it's 10:00 p.m. in tokyo, welcome to "newsline," i'm michio kijima with the news at this hour. typhoon roke moved away from japan. after inflicting damage over wide areas of the country. the storm killed 12 people and left four others missing. the meteorologist agency said the typhoon was downgraded to a low pressure system over the see sea to the east over hokkaido thursday afternoon. and authorities are still warning of possible flooding and

landslides throughout the country. the typhoon passed through the disaster-stricken tohoku region wednesday. the flooding had caused in miyagi prefecture, isolated hundreds of people in temporary housing overnight. local officials asked residents to evacuate. but they were unable to reach their designated locations on higher ground because of flooded roads. >> translator: we had no choice but to stay in temporary shelter. it was very scary. >> the evacuees had to spend the night in a nearby community center until ground self-defense force personnel reached the area early thursday morning. the typhoon also approached the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant on wednesday night. but it cause the no major damage. this picture shows rainwater flowing into the basement of the number 6 reactor building. four reactor buildings whose basements are flooded with contaminated water. the water levels rose between 10 and 44 centimeters because of

the rain. rain also halted operations to remove salt from the contaminated water. tokyo electric power company said several cameras used to monitor the compound suffered minor glitches. likely due to rain. it doesn't anticipate any major problems caused by the storm. japanese government survey offers new information about the spread of radioactive iodine from the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. it says the contamination extends not only to the northwest of the facility, but also to the south. the science ministry sampled soil at 2,200 locations in june and july. in fukushima prefecture. it then created a map showing the extent of the contamination as of june 14th. the latest map confirms a like cesium 137, iodine was spread northwest of the plant. the contamination was discovered at relatively high levels south

of the facility. the researchers found the levels of iodine 131 were higher than those of cesium 137 in the southern coastal areas. ministry officials say clouds moving southward over the nuclear plant caught large amounts of iodine 131 being emitted at the time. exposure to iodine 131 can cause thyroid cancer. the ministry is trying to determine what levels of the substance spread immediately after the accident. the march 11th tragedy has prompted a wave of creativity in japan's film world. young directors have portrayed the did he havization caused by the quake and tsunami, in unconventional ways. in the disaster-hit city of sendai, miyagi prefecture, a film festival was held earlier this month. all the films shown were the same duration, three minutes and 11 seconds. representing the date of the disaster. for more on how japan's

up-and-coming film directors worked on their small pieces in light of the disaster. here's nhk world's daiichi takahashi. >> reporter: children at play, but the smiles and laughter soon give way to hints of the facts from the fukushima daiichi accident on people's lives. this animation entitled "the hands" unfolds with images of grieving and prayer. simple sketches convey feelings of loss and separation. the sendai short film festival opened on september 17th. the festival gives film director as chance to move into the spotlight.

41 entries were accepted this year for this category. the hall where the event was usually held, was damaged in the march 11th disaster. sigawura, a member of the organizing committee, says they almost gave up holding the festival this year. they pressed ahead after strong encouragement from directors. >> translator: i was so grateful to know there are film directors supporting even a small festival in sendai. i realized the significance of keeping the festival alive. >> reporter: the requirement for this category was that all films had to be three minutes and 11

seconds long. and based on the theme "tomorrow." >> this entry was shot in the tsunami-devastated city of rikuzan takata, in miyagi prefecture. it's the story of a team of engineers trying to rebuild a ruined town. at night they are haunted by a menacing force. >> translator: i was lost after the disaster. it seemed reality surpassed fiction, but i made the film by driving myself forward, step by step. this was how i motivated myself. >> reporter: never give up, by emcee tong, in shot in the style of a music video. direct

director idea, has international acclaim, produced a film depicting the life of rapper emcee tong. for the leading role, he chose a native of sendai, whose friend remains missing due to the tsunami. ♪ ♪ ♪ never give up ♪ never give up >> translator: i want people in sendai to know that the unprecedented disaster will not prevent us from keeping on doing what we have been doing. tom and i are both resolved to continue without ever giving up. >> translator: i like the films, because they are not all dark. and i could see the perspectives

of many people. >> translator: it's wonderful to see how things connect to the future. >> translator: it's a great joy, if people who had never come to the festival before, discover what films can be like. this year's festival is a starting point for the next festival. i'm determined to move forward. >> reporter: through our window of three minutes and 11 seconds, the 41 directors have given their take on disaster that will shake japan for years to come. daiichi takahashi, nhk rld. here are the latest market figures.

u.s. president barack obama asked japan's prime minister, yoshihiko noda, for concrete progress in resolve ing the okinawa based disputwhen e two met in n yk dnesda nh rlstamotokama reports. tnslator: iou le to thanon behf the jane peop the u.s. litaryor the eat extence tendedn lping japan rever from the disaern mah 11th. iantoelmeri mister na and his delegation

untes. i am sure it will be an excellent working relationship with the prime minter as well as his team. noda held his first face to presenonedsd othress sidelines of the u.ngeral assembly meeting. the u.s. side hoping for progress on several issues. the two men cut straight down to business at the meeting. obama explained that the u.s. terms on the relocation of the u.s. marine corps futenma station in okinawa prefecture. he called on noda to begin laying the ground work for building alternative city in the head district of nago city as agreed by the two governments. obamsa hhos see nglerogress on this issu ro e ineti o

trans-rs re. takamoto kajiwara, nhk world, new york. prime minister noda also met the head of the united nations. he told him that japan will send a survey team to south sudan in preparation for possible japanese participation in a u.n. peace-keeping mission there. noda met u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon in new york on wednesday. noda referred to an earlier request from ban, that japan dispatch a ground self-defense force to improve engineering unit to help infrastructure there. the prime minister said the government is now considering sending two personnel to the u.n. peace keeping operation headquarters. ban said he appreciates japan's response to the request at the u.n. disaster preparedness conference in 2015.

noda also said in a u.n. disaster preparedness conference in 2015. noda also met south korean president, lee myung-bak on wednesday. they agreed to accelerate efforts to resume stalled negotiations. over a stalled partnership agreement. the pact would allow japan and south korea south korea to step up exchanges in the private sector. nool l he hopes to sign soon and lee said he hopes to expedite the talks. the leaders agreed to coordinate policies against their countries and the u.s. over north korea's nuclear development. they committed themselves to taking a broader approach in solving thorny issue, including a territorial dispute in the sea of japan. the top nuclear envoys from china and south korea met on thursday in beijing.

their discussions happened a day after the chief envoys talked about restarting the stalled six-party negotiations on the nuclear program. south korea delegate wi sung-lac and wii met the at the foreign ministry. china is trying to be the go-between for the two koreas. it's aiming to resume the six-party talks by the end of the year. but north and south korea remain far apart. south korea said wednesday, talks did not make any progress. it reportedly stated the north must take concrete steps to denuclearize before discussions resume. the focus is on north korea and what action it will propose to the united states regarding denuclearization. that meeting is expected to take place as early as next month. chinese government officials are speaking about what they're calling a mistake by the united states. they strongly oppose a u.s. decision to help taiwan upgrade

its aging fleet of f-16 fighter jets. they're warning the deal could damage china/u.s. cooperation. u.s. assistant secretary of state, kurt campbell, announced wednesday that the u.s. would not sell the new model of f-16s to taiwan. that's what china wanted. it didn't want this, though. the u.s. is now going to sell taiwan radar systems, missiles and other equipment. the hardware will help the taiwanese military upgrade its existing fleet of 145 fighters. china is against any arm sales to taiwan. it considers that interference in its internal affairs. >> translator: the united states made a mistake. it's inevitable that the decision will damage military and security cooperation between china and the united states. >> foreign monday industry

spokesperson hinted that the suspension of china/u.s. military exchange. bilateral ties chilled until january this year. there are fears this latest issue will damage china/u.s. relations again. leaders seem to be standing strong in the face of immense pressure at the united nations general assembly meeting in new york. they say they will make a bid for u.n. membership this week as planned. u.s. president barack obama is trying to convince them to put their request on hold. obama delivered a speech wednesday at the general assembly. he said there is no shortcut to resolving decades-long conflict in the middle east and argued the palestinians should first return to peace talks before applying for u.n. membership.

obama then met separately with palestinian president mahmoud abbas and israeli prime minister benjamin nettia hue. before that meeting an adviser to the palestinian president said abbas won't back down. >> he has to give it a serious try. if we fail, we have to keep knocking at the door of that organization. >> abbas is expected to file membership request on friday. leaders of south american nainrastesre voicing their support. the issue has sparked vigorous debate at the u.n. and around the world. obama also talked about the so-called arab spring in his speech for the u.n. general assembly. he hailed a pro-democracy movement in middle eastern and north african countries. he pledged the u.s. will continue to play an active role in international affairs. obama said the past year marked historical turning point.

he noted pro-democracy movements spread from tunisia to egypt, and on to libya. people fought to bring down long standing authoritarian regimes. >> more individuals are claiming their universal right to live in freedom and dignity. >> obama called for sanctions to be imposed on syria. he said the government there is suppressing citizens who are demanding democracy. he also warned the committee will increase pressure on iran if it continues to promote its nuclear program and on north korea if it keeps provoking neighbors. time to check some stories we've gathered from broadcasters around asia. we begin tonight with this item set by mcot thailand. some of the worst flooding in thailand has left 136 people dead and serious affected about two million others. since the end of july, the flooding has inundated 800,000

hectares of farmland in 23 northeast provinces. more flash floods and mudslides are expected in 17 of these provinces in the next few days. meanwhile authorities have sent mobil teams to treat those suffering from physical and mental problems. some flood victims have been exhibiting suicidal tendencies due to fatigue, depression and loss of property. and aviation exposition kicked off in the chinese capital of beijing on wednesday. the world's leading aircraft firms, including boeing and airbus were showing their latest products and technologies in an attempt to make their mark in china's huge market and manufacturing industry. domestic companies are for the first time exhibiting their as many as 40 kinds of aviation-related equipment for military and civilian use. organizers hope the 14th aviation expo will help china develop its own aircraft industry. marine police from thailand

and malaysia began joint patrols in the andaman sea on thursday to intercept muslim insurgents. the move comes after bombings in thailand's southern province on friday, that killed five people, including four malaysian tourists. the joint patrols are aimed at preventing islamic insurgents from entering thailand and carrying out attacks. as part of the agreement between thailand and malaysia, personnel from both countries will be on duty on a rotating basis. as hungary's economy still reels from the 2008 financial crisis, the government has taken an unusual step. it has become the first country to impose a tax on junk food. eating so much salty and sugary foods has made a lot of hungaryians obese. and the death rate is the second in the highest european union. the company hopes its so-called chips tax persuades hungarians

to eat healthier. but as nhk world's june takahashi reports, many have mixed feelings about the tax. >> reporter: food shoppers are payingor for much of their snack foods because the government has imposed a tax on unhealthy foods. the price of snacks like potato chips has risen an average 20%. soft drinks with lots of sugar and caffee areax as mu 6. >> translator: i'll give my kids fewer snacks. >> translator: we may think twice about eating chips. >> reporter: no other country has a tax lik this. the gornment is proud of it and says the tax is good for its citizens.

>> translator: the goal of the new tax is to encourage our people to make healthy choices. and at the same time to have the government use the tax revenue in efficient ways. >> reporter: but the tax is not good for the financial health for the food manufacturers. presales have always been a hungarian favorite, pretzels. until now a bag cost about 25 cents. but with a new tax, the price is a little higher than 30 cents. that's about a 20% price increase. the company worries that sales will fall. >> translator: we are searching for solutions that don't involve layoffs. we'll shorten work hours and assign workers to different tasks. but the future is looking bleak.

>> reporte hungary's largest soft drink company makes drinks high in sugar and caffeine content. but now the firm is working on a new line of drinks for the fall. >> we will produce a new version, a lighter version, less caffeine, less sugar which is not subject to tax and let the customer of the hungarian people which they want. >> reporter: this woman lives outside the capital, budapest. her children love snacks. she already spends 10% of her monthly food budget on snacks. she worries that because of the chips tax, she will spend more on food. >> translator: i don't have any

money left over in my budget. i' either have b fewer snacks or look for cheaper options. >> reporter: the chips tax is a financial burden to both manufacturers and consumers. some experts believe the government imposed it not to get citizens to make healthier choices, but to raise more income. >> the government tried to get extra revenues from different ways. >> reporter: after the government has measured reaction to its tax, it may impose other le levies. but as long as the recession lasts, there could be strong opposition to the people. jun tahashi, nhk world, budapest.

hello there, time for another check on the world's weather. japan is looking better today after getting rid of the typhoon roke, which just blew through honshu and is now still bringing showers and some strong winds, still to the northeastern coast. but it is going to be a much better day tomorrow. while we look at the 72-hour rainfall accumulation. for areas in tohoku, you can see that very significant amounts of rain fell. ishinomaki saw 542 millimeters of rain in two days. this is going to be stopping along the eastern coast. but we still see showers for the western coast tomorrow. and any additional rainfall could really be a problem. while we see the runoff coming down from the mountains, there is still a high risk of flooding, landslides and mudslides as we go through the next few days, so we'll be keeping an eye on that situation. high pressure moving through across towards the east, pushing into japan, it will be clearing a lot of things up for many of us across the western and

central portions of japan. the korean peninsula staying clear. but in the southwest we have ongoing rain and there is very significant flood problem here as well. that will continue, the rain will, anyway. some heavy in places into the weekend. we also have heavy rain for parts of eastern indochina, as well as northern parts of the philippines. temperatures set up like this for friday. 28 in beijing, a cool day for u latively in shanghai,t 26. looking for 26 also in tokyo. and hanging onto the 30's in manila and bangkok. let's go to north america and see what's happening in the tropics. tropical storm ophelia is moving further towards the west. now it looks like it's going to be veering just north of the leeward islands and also it doesn't show any signs of really intensifying. so good news here, one to watch certainly. but it doesn't look like it's going to be too much of an issue for the time being. it's tropical storm hilary that looks like it really is on its way to intensifying. it should become a hurricane within the next 12 hours. we have storm warnings issued

along the southern coast of mexico here. storm surge, high waves and the winds and heavy rain are all going to be factors to watch into the coming days. even into early next week, it looks like the storm will be with us and perhaps even getting stronger. as we look at the bigger picture here, showers continuing in the southeast. we've got this long cold front which is going to be bringg more swers in towards th northeast and the mid-atlantic. it's going to be wet day on thursday. and evenetr id. posbl seeing some flood problems. cold across the north, b hh d dry. and then out to the pific northwest. yet another storm rolling in from the pacific will bring rain and some strong wind for you, too. 19 in vancouver, 22 in seattle, winnipeg in 14, your lows around zero for central canada as well as the northern plains. 34 meanwhile in houston, we're also seeing the 30s in miami at 32. all right as we head into europe, very messy still across rtrn par of the uk. specifically it's going to be scotland getting all of the rn bands coming in. that heads up into parts of northern, i should say souther

and western norway. and all the way across into finland as well. so very mesnd unsettled. we may see a few showers popping up in the mountains of spain. but generally looking pretty good, apart from the showers also spreading right through turkey. temperatures are just about on average. but watch in the west, they will be going up by maybe three to five degrees into the weekend. here's your extended forecast.

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.