glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's wednesday, september 21st, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. the very strong typhoon roke is churning closer toward japan's main island of honshu. people in central and western japan are on high alert. heavy rain is already falling in the region and there are growing fears of widespread flooding and landslides.

ev evacuation warnings have been issued. 1 million people in aichi have been warned to evacuate alone. in gifu prefecture the authorities are telling more than 96,000 residents to leave their homes. rescuers are searching for two people, including a school boy. in hyogo prefecture, next to osaka, officials want more than 34,000 people to evacuate. people in some areas of miyazaki and oita prefectures in southern japan have also been warned to evacuate because of possible landslides. some residents had to be rescued by boat before their houses were inundated by the rising waters. >> translator: i feel so relieved. the rain is easing off now. i hope is it stops soon.

>> one reason why typhoon roke is causing much concern is because western japan is still recovering from a previous storm that hit the region earlier this month. let's now go to saki ochi from the weather desk with the latest on this storm system. saki, where is the storm headed and what can we expect today? >> right, well we can see very active clouds already covering much of japan and that is what's bringing all the rain. here's the forecast path for this typhoon and it is getting very close to central sections of japan, likely making landfall here within the next couple of hours, by midday, and then you can see by the evening hours it starts approaching kan toe area including tokyo before quickly moving up north but it's going to track over the country and it is going to be stormy over the course of today, right now it's a very strong typhoon, so it's packing winds of over 160 kilometers per hour with gusts much, much higher and of course it is packing that rain, heavy

rain has already been inundating southern sections now it's going to start focusing on central and northern areas of japan, over the next 24 hours, we are talking about ample amounts of rain up to 400 millimeters possible for the kan toe area, elsewhere looking at 3 hub for northern sections and central sections, too, and this is an area that's already seen a lot of rain already, more to come so you want to stay well alert about the situation. >> thanks very much, saki. as saki mentioned the typhoon is now approaching eastern japan. nhk world's susumu koijima is at one of the biggest train stations in tokyo. how is it looking over where you are. >> reporter: i'm in front of shinjuku station in central tokyo. it has been raining since yesterday, but the rain and wind are not so strong for the moment. it looks more like a normal rainy day. the shinjuku is the busiest

station in tokyo. at this time of day you see a lot of students and office workers on their way to schools and workplaces with their umbrellas. the typhoon is still far away from tokyo, but it has already caused traffic disruption. the sign board in the station says "shinkansen, direct train services between tokyo and yamagata prefecture in northern japan have been canceled," and we expect more delays and cancellations today. the air travel has also been affected. more than 100 domestic flights have been canceled so far. as the typhoon approaches, we expect more rain today. one of the passengers here in shinjuku told me that she's planning to visit northern japan for sight-seeing but she's not sure whether she can make it. people are very concerned about how the weather will change as the typhoon approaches.

susumu kojima, nhk world, tokyo. >> all right, thanks very much. it still looks relatively calm. we'll continue to update you on typhoon roke throughout the day. in other news, the afghan government says former president burhanuddin rabbani was killed in a suicide bomb attack in the capital kabul on tuesday evening. afghan police say a major explosion occurred near rabbani's home before 6:00 p.m. local time. a government spokesperson told nhk that the perpetrator exploded a bomb he was carrying when he visited rabbani. he said the blast killed the former president. rabbani was elected president in 1992 and was ousted by the taliban when the islamist militant group took power four years later. rabbani headed the country's high peace council that was set up by president hamid karzai to negotiate with the pal ban.

karzai is visiting the u.s. to attend the u.n. general assembly. his office says he'll cut short his trip and return home. president barack obama called the death a tragic loss as he met president karzai in new york and pledged continued support for bringing stability to the country. china has expressed support for palestine's bid for full u.n. membership. >> translator: china understands, respects and supports palestine's bid for u.n. membership. >> chinese foreign ministry spokesperson hong lei told a news conference tuesday that speaking independent statehood is a natural right for p palestini palestinians, it's a foundation for peaceful coxinsence between palestine and israel. a recommendation from a security council member such as china is required.

another permanent member, the united states, is threatening to veto the bid. u.s. officials are saying it will obstruct the resumption of peace talks with israel. palestinian president mahmoud abbas notified u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon he will submit an application friday. the diplomatic maneuvering is likely to continue until the last minute. "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." police will be investigating cyber attacks on computer servers at japan's leading defense and nuclear equipment maker mitsubishi heavy industries.

china and possibly other countries have been implicated in the attacks. mitsubishi says it detected a virus on 83 servers and personal computers at its 11 production sites including shipyards in nagasaki and kobe. mitsubishi says it has not confirmed any leaks of its products and technologies. the targeted sites include information about manufactured submarines, muss sils and nuclear power plants. tokyo's police department plans to launch an investigation after they receive an official report from mitsubishi on the damage. meanwhile, beijing has denied any involvement. speaking to reporters on tuesday, china's foreign ministry spokesperson hong lei said such allegations in japan are groundless. he also said the claim might harm international efforts to enhance internet security measures.

in addition to mitsubishi heavy industries three more japanese defense equipment makers say they have come under cyber attack. ihi corporation says that several employees began to receive e-mails carrying viruses in 2009. it says the number of such attacks has been on the rise since the march 11th disaster. the maker tells employees not to open attached files that look suspicious. it has also enhanced security measures. mitsubishi electric and kawasaki heavy industries have also confirmed similar e-mails sent to some of their employees. both companies say their data was not leaked. nchings technology promotion agency, a semigovernmental body says viruses are often disguised as business e-mails from government offices or customerses. a survey by the industry instree

in may that 33% of japanese companies have come under cyber attack through e-mails. 40% of them said their systems were infected. with the indian government aiming to spend an impressive $1 trillion on much needed infrastructure to further boost economic growth in the south asian country, japanese businesses are hoping to gain greater access to this promising market. the india-japan global partnership sumity that took place in tokyo earlier this month drew business and political leaders from both countries against a backdrop of infrastructure improvement plans in india. the indian government's forthcoming five-year plan which will go into effect in 2012 foresees massive outlays on such things as transport networks. >> the japan-india economic partnership agreement that took effect seven weeks ago has given

moment up to the economic interaction between the two countries. japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda speaking at the summit stressed the need to strengthen japan's relation with india. >> translator: japan wants to contribute to infrastructure building efforts in india, which will have a positive impact on the fast growing economy there. >> the summit was held to mark the tenth anniversary of the global partnership. japanese interest is focused on a mega project known as the del high-mum buy industrial corridor. the undertaking includes plans to improve links between two of india's most important cities through road building and the construction of a new railway line for freight. expectations are running high for the mega project, which is aimed at creating a huge industrial zone, water and power supply facilities, and airport and other infrastructure. >> we recognize that the delhi

metro, which is a great success story, is a product of japanese technology, and japanese companies have played a major role. and we envisage that in this creation of new cities and in this building of new india, the japanese companies will also play a major role. >> some of those from the subcontinent taking part in the summit were, however, critical of hesitancy on the japanese side. >> japanese people are actually you know, they are slow, i can say, investing in india. >> it's the japanese need to open and understand the market and come into india. >> one prominent figure in india's business community who has headed the confederation of indian industry says that japanese companies need to indianize to succeed on the subcontinent. >> i feel the need to localize. that's the key.

because the products which they make for the affluent market may not be sellable in india. i think the indian market is different. it's very value conscious. so the more time japanese companies would spend in understanding the local market will give them huge returns. >> india is a vast nation with a population of 1.2 billion. its explosive market could give japan a much-needed jump-start for its own economy. both nations are working hard to find ways to benefit from each other's strengths. >> earlier michio kijima spoke with hiromi hirose, who covers for nhk world. >> hiromi, you were at the summit. can you tell us more about the summit? >> yes, it was the biggest meeting of its kind. india's huge emerging market and japan's cutting-edge technology makes two countries mutually

complementary of raising high expectation for the future. observers say there are a number of sectors in which both countries can benefit from taking part in india's nation-building program. india's growth demand for energy and eco-friendly environmental technology creates opportunities for corporations, for example. >> the population in india is increasing and young. so if we can bring young talent into japanese small and medium-scale enterprise, it will revive japanese small-scale industry. >> you know, india is re-enforcing its ties with a number of countries. how should japan go about strengthening its relationship with india? >> an economic partnership agreement between south korea and india took effect a year ago, before the one involving japan and india. trade between japan's own near neighbor and the south asian country has apparently surged

40% since the agreement went into effect. japan should learn from south korean manufacturers that have successfully adapted to the indian market. japanese manufacturers should try to figure out ways to use their technological clout in the areas of expertise. what's crucial is that they must conduct market research and get a better sense of what india is like and how it works. in my experience, the importance of face-to-face meeting cannot be underestimated. they are the best way to understand one another and what the other side wants. and one thing that impressed me at the summit was a remark by a reliance industry chairman, mukesh ambani. >> our vision is that we transfer on a massive scale, small and medium-scale business from japan to india, not only to

serve the indian market, but together to really try and serve the world markets from india. >> india wants to move ahead economically and socially and has a wide range of partners in the international community. japan could easily be left behind if it doesn't take advantage of the opportunities that are now beginning to present themselves. i always sense the desire to move quickly when speaking with indian business people. it is this drive that makes india an exhilarating but challenging place. >> do you project the indian economy to keep growing as it has? >> it has grown on average for 8.3% annually over the past five

years. but its trade is mired in problems like inflation, gaps between the rich and the poor, and political instability. i think the forthcoming indian five-year plan will be a sign of india's future course of growth. >> all right, nhk commentator hiromi hirose. hiromi, thanks for your perspective. appreciate it. next we go to our bureau in bangkok. patchari raksawong has the latest on what's going on in the region. today we start with the himalayan earthquake. a powerful jolt shook the region on sunday. the epicenter was in india, but damage has also been reported in nepal and tibet. the combined death toll has climbed to over 80. and here's the latest report from nhk world's reporter, fumiyo sukiaya. >> reporter: the magnitude 6.9 quake hit the state of sikkim in northeastern india. at least 67 people were killed with more than 170 injured. infrastructure has been badly

affected. some areas are still without electricity and water. sikkim officials say a road connecting the center city of gando and the neighboring state has been reopened. but roads leading to mountain villages remain impassable, hindering the rescue effort. food packages are being air dropped into isolated areas. in northern sikkim, rescue workers found several people trapped under rubble on tuesday. in nepal at least six people died. many buildings collapsed in this ancient town in the east of the country. in the tibetan autonomous region, china's state media say the quake killed seven people and around 100 are injured.

fumiyo sagaya, nhk world, new tell high. we'll wrap up our bulletin now in cambodia, where an ngo is treated a long neglected problem. in rural cambodia, pony carts remain a common form of transport. cheaper than a car, they are a cost-efficient way to move people and goods, and unlike many machines, they are still running strong after 20 or 30 years. but life can be tough for these beasts of burden. many are overworked, and owners have little knowledge of how to treat them when they get sick. coming to the rescue is the cambodia pony welfare association. roaming the country, this mobile clinic offers free treatment for ponies. the clinic's veterinarians have been forcing down supplements and healing injuries since 2007. they also hold workshops.

pony owners get a crash course on how to deal with common problems, everything from colic to sore hooves. and locals are grateful for the help. >> translator: many ponies used to die around here before we had help from the ngo. we did not know the problems ponies were facing, and we had no treatment for them. >> a lot is riding on the clinic's work. healthy ponies mean a smoother ride for farmers and even better mileage as well. and we'll wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. and now let's take a look at the latest in sumo action with hiro morita. >> after nine days at the autumn

sumo tournament, yokozuna hakuho held sole position of the lead with nine wins. see if he was able to keep his undefeated streak going on day ten. nobody has gotten in the way of has cue woe during the first nine days. he has been rock solid. hakuho gets a firm grip and goes forward while breaking tokitenko's balance. hakuho escorts the rank and filer out of the ring and goes to 10-0. a highlight match on day ten was the bout between the two sekiwake. kotoshogiku and cois enis akosenosato both entered at one loss each. he didn't show any letdown and bounced back with a victory the following day.

kosenosato lost for the first time on monday. he has to rebound and keep fighting strong if he wants to keep himself in contention. they expected a much more fierce battle from the two but he handled and showed why he is the legitimate ozeki candidate. the other rikishi whose been keeping himself in the race is gagamaru, the georgian, put together eight straight victories. lost on opening day but put together great straight victories. a double shadow dip on the big georgian and puts up a good fight. he attempts to bring him down but he resists and counterattack to burry goeida. he remains at one loss. one more man who i think has an outside chance of winning the title is ozeki champion baruto. he has picked up the pace with

six consecutive wins, make that seven. baruto shuts down whatever he intends to do. let's see how the standings look like after ten days. it's a familiar picture at the top. the grand champion is all alone in first place. kotoshogiku and gagamaru are staying within the striking distance at just one off the pace. before i go, how about a sneak preview of day 11. my pick of the day is 9-1 gagamu versus baruto. the 14.5 diameter ring will look very small as these two behemoths clash. join us tomorrow for the results of day 11. now let's take a look at the market figures.

welcome back to your weather update we're looking at weather across east asia. of course the focus of activity is across japan today, all of the clouds from our typhoon system as well as our frontal line. elsewhere looking at settled conditions especially next door for the korean peninsula as well as china, settled conditions we don't find much rain until we look across the south.

for the indee china. he ininess lain particular there will be widespread showers and thunderstorms and some heavier koun pours are possible across portions of vietnam especially. as for temperatures on wednesday looking like this, 25 degrees in tokyo. it is going to be a wet and cool side today. 23 degrees in seoul, 27 in beijing so a little bit warmer. 18 in chongqing to downright cool. as for the americas, clouds are moving out of the eastern seaboard so things are settling for the northeast corner of the united states. however, there's still plenty of activity in the southeast, showers and thunderstorms, while we have this low that's going to be moving into the great lakes area, bringing in more unsettled weather as it goes so winds are remaining on the strong side, too, for the northern plains tonight. out west a fairly dry picture except for the british columbia, that is, we're still looking at rain that's going to start heading in towards southern areas so vancouver, too, will be

looking at some rain. wednesday highs on the cool side, vancouver, 19, while seattle gets up to 26. l.a. hits 27 degrees, meanwhile out east, 24 for both new york and d.c., atlanta, too, comes in at 26 so pretty mild conditions really widespread for the eastern side. and finally i look at europe here, activity is moving southward across the balkan peninsula, still some lingering thundershowers for southern italy as well as areas like greece, that is going to be heading in towards turkey over the next 24 hours, meanwhile up north shows a lot of rain moving through the scandinavian peninsula as well as the british isles and northern end, ireland, scotland, watch out for the windy weather. otherwise a calm picture for much of continental europe. 22 degrees in vienna, 23 for paris on the cool side and london, while madrid gets up to 31 and lisbon staying warm at 29 degrees. that's a look at your weather

conditions for now and up next is your three-day outlook. and that's all for this

edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.