push for military intervention in syria. they're heading home just as divided. nhk world's akihiro mikoda reports. >> reporter: the situation in syria dominated the agenda. u.s. president barack obama tried to drum up support for military action against the syrian government. he did not win unanimous backing. some leaders said they wanted military action right away. others said they won't back any armed intervention without the authority of a u.n. security council resolution. russian president vladimir putin used his closing statement to highlight the divisions over obama's push for military action and his opposition. >> translator: we hear each other, and we understand the argument, but we do not agree with them. i don't agree with his arguments, and he doesn't agree with mine. but we hear each other and we try to analyze. >> reporter: t

>>> hello there and welcome to "newsline." it is monday, september 30th. i'm catherine kobayashi in toke yes. >>> north korean leaders are considering shutting down a diplomatic program that has helped people in japan connect with their past. a foreign ministry official told nhk the country may stop visits by japanese whose relatives died on the korean peninsula toward the end of world war ii. authorities in pyongyang have allowed six groups of japanese to visit the suburbs of the capital and other cities since august of last year. the korean peninsula was once under japanese clone yalt rule. many japanese died in what is now north korea as the war came to an end. more than 20,000 remains are believed to be buried there. a north korean foreign ministry official told nhk exclusively that the visits by relatives could end this year. the official said the planned construction of housing and other projects in the area could halt the program. the official revealed north korean leaders want the japanese government to agree to hold talks on what to do quit the re

>>> hello and welcome to "newsline." u.s. president barack obama has been trying for more than a week to rally support for an attack on syria. he's tried to persuade lawmakers alone and in group privately and publicly. now he has won the backing of some of the most influential politicians in washington. obama met with 16 republican leaders in the house. he wants to convince them to approve the military strikes against bashir al assad. >> i think it's appropriate that we act deliberately but i think everyone recognizes the urgency here and we have to move relatively quickly. >> the republican speaker of the e of representatives has opposed obama's policies since he took office. but john boehner said u.s. forces need to act. >> i'm going to support the president's call for action. i believe my colleagues should support this call for action. >> u.s. media reports suggest more than 7 out of 10 lawmakers have yet to decide or have not made clear whether they will support a strike. israeli and u.s. forces have added to tensions in

"newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> ready to restart talks, a top north korean official calls for the resumption of long-suspended negotiations of its nuclear program. >>> the people in charge of the fukushima daiichi plant are dismantling a storage tank that leaked hundreds of tons of radioactive water. >>> and a 78-year-old athlete is aiming for a fourth trophy in one of the world's toughest races, the iron man triathlon. >>> north korea's chief nuclear negotiator says his country is ready to resume six-party talks on its nuclear program. first vice foreign minister, kim kye gwan is calling for a restart of negotiations without any preconditions. kim was speaking at the symposium on north korea's nuclear program in beijing. it's being attended by some 50 officials and researchers from the six countries involved in the talks. >> translator: we support the talks and are willing to resume dialogue, including small-scale discussions within that framework.

>>> welcome to "newsline." >>> the death toll from tuesday's powerful earthquake in pakistan has risen to more than 350. but the full impact of the magnitude 7.7 quake remains unclear. rescue teams are struggling to reach remote villages. nhk world has more. >> reporter: two days after the earthquake, people in need of medical attention were still being brought to a hospital in karachi. >> translator: the house collapsed when the earthquake struck. i was in my room. my children were in another room. now i do not know where my wife and children are, whether they are alive or dead. >> reporter: this is the largest province in pakistan, but it has the smallest number of people. villages are populated across wide areas. they're sending in troops and medical teams, but the red crescent society said difficult terrain and broken roads are preventing them from reaching much areas. with the full extent of damage still unclear, the final death toll may rise. the quake caused mud brick houses to collapse. residents were crushed to death by falling debris. many survivors have lost their homes and

>>> hello and welcome to newsline. i'm katherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president barack obama has gone on the offensive to speaker suede lawmakers to approve a military strike against syria. he and other members will be challenged to win other members of congress and american public. secretary of state john kerry says government officials have proof a nerve agent was used in the suburbs of damascus. >> we have evidence from hair and blood samples from first responders in east damascus, the people who came to help, we have -- we have signatures of sarin. >> kerry built his case speaking on a number of talk shows. but he did not say whether government officials had proof of whether syrian government or opposition forces were responsible. kerry said president obama has it right to take military action with or without congressional approval. >> this goes to the core of american credibility in foreign policy and i believe the congress of the united states will understand that and do the right thing. >> members of the administration are releasing other informa

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 5th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the world's of the leading economies are fathering to confront the financial challenges they share. they can find themselves debating a military strike on syria. u.s. president barack obama is expected to push for military action at meetings of the group of 20 nations in st. petersburg, russia. he laid out the case in talks with the swedish in stockholm. >> the prime minister and i are in agreement in the face of such barberism, the international community cannot be silent and failing to respond would increase the risk of more attacks. the possibility that other countries would use these weapons as well. >> sweden believes that serious marries concerning international peace and security should be handled by the united nations. i also understand the potential consequences of letting a violation like this go unanswered. >> obama believes syrian forces used chemical weapons were used to kill humans of civil knowias. they need to confront actions to violate common humanity. obama is expec

>>> hello there welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 24th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. world leaders are set to discuss a range of international crises as they meet in new york for the united nations general assembly. it could end up being one of their most meaningful gatherings in decades. the civil war in syria will be at the top of the agenda. leaders from 193 member states are scheduled to attend when the annual general debate opens later on tuesday. they're expected to focus on the use of chemical weapons in syria. many believe government forces used poison gas last month to kill hundreds of civilians in a suburb of damascus. u.s. president barack obama wanted to bypass the u.n., and carry out punitive strikes on the regime of syrian president bashar al assad. now he's expected to call for a united response. the syrians entered a strategic alliance with iran and many are waiting to hear what rowan hassanny will say. the security council is set to discussion a resolution urging the syrian government to scrap its stockpile. japanese

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 13th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. >>> syrian leaders seem to be taking steps to give up their chemical weapons. bashar al assad has endorsed a proposal. and he said his country is applying for membership in the international treaty that outlaws such weapons. assad made the comments in an interview with russia's state-run tv channel and outlined the government's plan to hand over its stockpile to international monitors but he said u.s. leaders need to stop threatening to attack his country. >> translator: within days, our government will start the necessary procedures to join the chemical weapons convention. >> assad said members of his government would start manding over information on their stockpiles a month after they sign the treaty but he said they won't follow through until the u.s. stops threatening syria and stops supplying weapons to what he called terrorists. members of his regime commonly used the term when refers to opposition forces. >>> u.s. secretary of state john kerry

welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 26th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> managers at fukushima daiichi have been trying to resolve a problem that has been hampering their work. every day more and more waste water accumulates at the plant but the people in charge say they'll soon begin testing a system that could filter out most radioactive substances. officials with tokyo electric power company want to decontaminate the thousands of tons of waste water by march 2015. they say the advanced liquid processing system is the key to their plants. engineers had planned to begin using the system last month but they postponed their decision after they found water leaking out during a test run. they say chemicals may have corroded the system. so they've reinforced it with the corrosion-proof material. workers will begin tests again on friday. they hope to have the system up and running by november. the filters cannot remove all radioactive eye oisotopes. managers still expect they'll be able to treat 500 tons of contaminated wat

welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 3rd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> japan's leaders have drawn up a plan to address the crisis at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. they've watched as workers have tried to deal with the buildup of radioactive water. they're earmarking about 21 billion yen, $210 million to try to solve the problem. they'll use the money to decontaminate the water and to try to contain leaks. they plan to do that by freezing soil around the damaged reactors. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga will lead a panel overseeing work at the plant. the panel will take charge of decommissioning the reactors. the members have promised to improve communications with workers and officials from plant operator tokyo electric power company. prime minister shinzo abe is scheduled to meet with his cabinet on tuesday to authorize the plan. >>> now the head of japan's nuclear regulation authority says it will legally oblige tepco to address the leaks. he criticized people at the utility for continuing to make qui

>>> 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. >>> the five permanent members of the u.n. security council have agreed on a draft resolution to eliminate syria's chemical weapons. >>> officials at tepco have taken the big step of restarting two idle reactors, the same type as those that melted down at fukushima daiichi. >>> and a bank loaned $2 million to organized crime groups and took steps to rectify the situation for more than two years. >>> a major breek-through has been made on the sidelines of the u.n. general assembly. the five permanent members have agreed ton a draft resolution through a compromise. since the conflict began, three security council draft resolutions on syria have been voted down. nhk world has the details. >> reporter: the draft was presented to the security council in a closed-door meeting on thursday night. it could be voted on as soon as friday. >> it is something which is working very pragmatically and strongly for this effort of the elim

>>> welcome to newsline, it's wednesday september 18th. delegates from around the world are meeting face to face to discuss a debate some areas of common concern. they've gathered together in new york for the opening of the united nations general assembly. already they're finding their discussions are focused on syria. delegates from 193 major nations will examine broad themes of development concerning women, youth and human rights. ban ki-moon says syria is their biggest challenge. >> we have also -- must look at broader issues, not only this chemical weapons, but there are ongoing fightings, refugee issues, human rights issues. we have to address all these issues. >> ban outlined how rockets filled with nerve gaskilled hundreds of civilians last month in a suburb of de mass cass. he asked delegates to work together to end the conflict. leaders from some of the major powers can't agree on what approach to take. those from russia have defended the sear yarns for years. and they find themselves at odds with the french carrying the threat of

>>> hello and welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 6th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the heads of the world economies have gathered in russia to chart a path towards growth. they are talking about military action in syria. many of those around the table are pressuring u.s. president barack obama not to authorize strikes. nhk world has a report. >> the g20 summit chaired by vladimir putin began on tuesday. the crisis in syria dominated the talks. the leaders discussed the issue in a dinner in the evening. president obama is believed to have asked for the understanding of u.s. military action against syria once it is approved boy congress. he is also believed to explain that the u.s. has evidence the syrian government unleashed a chemical weapon attack. some leaders including britain and france are possibly supporting the u.s. stance, however britain's parliament rejected a proposal to join any military action. many other members are openly against the u.s. plan. russia and china are strongly opposed to military action without a un security council resolution. the two n

>>> 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. >>> new concerns. a senior tepco official warns the situation at the fukushima daiichi is not under control. >>> attempting diplomacy, u.s. and russian officials agree to discuss ways to get syria's warring parties to talk. >>> and a japanese opera singer uses her voice to give tribute to victims of two tragedies. >>> a top official from tokyo electric power company says he does not think the situation at fukushima daiichi is under control. his statement comes amid new concerns that radioactive water at the stricken nuclear plant may have reached the ocean. leaders of japan's main opposition are now demanding answers from the government, particularly the prime minister. nhk world reports. >> reporter: japanese prime minister shinzo abe spoke with confidence before the international olympic committee. >> let me assure you that the situation is under control. >> reporter: but a top tepco official appears to have contradicte

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of newsline. it's wednesday september 25th. the president of kenya says the siege at a mall in nairobi is over. islamic extremists stormed the complex on saturday, shooting shoppers and taking hostages, they spent four days holed up inside. the president said security forces have defeated them. he spelled out the toll of the attack. more than 61 civilians were killeded, including several foreigners and six soldiers. about 170 people were wounded. security forces shot and killed five militants and arrested 11 others. gunfire and explosions rang out from the mall during the siege. he said several bodies including those of militants are thought to be trapped in the rubble. members of the islamist group said they carried out the attack in retaliation for a kenyan army operation in their country. u.s. president barack obama has opened the door to diplomacy with some of his countries longstanding rivals. he addressed world leaders gathered at the united nations general assembly. he suggested some new directions in the relationships w

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's tuesday, september 17th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> the united nations inspectors handed in a long-awaited report on the use of chemical weapons in syria and found what they called clear and convincing evidence that such weapons were used to attack civilians. secretary-general ban ki-moon says the report makes for chilling reading. >> chemical weapons were used on a relatively larger scale. this was a grave crime. and those responsible must be brought to justice as soon as possible. >> syrian opposition leaders say last month, government forces used poison gas to attack their neighborhoods in the suburbs of damascus. hundreds of people were killed. the investigators interviewed survivors, they collected blood and urine samples, and they checked the soil for chemicals. they reported that almost all samples tested positive for the nerve gas sarin. they concluded that surface-to-surface rockets were used in the attack. they did not say which side used them. but u.s., british and french envoys say the

>>> 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. >>> nations divided g-20 talks conclude in russia with leaders still split over a possible military strike against syria. >>> taking no chances. south korea says it will stop imports of marine products from parts of japan over fears they could be contaminated by radioactive water. >>> sexual violence in india has caused nationwide soul searching, but we ask has anything actually changed for indian women? >>> u.s. president barack obama went to st. petersburg, russia, hoping to gain international support for a military strike against syria. but after two days of talks, leaders of the world's 20 major economies are still divided over what to do. earlier president obama tried but failed to persuade chinese leader xi jinping to support an armed intervention in syria. the crisis dominated the talks. some leaders called for a swift and united action against the syrian government. others emphasize the need for the u.n. security

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 10th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. >>> u.s. president obama says a russian proposal could be a potential breakthrough in the debate over a military strike on syria. russian foreign minister lavrov has urged syrian leaders to turn over their chemical weapons to international monitors. he said that might help them avoid military action. >> reporter: if the establishment of international control over chemical weapons in that country would allow avoiding strikes we would immediately start working with the syrian government. >> lavrov urged syrian leaders to join the prohibition of chemical weapons. he was with his syrian counterpart. he said members of his government welcomed the proposals. but he said they're concerned about the security of the syrian people. the united nations secretary-general is urging the syrians to transfer the chemical weapons to a safe place within the nation. he said then the weapons can be destroyed. >>> a chinese defense official has on firmed that an aircraft that threw near japanese air space belonged

>>> welcome to "nhk newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> seeking international support, u.s. president barack obama goes overseas to try to convince world leaders to back an offensive against syria. >>> while in washington, u.s. lawmakers weigh the risks of a military strike. >>> the tide is turning in the philippines, people who once demanded u.s. forces leave the country now want them back. we'll tell you why. >>> u.s. president barack obama is seeking international support for a streak on syria. he arrived in stockholm earlier and is holding talks with fredrik reinfeldt. in russia he hopes to convince g-20 leaders that military action is necessary. the u.s. and britain and france say they are convinced syrian forces used chemical weapons to kill hundreds of civilians last month. the regime of syrian president ba bashar al assad needs to be punished but faces stiff opposition from the leaders of russia and china. vladimir putin and jinping also stated their objections to

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, september 3rd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. leaders have drawn up a plan to address the crisis thea the fukushima plant as workers try to deal with a build up of radioactive water. they are ear, maing $210 million to solve the problem. they will use the money to decontaminate the water and try to contain leaks. they try to freeze soil around the damaged reactors. the chief cabinet secretary will lead a panel overseeing work at the plant. the panel will take charge of decommissioning the reactors. the members have promised to improve communications with workers and officials from plant operator tokyo electric power company. the head of japan's nuclear regulation authority said it will legally oblige tepco to address the leaks. he criticized people for continuing to make quick fixes. they discussed the leak of 300 tons of radioactive wastewater from a tank last month. he said reports on what caused it and how it happened and how much water got out are only estimates. he then suggested one possibl

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 6th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> the group of 20 leaders are meeting in the russian city of st. petersburg and the crisis in syria is expected to dominate the talks. the two-day summit began on thursday. u.s. president barack obama, russia's vladimir putin and other leaders are discussing the global economy. but the meeting is being overshadowed by the syria crisis. obama is trying to convince the g-20 to support a military campaign against syria. he says the syrian government attacked its own citizens with chemical weapons last month. obama has the backing of french president francois hollande, chinese president xi jinping and russian leader putin have already voiced their opposition to a military strike. obama has sought support from japan's prime minister, shinzo abe. the two met on the sidelines of the g-20 summit. the leaders have agreed to try to improve the situation in syria through close cooperation with the international community. abe said the use of chemical weapons i

>>> it's time now for newsline. many people in japan have paused on the 11th day of every month ever since the disaster in 2011. they pray for the family members and friends they lost when an earthquake and tsunami hit their communities. it's been two and a half years. the survivors still hover fears and uncertainty as they move forward on a path to recovery. all this week we're looking at the challenges that lie ahead and what we're about to show may upset some viewers. at 2:46 p.m. on march 11th, 2011, a magnitude nine earthquake struck off japan's northeastern coast. the earthquake triggered a tsunami, ten meeters washed through towns and cities. nearly 16,000 people were killed, over 2600 people are still missing. the disaster knocked out power at the fukushima daiichi nuclear complex, causing meltdowns in three reactors. explosions followed. the plants released massive amounts of radioactive substances. about 290,000 people are still living in temporary housing. survivors got up early in the morning to reflect

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's some of the stories we're following this hour. the u.s. administration says it does not want to go to war with syria but wants to send a strong message to the assad regime. japan's prime minister is considering a tax hike that could help fill some big gaps in the national budget. and that's got some business people nervous. >>> and two and a half years after the nuclear accident in fukushima, we look at the fate of the people who were forced to abandon their homes. >>> the u.s. administration is stepping up efforts to gain support for military action in syria. u.s. secretary of state john kerry is spearheading the diplomatic push while president barack obama is preparing to personally argue the need for a strike to the american people. nhk world reports. >> reporter: at home and abroad, the obama administration continues to make its case for military strike against syria. speaking in london, the u.s. secretary of state, john kerry, said washington still believes diplomacy is th

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's wednesday, september 4th, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president obama is trying to persuade lawmakers, privately and publicly. he has won the backing of some of the most influential politicians in washington. obama met with 16 republican and democratic leaders at the white house. he wanted to convince them to prove military strikes against the regime of syrian president bashar al assad. he told them an attack would hinder assad's ability to use chemical weapons. >> i think it is appropriate we act deliberately, but i also think everybody recognizes the urgency here and we're going to have to move relatively quickly. >> the republican speaker of the house of representatives has opposed obama's policy since he took office. but john boehner said u.s. forces need to act. >> i'm going to support the president's call for action. i believe my colleagues should support this call for action. >> secretary of state john kerry and secretary of defense chuck hagel are also backing

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here are some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> the u.s. president is said to clarify his stance on syria in a primetime address. >>> the japanese government takes a concrete step to deal with the radioactive water that has leaked at fukushima daiichi. >>> u.s. president barack obama is preparing a direct appeal to the american people. he's scheduled to lay out his case for a military strike on syria in a nationwide televised address on tuesday night. obama is expected to clarify his position that the action would be limited and the u.s. would not go to war. but russian proposal might help stop the u.s. from using any force at all. russia's foreign minister has urged the syrian government to put its chemical weapons stockpile under international control. he said syria could avoid u.s. military strikes if it does so. syria's foreign minister walid al mousalem said his government welcome the proposal but they're concerned about the security of the syrian people. obama said h

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at the stories we're following at this hour. >>> houses have lost their roofs and many residents are injured near tokyo. people are blaming a tornado. >>> u.s. president barack obama is trying to convince congress to approve a military strike on syria, but faces opposition from lawmakers and americans weary of war. >>> and we'll tell you why the price of japan's national drink is going up much to sake lovers dismay. >>> eyewitnesses say sharp gusts of wind that overturned cars and left a swath of damaged buildings near tokyo came from a tornado. the gust began shortly after 2:00 pm on monday and left a trail of debris in the city of koshigaya. video shows what appears to be a tornado. firefighters and police say the powerful winds ripped through parts of the city and did extensive damage to nearly 90 buildings. police say at least 63 people were injured. one of them reportedly suffered a fractured skull. >> translator: bits and pieces flew in our house, i heard windows b

>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> funds to fight a potential disaster. japan's leaders pledge $470 million to manage the latest crisis at fukushima daiichi. >>> securing support, u.s. president barack obama gets the backing of an old adversary for a strike on syria. >>> and traditional lake farmers of central myanmar float ideas for protecting their way of life as the country rides away towards economic development. >>> japan's leaders have approved a $470 million plan to deal with hundreds of tons of contaminated water accumulating at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. right now about 400 tons of groundwater is leaking into basements of the damaged reactor every day and is being tainted with radioactive substances. the water is being pumped out and stored in tanks. the government plans to use the funds to decontaminate that water and freeze the soil around the buildings to prevent groundwater from seeping into the basements. translator: we've drawn

>>> 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. >>> the u.s. president prepares to seek international backing for a strike on syria as g-20 leaders gather in russia. >>> policy makers at the bank of japan are taking a positive view on the economy but staying the course on stimulus. >>> and religious leaders in thailand struggle to accept a controversial buddhist monk with a past that's hard to believe. >>> the group of 20 leaders are meeting in the russian city of st. petersburg, and the crisis in syria is expected to dominate the talks. u.s. president barack obama is at the summit to try to get other leaders to support a military assault against the regime. it says it attacked their own citizens last month. obama has the backing of president francois hollande. xi jinping has already voiced opposition to a military strike. japan's shinzo abe is scheduled to meet obama on the sideline. the u.s. president has won the support of at least some u.s. senators. the senate com

♪ >>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo.ere's a look at some of the stories we'rfollowing at this hour. a day of remembrance. people in japan honor the victims of a disaster two and a half years ago and reflect on the impact the tsunami still has on lives. >>> a personal appeal. u.s. president barack obama addresses the american people, promising to pursue a diplomatic solution on syria. >> and continuing tension a year after japan nationalizes the senkaku islands, china says it will continue to send vessels to patrol near them. >> many people in japan have marked the day that changed their lives. it's been two and a half years since the march 2011 disaster. the magnitude 9 earthquake and the following tsunami killed nearly 16,000 people. more than 2,600 people are still missing. the disaster triggered the crisis the fukushima daiichi plant. about 290,000 people are still living in temporary housing. many survivors stopped on wednesday to pay tribute to those they lost. they observed a minute of silence at 2:46 p.m., the mom

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." a powerful earthquake has shaken southern pakistan. officials from the municipality say the earthquake has cut communications with the mountainous areas so they cannot accurately assess the situation. experts with the u.s. geological survey say the magnitude 7.8 quake hit at about 4:30 p.m. local time on tuesday. local media say the roofs of two schools have collapsed in awaran, about 70 miles south of the epicenter. about 200 kilometers away say they felt a tremor. that lasted about 20 seconds. there have been no immediate reports of injuries. experts say the focus has an estimated depth of about 15 kilometers. municipality officials expect relief goods to take at least eight hours to reach the affected areas. >>> senior diplomats at the general assembly have agreed to kick-start talks on iran's nuclear program. the iranian foreign minister will sit down this week with his counterparts with six major powers. he's been holding a series of one-on-one meetings. he met with the eu's foreign policy chief, catherine ashton. she chaired talk

welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 5th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> u.s. president barack obama has called on the international community to support military action against syria. obama made the request in a meeting with swedish prime minister fredrik reinfeldt in stockholm. the u.s. president is to attend the g-20 summit in russi >> the prime minister and i are in agreement that in the face of such barbarism, the international community cannot be silent and that failing to respond to this attack would only increase the risk of more attacks. and the possibility other countries would use these weapons as well. >> sweden believes that syria's matters concerning international peace and security should be handled by the united nations, but i also understand the potential consequences of letting a violation like this go unanswered. >> obama says he believes the u.s. congress will approve military action. he said that with such congressional support, his administration will be able to send a stronger message to syria. >>> members of the u.s. senate foreign relat

>>> 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. >>> the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has resumed decontaminating wastewater after fixing the system it uses to reduce radioactive material. >>> bashar al assad promises to comply to see his stockpile of chemical weapons eliminated. >>> in autumn the skies over china are usually a clear blue. but this year, a cloud of pollution is obscuring the view. >>> the operators of fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have resumed the operation of a system used to filter radioactive materials from water. it says human error caused the suspension last week. workers at tepco resumed their test run of the advanced liquid processing system, or alps, designed to eliminate radioactive materials from the water that is accumulating at the plant. they suspended operations on friday. they had just resumed it for the first time in a month and a half. the workers detected a reduction in the flow of contaminated water in a pipe that

on "newsline." >>> time now to check on the weather. a tropical storm is affecting the southern islands of japan. our meteorologist sayaka mori tells us more in world weather. >> hello there. autumn has just started across the northern hemisphere, bullet still looking like summer across the waters. we are seeing lots of tropical storms. last week, we talked about typhoon that was usagi which affected southern taiwan. the northern philippines and southern china with floods and this time we have a severe tropical storm first south of japan. this is causing lots of rain and strong winds too the ogasawa islands as we go into tomorrow. as a severe tropical storm, it's going to maintain its intensity, but the good news is that it's not going to make landfall in mainland swjapan. it's not going to produce lots of rain to mainland swra pjapan coastal areas will see high waves and rough seas as well and winds could be a little bit stronger. now, talking about the remnants of usagi, it's now located over southern china. it has weakened. however,

see their stories every wednesday on "the road ahead" right here on "newsline." >> japan's prime minister has called on the company in charge of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant to decommission all of its reactors including the two not currently scheduled to be taken apart. abe's appeal comes amid growing concerns of radioactive water leaks at the plant but executives at tokyo electric power company have not given abe a firm answer about what they'll do. nhk world reports. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe inspected fukushima daiichi on thursday and afterwards told reporters about his request to tepco executives. >> translator: i urge tepco executives to dismantle the number 5 and 6 reactors, to concentrate their work on dealing with the series of problems including leaking radioactive water. >> four reactors are already set to be scrapped. three have suffered meltdowns after the march, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. the other two, number 5 and 6, survived the disaster because of an emergency electricity system. tepco officials say both reactors are still stable, but local community

entire production team of "news week south asia," >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline i'm ross mihara in tokyo. >>> u.s. federal reverse officials have decided to stick with their easy money policy. they said they won't change things up until they have more evidence of a sustained recovery. u.s. central bankers said the economy is growing at a moderate pace. they pointed out rises in household spending and business

captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. >>> people in tokyo, istanbul and madrid are waiting for the big call. olympic officials are choosing the venue for the 2020 summer games. international olympic committee members are competing in buenos aires, argentina on saturday. shinzo abe and his team made one final push in their

.  >>> hello and welcome back to nhk world "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. >>> it's been 12 years since the 9/11 terror attacks in the united states. people have gathered to remember the victims and reflect on the day. ♪ o say can you see on this day in 2001, terrorists hijacked four planes. they flew two of them into the

. >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm keichi hanada with the news from tokyo this hour.he united states and russia have reached an agreement on a framework for destroying all chemical weapons held by syria. u.s. secretary of state john kerry and russian foreign

.  >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. >>> u.s. president barack obama has called on the international community to support military action against syria before obama made the request in a meeting with the swedish prime minister in stockholm. the u.s. president is on his ways to the g-20 summit in russia. >> the prime minister and i are in agreement that

. >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo with the story at this hour. >>> armed attackers have stormed a shopping mall in the kenyan capital of nairobi, killing at least ten people. the incident occurred on saturday around noon at a busy mall frequented by wealthy citizens and foreign residents. local mediad

.  >>> hello and welcome back to nhk world "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. >>> kashiwazaki kariwa is the world's largest nuclear power plant. operator tokyo electric power company is again trying to persuade niigata's governor to support restarting two of its six reactors. they want the approval for government safety checks to the reactors. the last time they met in july,

. >>> and that is all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us. .  ♪ >> ok. welcome to the woodrow wilson center. for today's presentation young and undocumented, the new american story. more on that in a moment. first some business. my full time job is that i am the executive producer, managing editor and host of our weekly program dialogue at the wilson center. i am curious how many are visiting the wilson center for the first time? ok. a significant amount o

. >>> that is the edition of newsline in tokyo. thank you for joining us.  >> i see some repeaters in the audience. this is the fourth event of five that we are hosting to celebrate the centennial of woodrow wilson's inauguration as president in 1913. we had a dinner last night at wilson house, which included an interview with the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, ed royce.

.  "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo.rp gusts of wind damaged hundreds of buildings and injured dozens of people near tokyo. local residents say the areas were struck by a tornado. the gust began shortly after 2:00 p.m. on monday and left a trail of debris in the city of koshigaya. video footage shows what was happening at the scene. firefighters and police say the powerful winds ripped through parts of the city and damaged

. >> "bbc world news" was presen >> welcome back to "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. here's the stories we're following at this hour. workers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant say they may have figured out what is behind the leak of ton of contaminated water. foreign ministers from five major powers are finding themselves divide over how to eliminate syria's chemical weapons. and trying to keep their traditions alive. >>> the people in charge fukushima daiichi plant say they may have found the source of a problem that's been plaguing them. they have found a gap at the bottom of steel plates in the tank. the workers put foam on the joints between the plates. they managed to suck it through to the other side. is a managers say the weight of the water may have widened the gap allowing the water to leak out. about 300 similar tanks sit on the site. managers say they will check them to try to avoid any other problems. every day, more and more waste water accumulates at the plant, but the people in charge say they'll soon begin testing a system that could filter out mo