hello there. welcome to "newsline." it's friday, august 19th. 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. concern over the u.s. and global economies plunged share prices in new york by more than 500 points at one time on thursday. sale orders were posted immediately after the opening of the market. the dow jones industrial average

dropped sharply at one point more than 500 points. the fall came after morgan stanley lowered their global economic growth. -- encouraged the views that it has become difficult for the boards to take credit easing measures. the index ended the day at 10,990.58. that's down over 400 points from wednesday's close. market analysts predict volatile moves on the stock market to continue as anxiety increases due to the future of global economies. in further rough economic news, key stock indices of european markets also plummeted by 4% to 5% on thursday over concerns on the future of european and global economies. the plunge in new york spurred sales in european markets. the key stock index fell by 5.8%

in frankfurt, 5.5% in paris, and 4.5% in london. forecasts for institutions increased concern among investors and poor retail statistics in britain added to it. a media report also added to worries that u.s. monitory authorities might be looking into funding situation at some european banks which are suffering from expanding credit anxiety. market analysts say investors worldwide are again moving to avoid risk. in other news, china's vice president has said to his u.s. counterpart that he world's top two economies share responsibility in reviving trust in financial markets. shi met with vice president joe biden in beijing on thursday. the chinese foreign ministry

said he expressed concern about the global economy saying turmoil in the financial markets is intensifying and global economic growth faces economic challenges. he called for working together on economic policy. apparently urging the u.s. side to take steps to stabilize the market. in reply, biden said cooperation and action by the u.s. and china are critical for sustaining global confidence. in the talks, shi also touched on the issues of taiwan and tibet saying they involve china's core interests. he asked about the arms sales to taiwan and its treatment of the exile tibetan spiritual leader. in spain, thousands of people have taken to the streets of madrid to protest against a costly visit by pope benedict xvi when they are saddled with huge debts. the pope came on thursday to

attend a mass to be held on sunday. on wednesday several thousand people angry over hefty security costs for the visit held a protest. at least two people were injured in a clash between protesters and police. the visit comes as economy has worsened including tax hikes and pay cuts. anti-pope protests are rarely seen in spain which a largely catholic. spain's jobless rate remains above 20%, the highest among european nations. a japanese nuclear agency has created a detailed map showing ground radiation levels at points within 100 kilometers of the fukushima daiichi plant.

the japan atomic energy agency made the map by having a survey team drive through the area in june. they took readings of aerial radiation along the routes which totalled 17,000 kilometers. the map uses colors to indicate radiation levels. the agency says the map is more detailed than those that show levels based on data from high in the sky. >> translator: i hope the map will help evacuees decide whether it is safe to return home or safe to continuously live at their current location. i also hope it will help government officials with decontamination efforts. >> more foreign travelers are avoiding japan five months after an earthquake and tsunami triggered the nuclear crisis. the number of people vacationing or taking business trips here

has fallen for the fifth month in a row. the japan national tourism organization says that estimated 562,000 foreign travelers came to japan in july. that's down 36% from the same time last year. a major tour bus operator in tokyo says it had 70% fewer foreign clients in july compared to 2010. one of japan's most famous hot spring resorts is also seeing a drop in business. all foreign visits were cancelled here. one travel agency in beijing says its tours to japan are down by half. some 1.4 million chinese visited this country in 2010. they took advantage of the relaxation of the visa requirements. but this year people are concerned. >> translator: i'm a bit worried about radioactive contamination. >> the japan national tourism

organization says it will conduct a foreign media campaign to reassure travelers that japan tourist sites are safe. our japanese affiliated travel agent in beijing is planning to invite media to visit tohoku. almost 30 companies have applied to go. >> translator: i want chinese media to see how people in tohoku live and understand it's a safe place to visit. when the march earthquake and tsunami struck the city of ofunato, fishermen were in desperate straits. they had no way to make a living. but in a city 500 kilometers away, people worked nonstop to get the fishermen in the prefecture back to work. >> reporter: four months after the disaster, the fishing boats

in iwate prefecture return from sea with a big haul. this time they carry about 800 pounds of mackerel and salmon. >> translator: i'm happy to be fishing again. and using these nets to do it. >> reporter: when the tsunami came roaring through, it leveled the warehouse that stored the city's nets. they were so mutilated, fishing was out of the question. this factory in wajima makes and repairs nets. it's here that the damaged nets from ofunato are to be mended. the manager of the factory and

his staff have special feelings about working on the nets from the disaster area. four years ago a strong earthquake hit the region. its intensity was measured at six plus, just short of the maximum reading of seven on the japanese scale. it dealt the factory a serious blow. the impact shifted the building and scattered nets everywhere. it took two months to get the factory running again. >> translator: at that time we didn't know what fate had in store for us. this time iwate experienced disaster. all of us are happy to do something to help the victims. we're going full speed to fix the nets quickly and get them back to the fishermen. >> reporter: the nets are twice the size of the factory. the workers start by giving the nets are thorough going over looking for tears.

by hand they repair torn strands. all employees work on their days off to get the job done as quickly as possible. the nets are restored to their original condition by july 4th. only one month after they arrived. >> translator: i hope that the fishermen go out to sea with the nets right away and get a big catch. we would be thrilled. >> reporter: the long-awaited nets arrive back at ofunato. >> translator: it feels great to be ready for work. i want us to get busy by putting these in the water and pulling in a catch. >> reporter: the fixed net season started two months later than usual this year.

one black tuna popular among japanese turns up in a haul. >> translator: we've made it through the past disaster to see this day. we're so grateful to the manufacturer and so grateful for everything. this catch is a symbol of our gratitude. >> reporter: and the factory, it's making new nets for fishermen in the disaster area. "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. in an apparent policy reversal, vietnamese authorities now say they will punish those

who participate in anti-china demonstrations. the country has been at odds with china over territory i can't tell issues in the south china sea. hanoi officials issued a statement saying officials at home and abroad are attempting to disrupt disorder by taking advantage of people's patriotism. they stress people should not organize demonstrations that undermine vietnamese/chinese relationships. in hanoi there have been demonstrations every week for the past three months after a chinese patrol boat -- the vietnamese government has allowed the protests until now. it's believed it's about concerns about further aggravating ties with china and fears that public dissatisfaction would be going towards domestic authorities. however, the sudden order by the government could cause confusion

as postings on the internet are already calling for participation in a demonstration this sunday. the indian government is going to aim low an activist to hold a hunger strike for 15 days. trying to diffuse tension after the jailing of hazare. police arrested hazare on tuesday for staging a hunger strike in new delhi. the government ordered his release after widespread rallies broke out. but he refused to leave claiming freedom of assembly. he continued to hold his hunger strike in jail. then on thursday the government made a concession allowing him to hold a public fast for 15 days. hazare is now expected to continue his demonstration at a rally with tens of thousands of supporters. they fear the standoff is not

over yet. a recent survey said corruption in india has cost billions of dollars and could derail growth. critics of former thai prime minister thaksin shinawatra is allowing him to visit japan next week. he was granted a special visa last sunday. about 80 protesters gathered in front of the japanese embassy in bangkok on thursday. they say thaksin is a criminal. handed a written statement for his visit to be cancelled. it's scheduled to start monday. after the new thai government led by his sister yingluck shinawatra. don't allow foreigners who have been given prison term ls of more than a year to enter the country. a thai court sentenced him to

two years in jail for violating an anti-corruption law. he has lived in exile since he was pushed out of office in 2006. during his week-long stay in japan, the former thai leader plans to visit areas hit by the march 11 disaster. now we look at an art form which has its roots in the streets of bangladesh. the art in question is bright and full of social commentary. but the artists as times change are seeing their fortunes fade. >> reporter: the people movers of bangladesh. cycle rikshahs are a common sight. as thousands are said to be in the streets of the bangladesh capital. these man-powered taxis are a cheap convenient form of transport. but in dhaka, function takes a back seat to style. the canopy, seats, and bodies

are a riot of color. the signature piece is the painting. it is usually found on a tin plate fixed to the back. the result is a moving art gallery. the themes of these works are as wide as the colors are bright. this vibrant street art is the work of rikshah painters. d.c. is a specialist with a specialty in fantasy worlds. >> translator: pleasing passengers, drivers with beautiful carts as a rikshah artist is my calling. >> reporter: but these are hard times for rikshah painters. work has been drying up. and the number of painters in dhaka is on the decline. one reason is the shrinking

fleet of rikshahs. the pedal powered vehicles have been banned from the main roads. as a result, side streets are now clogged with the three wheelers all going nowhere fast. >> translator: in addition to traffic jams, they started licensing rickshaw businesses. that's why the number of rickshaws continue to decline >> reporter: what's worse for painters is the emergence of mass production. this handles printed plates, not handmade ones. >> translator: printed plates have become mainstream because hand painted ones cannot be mass produced. printed plates can be made cheaply and on a large scale. >> reporter: fewer orders are not the only problem.

this is a.k. das. the most respected rickshaw painter in bangladesh. his favorite subject is rural scenery. however, das says he can no longer paint the types of pictures he likes. tastes have changed in modernizing dhaka. movie stars are in. >> translator: rickshaw owners prefer movie scenes. i have no choice but to paint such to make a living. >> reporter: with orders vanishing and no creative incenti incentive, some painters have given up. ahmad hussein has now hung up his brush. he does souvenir plates for tourists. he paints portraits of people against a background of scenery.

business is picking up thanks to word of mouth. ahmad is making a comfortable living. but he can't forget his old calling. >> translator: these are rough sketches from my previous work. i made copies and have kept them. if i receive an order again, i'll be able to trace them. they're like photographic negatives. this one was very popular. a rickshaw shop in a town of animals. >> reporter: ahmad has a special feeling for animal themes. it has attracted internal attention. >> translator: these rough sketches remind me of how eager i was about my work. at that time i took great pleasure in work. now i don't. looking at these pictures, i feel somewhat sad. >> reporter: artists like ahmad are having to adjust to the

times. as they do so, dhaka's fleet of rickshaws, the canvas for their unique trade, is steadily fading from view. >> what a shame there. now, the british international development agency has urged the global community nor extensive aid to famine-stricken somalia. he warned that hundreds of thousands of children could starve to death. >> i think the response around the world so far has been inadequate -- dangerously inadequate. up to 400,000 children are at risk of dying through starvation. >> he spoke in nairobi in kenya after visiting mogadishu, the capital of somalia. brita the lives of 3.7 million people

are in jeopardy amid famine triggered by droughts. also been plagued with conflict between the transitional government and muslim extremists. meanwhile, a summit was held on wednesday. it announced it will provide $350 million in aid to somalia. time now to take a look at the market figures.

hello there. time now for the weather update. this frontal system is starting to dig into japan today. this is going to have downpours in sections of the country. and overlooking very unsettled throughout the country as well. meanwhile wet weather will effect the southern end of the korean peninsula and the northern end of china continues to deal with additional rain. no sign of that abating. looks like that's set to continue over the next few days. the flooding is going to be a big concern here.

looks like shanshee province will get the brunt of it today. we're looking at the scattered of showers of the philippines. also widespread rains will impact much of indochina. bangkok coming in at 34 degrees. hitting 42 in chongqing. it looks like that's going to continue over the next several days. the heat wave really lingers in southern china. tokyo looking more comfortable at 31 degrees. across much of japan, that rain helps to cool things down. down to 29 degrees in maebashi today. and 31 in kyoto today. now over towards the americas we're seeing thunderstorms. that will dissipate in eastern canada across the plains states in the u.s. we are seeing widespread thunderstorms erupting here across minnesota, south dakota, iowa. tornadoes are not out of the question.

and then that slowly moves in towards the lower midwest throughout the night. so generally looking much, much calmer on friday. much of the u.s. will continue to see the line of showers develop in the southwestern corner in western mexico with the heat of the day. there is that possibility of a couple of thunderstorms in the plains states again by friday afternoon. 42 degrees in oklahoma city. so it stays extremely hot here. 38 in houston. and we've got 29 in los angeles today. now let's take you to europe. big improvement. mostly cloudy and parts of sunshine as well after heavy rain impacted the southern coast yesterday. we do have a big system that's working its way across central europe. this is going to be bringing widespread rain, lots of thunderstorms. unsettled start of the day across france as well. and that rain will stay put for much of germany, southern sweden, and austria.

looking stormy out here. down towards the south, basking in sunshine for much of the mediterranean today. it will be 37 in madrid. 35 in paris. things warming up in vienna at 30. here is your extended forecast now.

the japanese government has given the national women's soccer team one of the country's

top distinctions. nadeshiko received the award for their world cup victory in july. the awards took place in tokyo. head coach, captain, and 23 other players and team staff attended. prime minister naoto kan said they made the win through perseverance. >> translator: we are honored that we received such a great award. it makes me feel we should again pledge to keep going on so we can encourage people through our performance. >> translator: we'll do our best at the preliminary qualifying games for the olympics and try to get the gold medal. >> the japanese national women's

soccer team is the 19th recipient of the people's honor award since its launch in 1977. a very exciting game that was. and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.