it's 10:00 p.m. in tokyo. welcome to "newsline." i'm michio kijima with the news at this hour. they've invest gated three prefectures battered by tropical storm thomas. the torrential downpours can cause landslides and flooding leaving a total of 100 people dead or missing. noda's first leg of the inspection was the town of

nachikatsuura. he offered his condolences to the town's mayor who lost his daughter in the flooding and whose wife is still missing. the prime minister then visited the town of kiho in mie prefecture where many were isolated ba us of flooding. he then visited gojo in nara prefecture. concern is rising that the pooled water may burst causing more damage downstream. >> translator: the inspection allowed me to see the damage was mo serious than iimagined. >> he said compiling a third supplementary budget is one way of dealing with the crisis. he said that once he has a full understanding of the damage, he'll decide on what action to take. the japanese government's mandatory power-saving requirement is now over.

the government imposed a 15% power cut back in july due to electricity shorts following the fukushima daiichi plant accident last spring. the requirement came to an end on friday night. that's sooner than originally planned due to falling temperatures and declining electricity dend. while the requirement isn effect, large users served by tokyo were legally mandated to reduce the peronmpon toeethtaetbunees adst tirorscdu. foinstance, rmakercled their plants on weekdays and operat oween itead. prate homes relso asked to chip in. in the end, though, the power suppliers did not have to resort to planned outage this summer. the industry ministry says the power-saving efforts by companies and private homes proved more than effective, but there are concerns about possible power shortages this winter because a large number of nuclear power plants around japan are shut down for

inspection. >> translator: we'll review the effectiveness of this summer's power-saving measures and study steps we should take in winter. we will try to avoid imposing an electricity usage limit again. >> tokyo electric power company or tepco has gun stress test on idle nuclear reactors. these tests were imposed as a condition before reactors are put back online. tepco began a test on friday at two of the reactors of the nuclear plant. they plan to assess their resistance to earthquakes and tsunamis through a series of computer simulations. the next step will be to obtain approval of local authorities, but so far opinions remain divided. >> translator: if the safety of

the reactors is confirmed by the stress tests, there is no reason to keep the power station offline. >> the governor of niigata prefecture appears more reluctant. he says a proper assessment of the fukushima accident will be needed before the reactors can be restarted. sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the september 11th terrorist attacks. ahead of the day, about 100 people gather to light candles and pray for peace near ground zero in new york city. thursday's ceremony in manhattan began with a christian priest and muslim sharing the podium and calling for prayers for peace. the participants stood should er to shoulder and held candles as they remembered the nearly 3,000 victims of the attack on the world trade center. >> i think it's important to show our solidarity as we reflect on this anniversary.

>> yit blaming others for what's happened in the u.s. over and over and over again. it was a very tragic event, but it can't go on and on and on. >> the civic group that organized the event plans to stage another rally on sunday. meanwhile, researchers have released over 100 audio files related to the hijacking of four planes on september 11th. they include on-board conversations and exchanges between plane crews and flight controllers as well as the voice of one of the hijackers. >> nobody move. everything will be okay. if you try to make any move, you will endanger yourself and the airplane. let's stay quiet. >> in another recording a female flight attendant called the airline's operation desk. >> somebody's stabbed in business class, and i think there's mace that we can't breathe. i don't know. i think we're getting hijacked. >> another file features an

exchange between an air traffic controller in boston and an official at the north american airspace defense command. the dialogue took place ten minutes before american airlines flight 11 crashed into the world trade center. >> we have a problem here. we have a hijacked aircraft headed towards new york. we need you guys to scramble some f-16s or something up there to help us out. >> is this real world or exercise? >> no, this is not an exercise or test. >> the 114 audio files were released on thursday by a research state in the state of new jersey. new york mayor michael bloomberg says intelligence indicates terrorists could be planning an attack on the city. the announcement comes three days before the tenth anniversary of the september 11th attacks. in agency news conference on thursday bloomberg said information about the threat is uncorroborated and unspecific but comes from credible sources.

>> the nypd is deploying additional resourc around the city and taking other steps to keep our city safe, but there is no reason for any of the rest of us to change anything in our daily routines. >> a senior official of the u.s. homeland security department told nhk that the information is specific and credible but unconfirmed. the officials said the government is investigating the threat. he noted that the intelligence obtained from the hideout from the slain al qaeda leader osama bin laden pointed to a possible terror plot to coincide with the september 11th anniversary. the u.s. media reported that two or three suspects may have entered the u.s. by air in august, aiming to carry out a bomb attack on a bridge or tunnel either in washington or new york at around the anniversary. a white house official said president barack obama was briefed on the threat on thursday and ordered the counterterrorism officials to investigate and further enhance security.

the march 11th disaster. the september 11th attacks. two anniversaries, one source for in-depth donch. join nhk world for "japan: six months on" and "9/11: defining a decade." our programming continues all week. then on sunday, septembe11, we'll mark the anniversaries, 2:30 p.m. japan time for the 3/11 disaster and 9:40 p.m. for the 9/11 attacks. a clash in the east china sea. one year has passed since japan's coast guard issued that warning to a chinese fishing trawler. soon after, the boats collide.

the incident led to a strain in relations that has yet to fully heal. rebuilding ties is one of the main foreign policy challenges facing japan's new government led by new prime minister yoshihiko noda. for its part, the chinese government says it is also working to improve relations with its neighbor. the se me, china is trying to dispel the view in the international community that asia's rising giant poses a threat to peace in the region. our china report tonight focuses on the lingering impact of the confrontation and what lies ahead for japan/china relations. we start by looking back at what happened one year ago. >> the senkaku islands are a rocky cluster this the east china sea, about 420 kilometers

west of japan. japan has claimed it's thr territory. china has a competing claim. in september last year, a chinese fishing boat collided with two japan coast guard boats near the islands. japan arrested the chinese captain accusing him of deliberately rammi his sss. that triggered a strong protest from beijing, which extended ministerial exchanges along with other measures. anti-japan demonstrations erupted in cities across china. adversely affecting public sentiment in both countries. in august two chinese fisheries surveillance ships briefly entered japanese waters in the same area. it was china's first intrusion into japanese territory since last september's collision. tokyo strongly protested. prime minister noda plans to visit china possibly by the end

of this year in an effort to improve the bilateral relationship. earlier gino na tani spoke with our reporter in beijing. >> do you see any changes in public sentiment one year after the incident? >> reporter: well, according to the latest public opinion polls, 78% of japanese feel negatively about china, while 66% of chinese hold ill feelings to japan. these are the worst results since the first poll in 2005. they show that the two countries have grown far apart and more time will be needed for their relationship to improve. >> definitely the numbers don't print a bright picture. what is the chinese government's attitude on mending fences with japan? >> reporter: a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said on wednesday that the collision was an unfortunate incident and

pledged to cooperate with japan's new cabinet to restore normal relations. an associate professor at peeking -- peking university watches the relationship along with east asia. i asked him how the incident has affected japan/china ties. >> in the last years the fishing boat drove, i think it was a big blow for the bilateral relations. there was no winners from this crisis. these issues remind us of the bilateral -- the foundation of a bilateral relation is still very fragile. we need to be very cautious. we need to communicate. we need to think about some scenarios on both sides to

prepare for this kind of thing happening. not just let it, you know, go floating just like the fishing boat last year. >> reporter: last year the view spread in the international community that china poses a threat to peace in the region. china acknowledges that to secure stability it needs to promptly improve the relationship with its neighbor, japan. >> what's china's response it to the launch of the noda cabinet? >> reporter: i believe china will take time to see what kind of china policy the noda administration will come up with. >> i'm a little bit concerned about this, because there's so many -- as i mentioned, so many new faces in the noda administration. i'm not very sure how much they know about how to deal with how

to communicate with chinese government -- chinese officials. as the prime minister's congratulations to him, and we hope there will be a better bilateral relations between japan and china. it is so important. you know, not only for these two countries, but even for the countries of east asia. >> reporter: the two countries remain at odds with japan insisting that the senkaku islands are its own territory and no territorial issues exist between japan and china. china maintains that the islands end its sovereignty. but a adsh-cng the country will want to create a favorable diplomatic environment before the new leadership is installed. china is waiting to see if the

launch of the noda cabinet will provide it with an opportunity to build stable relations with japan. >> that was nhk world's yoshitaka hirauchi in beijing. north korean leader kim yong il marked the 63rd anniversary of the country's founding by watching a military parade with his son and heir apparent. kim jong-un. it was held on friday at a square it was pyongyang. it was covered live by state-run north korean television. as soldiers marched past the square with anti-aircraft batteries and other weapons, participants formed letters to spell out kim jong-il's name and words like glory. the timing was unusual as they have parades every five years to celebrate the country's founding or establishment of the ruling workers party. observers believe the north

korean leadership is holdinghe para ts yr t high light the smooth transfer from kim jong-il to his son. he's expected to be the third successive generation to rule the country. japan and the united states have marked the 60th anniversary of the peace and securities treaties that have formed the basis of japan's diplomacy since world war ii. the san francisco peace treaty and the japan/u.s. security treaty were signed on september 8, 1951. the peace treaties officially ended the war. about the 200 people, including officials from both governments, attended a ceremony on thursday in a park in san francisco where the security treaty was signed. the consul general said he hopes the strong bond between japan and the united states will help promote peace around the world. in a message secretary of state hillary clinton called to the

twol countries to build a new alliance in the 21st century to strengthen their friendship. a japanese tea ceremony was held to wish for a continued friendship between the two countries. the japanese economy shrank more than previously estimated in the april to june period. the japanese government said friday that the economy declined by an annualized rate of 2.1% in the quarter. that's down from the preliminary report of minus 1.3% that was given back in august. the nation's economy posted a third straight quarter of declines. the largest factor was the decrease in capital spending as the march 11th disaster dampened corporate sentiment.t factor wa decrease in capital spendings the march 11 disaster dampened corporate sentimen factor was t decrease in capital spending as the march 11th disaster dampened corporate sentiment. the spending figure came out to be minus 0.9% compared to the reading of 0.2%. but in the following quarter,

economic growth is expected to pick up as quake-related reconstruction will have propped up demand. china's consumer prices in august rose 6.2% from a year ago easing for the first time in two months. the national bureau of statistics released the data on friday. the pace of advance marked a third straight raise b rose slightly by 0.3 percentage points from july. looking on, food prices continue to show a double-digit rise but fell 1.4 percentage points from the previous month. in particular, the price of pork fell more than 11 percentage points from the previous month. it's been rising over 50% in recent months. the august index is likely to are reflected the chinese central bank's tightening measures. the bank has raised its key interest rate five times since october of last year, but looking eid ahead, experts in china have started to voice

concerns over the country's economic growth as uncertainties in the global economic recovery continue. there's tough decisions to be made on whether further monetary tightening is necessary. fast retailing uniqlo is focusing on asian markets to push the expansion plan. it opened its largest store in southeast asia on friday. the bangkok store is the company's first in thailand. it became crowded with more than 2,000 people soon after an opening ceremony. fast retailing plans to open three more stores in bangkok by early next year. stores in indonesia and vietnam are also planned. the store plans to run stores in 12 countries. and here are the latest market figures.

time to check on some of the stories we've gather from oaastersrod ia. we beg t wh this item sentymcot thailand. e sessed thahe geren would do its best to ensure reconciliation and unity in thai society. she added that her government would promo the asean economic community and international cooperation for world peace and prosperity.

the prime minister added that she's looking forward to attending the asean summit in indonesia in november when u.s. president barack obama will join the leaders in the ten-nation grouping. > the sh relangenovnmt onhuda special tour to promote reconciliation between the countries. a 25-year long insurgency to create an independent state in the north was defeated by the government in may 2009. 525 participated in the brotheood tour which started in the northern city. the itinerary includes many single lease dominating the irareas in the south. a program to provide vocational training to former guerilla n the 12,400 members of the tamil of tigers.

hi. welcome back. starting off with asia, we have a tropical storm that is approaching the southwestern islands of japan. it is actually near the amami island as of now and bringing up the waves to about 4 meters high. and as it approaches the island in koa, it lksike it's gog to b wngradg int a tric prsi,ut en i it wnad, i wle inngmpleoiur tar is froha wl b vepi oatda just over th s of pa itil b sgingllha motu a generinll os veryea rainnouth re itill aumulat upo aut 100 mlite i se ars. an wtendasrnap okgreyryndot but nohe jan wl bffte byhifrtswe. soe'oi t boong a very wet ansbl coitnsescily i hokkaido. by saturday nitn tar nd,noer rnd oea ra t ce fm ttther

syst cinin ay she m acmu rai up about miimerinheex cpl ys wee looking temperatures here in tokyo at 33 degrees. another hot day. here in north america, let's take a look at this tropical storm maria. where is it headed toward now? well, by the time it reaches bahamas, it may become a hurricane. so it will be strengthening in the next couple of days as well as into the next week, early next week. it may become a hurricane. here we have a lot of tropical storm warnings posted outnhe ss anll. an b arohio ri. an a ioeot me arndheesrnil e,mo about 200 millimeters. and puerto rico, as you can see, is going to be targeted with that bucket of rain in the next 48 hours to come.

tropical storm nate -- this is finally moving, but it is very slow -- it will become a hurricane late tonight or tomorrow. tropical storm warnings and watches just around this area. it will maintain its intensity as a hurricane and make landfall in western mexico probably by late sunday. we'll definitely keep a very cleyenis mayb taialccumulation may bep tobout 30 millimets seocea ti i wt wavee trki w. iss jt orre soasrn cstf united stesill beti looking at swel to come ow system il sits is over here a wl be lingering fo the nextoue of days sohakf flooding ntue.looding is going to and pennsylvaniescially a statofmeency h been av i seoc nay b eouoong v d a ca fouxctor tou coer m bopng oled thunderstorms. houston at 35. ip looking a32

atgp ienal cad a uaneehe. hein orourew,e ve wl vepe l esreysm atsitng ov wteruia soinndio,toy ndio tco f yo weav aysmha iomg inowdhe bti le loin vyeshe. an tt wl bovg io t annaan pinlasel as fehr easy in toward sunday. as you can see, much of the con nent looking very sunny and dry out for you. it's going to be hot though for you. warming up on saturday compared to friday. temperatures for saturday will be significantly higher than what we expected for the highs for friday. so kiev looking at 20 grees, and 30eges in paris. he's youextended fecast.

and now a discovery that may shake up how we view the family tree. you might want to check this t. an international team says fossils ofape-li species may

be direct human ancestors. the team led by a south african university reached the conclusion after investigating the skeletal remains. they were discovered three years ago in a cave near johannesburg, ut afca. it's believed the species lived over 2 million years ago. the team says the ape-like animal had a smaller brain than other homospecies like ho homoerectors. its long thumbs would a enable it to use tools. these finngsh that theymay b ana thisser er. has raised seeing hope that this is a missing leak in the evolutionary chain of ape-like animals to homosapians. the result of the refrp is published in friday's edition of the u.s. magazine "science." and 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.