welcome to this edition of "newsline." it's thursday september 29th, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. the operator of the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant says that high densities of hydrogen have built up in pipes connected to the number 1 reactor. tokyo electric power company says that an explosion is

unlikely as there is no oxygen in the pipes but that it will begin work to drain the gas starting on thursday. tepco began measuring the density of the gas on wednesday after finding it accumulating in pipes connected to the reactor's containment vessel late last week. it found that the density of hydrogen was high at between 61 to 63%. the utility believes that the hydrogen is likely the remains of gas that caused explosions at the plant in march following the quake and tsunami disaster. it has also promised to check the density of hydrogen and pipes in the number 2 and number 3 reactors in line with instructions from japan's nuclear safety agency. the environment ministry says it will build facilities to temporarily store irradiated soil in tokyo and seven prefectures in eastern and northeastern japan. vice environment minister hideki

miamikawa made the announcement on wednesday. >> translator: we'd like to quick liu decide on the locations of storage facilities. that will allow us to make progress in removing radioactive substances. and not just fukushima. other prefectural governments should also provide storage. local governments have been trying to removed radioactive materials since the crisis began at the fukushima daiichi plant. but they're struggling to find places to store mud and sludge generated by the decontamination. the environment ministry is planning to build the facilities in tokyo and four other neighboring prefectures, and in three prefectures in the tohoku region. the ministry says it will soon explain the plan to each local government. "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 if 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." the death toll from the march 11th earthquake and tsunami is close to 16,000. and 4,000 people are still not accounted for. next we meet a man who's spent more than six months searching for the missing. >> reporter: hirofumi onadera is the captain of a japan coast guard patrol boat in ket noouma, miyagi prefecture. he's been searching for missing people ever since the disaster. he's helped recover dozens of bodies. >> translator: the search teams

are gradually being scaled down, so people with missing relatives must be losing hope. they want us to keep searching. >> reporter: a memorial service was held in kesennuma on september 11th. onodera was there. he himself has two missing relatives. his mother, masuko, and his eldest son, yuki. when the earthquake struck, masuko and yuki were at home. >> translator: they fled up to that shrine. >> reporter: the two fled to higher ground, but the tsunami swept them away. onodera remembered his mother and son when he visited the spot where the family's house once stood. >> translator: a ping-pong table in the shed reminds me of my son.

>> reporter: onodera goes to the same place every time he has a day off. it's a beach nearby. he's been looking for things that belonged to his loved ones. in may he came across a backpack that his son used in elementary school. onode rachlt a says he'll also keep searching for the bodies, not as a coast guard officer but as a father and son. >> translator: i've spent six months searching, but there may still be places i haven't looked. i still love my mother and my son. i'd hold them in my arms if i could see them again. >> reporter: over 300 people are missing in kesennuma alone.

onodera is determined to continue his search until he recovers the last remains of precious souls still drifting in the ocean. in other news, people in shanghai are expressing concern after service on a subway line resumed only hours after a collision on tuesday. no one died in the accident, but hundreds of people were left injured. the accident occurred in central shanghai when a train slammed into a slower-moving one running on the same track. 284 passengers were injured. service along the line resumed four hours after the accident but was then partially suspended on wednesday so that an investigation could be conducted. however, by the evening the subway authorities resumed operations after they said they had tightened safety measures. they say the collision was the result of human error and that subway employees had failed to comply with the rules.

the handling of the accident has sparked a surge of criticism on the internet. messages such as "the lives of ordinary citizens are a joke." and "there's no guarantee that similar accidents will not occur on different routes" are appearing on a popular website in a show of growing public distrust towards transport authorities. now, nhk world's yoshitaka hirauchi is in shanghai. he's been gauging public reaction to the crash. >> reporter: the accident occurred on a subway route that opened in april of last year to coincide with the start of the shanghai expo. transport authorities say there were more than 500 passengers on the two trains. july's high-speed rail crash in

the east killed 40 people. the chinese government's handling of the accident provoked wide praed publspread anger. authorities in shanghai are now facing a similar wave of criticism. a satellite tv station in hong kong conducted an online survey talking to people across china on wednesday. it found that 60% of respondents said the accident was a result of professional negligence and that authorities have not learned any lessons from july's rail crash. many respondents also voiced concerns over the rapid expansion of subway lines. they say that yet more safety problems might occur in the future. >> the frequent accidents are evidence that the operators are not meeting their responsibility for safe operations. >> reporter: the subway accident comes just two months after the high-speed rail crash. chinese transport authorities face the challenge of finding

out exactly why the accident happened in order to ease the concerns and mistrust people have with the nation's transit systems. yoshitaka hirauchi, nhk world, shanghai. one of the latest and lightest passenger jets in the world touched down in japan on wednesday. all nippon airways will start operating the 787 dreamliner next month. boeing made the plane, and here's a look at a scaled-down version. the real thing is small compared to the company's famous jumbo jet, the boeing 747. still, dreamliner is expected to have a big impact on the aviation industry. nhk world's susumu kojima explains. >> reporter: the brand new jetliner landed at tokyo's haneda airport on a sunday morning. it's three years behind

schedule. but that didn't dampen the excitement. >> translator: i'm really moved to witness this historic moment. >> reporter: on the surface the dreamliner looks like a regular mid-sized aircraft. it's much lighter, though. the fuselage and wings are made of carbon fiber. >> translator: it's a very fuel-efficient airplane. the 787 burns 20% less fuel than conventional planes of its size. >> reporter: the dreamliner can carry up to 300 passengers. it's the first model of its class that can travel nonstop between tokyo and the u.s. east coast. all nippon airways pilots will start flying the 787 next month. we are getting a look inside today. boeing says the carbon fiber air frame is strong, so the windows

can be bigger. i'm sitting on an aisle seat, but i still have a great view. the size of the windows is about 1.3 times larger than those of a conventional aircraft. all the cabin lights are l.e.d. they consume less energy. and their color spectrum helps create a more relaxed environment. the dreamliner's cockpit is equipped with the latest safety gadgets. the transparent display shows data such as speed and altitude. pilots can fly without looking down at the instruments. japanese manufacturers provided about 35% of the parts for the dreamliner. a.n.a. calls it a made in japan plane. so why did boeing choose to

develop this kind of aircraft? the company says the aviation industry will be turning to mid-size planes over the next 20 years. it argues the growth of emerging economies will fuel the trend. a new survey suggests domestic flight market in china will grow by 7.2% annually until 2030. in india expansion will be 9.8% per year. intercity air travel is expected to boom. boeing says passenger demand for direct flights between smaller destinations will increase. travelers usually fly in large planes to major cities and transfer to smaller jets to reach their final destination. boeing says mid-size aircraft will reduce stopovers. while boeing is thinking small,

its competitor airbus has been thinking big. very big. it developed the largest commercial plane, the a-380. people call this a flying hotel. the seats and aisles are the most spacious in the sky. one airline even introduce d th plane's cabins. airbus says the a-380 will cover growing traffic between the world's major cities and large airplane hubs. the plane can carry more than 500 passengers. it started flying in 2007. there are now 54 in operation. boeing's dreamliner has some catching up to do. it will make its first commercial flight from narita airport to hong kong on october 26th. then the battle between boeing and airbus is expected to heat

up. which company will be able to fly higher and dominate the aviation industry? with another global financial crisis looming and with the cost of flying on the rise, the competition is expected to be fierce. susumu kojima, nhk world, tokyo. the united nations says the earth's population is projected to reach 7 billion at the end of october, bringing greater challenges to humankind. the u.n. population fund says the planet's population has grown by an average of 78 million annually over the last 50 years, increasing from 3 billion to 7 billion. at a news conference on wednesday, the head of the fund's tokyo office kyoko ikegami said developing countries will find it increasingly difficult to secure food, water and natural resources. >> translator: all u.n. members must cooperate to counter

problems in a world with 7 billion people. no one can live without the influence of environmental factors. >> the fund plans to hold symposiums and photo exhibits on the population issue in various countries in october. a woman in saudi arabia has been sentenced to ten lashes for defying the conservative kingdom's ban on female drivers. the move comes as religious hard liners appear determined to put the brakes on recent moves by an increasing number of women to get behind the wheel. these images of a woman being flogged were reputedly taken in a mountainous region of northwestern pakistan. and this is a flogging carried out in somalia five years ago. flogging a is a punishment that

is still meted out for various offenses in a number of conservative islamic areas. saudi arabia is a male-dominated and conservative society. women are banned from driving out of concern that the free movement of women could lead to immoral behavior. on tuesday a court in jeddah in the western part of the kingdom imposed a sentence of ten lashes against a woman who broke the taboo. officially, the woman is to be flogged for driving without a license. in recent months a number of women have protested against the ban, posting photographs and videos on the internet showing themselves driving. they have been inspired by the protests and calls for greater democracy that have swept through other countries in the arab world in recent months. >> translator: let's drive cars and show our driving videos. we can inspire other women in that way. >> last sunday king abdullah announced that women would be allowed to vote in municipal elections.

>> translator: women should take important roles in different parts of our society. >> but two days later, the court in jeddah handed down the flogging sentence. religious hardliners angered by the king's decision to give women the right to vote appear to have pushed for this harsh sentence. many saudi women have been voicing their condemnation of the sentence over the internet. one woman wrote that the sentence was a slap in the face to all women in the kingdom. another woman wrote, "there is no need to stop women from driving." the ruling is generating a lot of controversy inside saudi arabia and around the world. people in southwestern japan are in a celebrating mood. that's because on wednesday they heard that local sumo wrestler kotoshogiku had been promoted to the sport's second highest rank of ozeki.

the 27-year-old kotoshogiku is the first japanese wrestler to be promoted to ozeki in four years. >> banzai! >> in his hometown of yanaga city in fukuoka prefecture municipal officials hung a 15 meter banner at city hall. yanagawa is known for its riverside district and the traditional boast cruises are a popular tourist attraction. a special parade on water will be held in november to celebrate the local hero. a world cup victory has

given a major boost to women's soccer in japan. the national squad, known as nadeshko japan, won the trophy in july. that attracted a huge new following for the sport. but less than 10% of players are paid professionals. and unlike male players, most of them need to do other jobs. but now new moves are under way to get the women's league on a stronger financial footing. >> reporter: fukuoka j ankwaz is one of nine teams in the women's league. ever since the world cup twice as many people have been coming to see their games. the additional ticket sales are helping to cover expenses like stadium fees and travel costs. but the financial situation is still tight. undeterred, coach miya kawashima has found another way to cash in on their popularity. tying up with a local sports club, the team has started a soccer school for young girls.

members of the ankwa squad are paid to lead the classes. monthly tuition is about $80. 200 girls are currently enrolled. >> translator: i'm really happy because i can learn from a professional. >> reporter: forward yoko tagashira used to play on a corporate team. when the team was dissolved, she was recruited. as soccer instructors tagashima and nine other team members can now earn a stable monthly income. >> translator: i am thankful to the people around me for enabling me to have a paid career in soccer. >> reporter: the school has set up nine branches throughout fukuoka prefecture. coach kawashima is planning to open more. she has come to a local elementary school to ask for help. the soccer school would like to

use its grounds for practice. >> translator: we are asking for cooperation to open new schools one by one. >> translator: it seems like it has become natural for girls to play soccer. >> translator: i hope girls in our soccer classes bring their parents to the stadium so we can have a larger audience and become stronger as a result. we're also hoping to nurture the next generation of professionals. >> reporter: meanwhile, there's a new push to get corporate sponsorships. this official from the japan women's football league is visiting a major credit card company. thanks to the world cup, women's soccer now has an attractive pitch for potential sponsors, a fast-growing base of fans. >> translator: we would like to have a long-lasting relationship

with you. and we would appreciate your cooperation. >> translator: i like to consider this partnership positively. by sponsoring the female league, i think we can send a message to support hard-working women. >> reporter: but nadeshko alone can't carry the league. players and officials know it's now up to them to make the right moves, both on and off the pitch. >> translator: right now there are many things that we need to deal with. i think what we are doing now will determine our success in the future. >> while looking for more sponsors, the women's league is also working on building up fans. officials say they plan to go on the road, taking their games into areas where the league does not yet have teams.

now let's take a look at the market figures. ♪ ♪ and welcome to your weather update. now, we've been talking about all the tropical activity across southeast asia. it's still with us today. a well-defined storm system here heading in toward southern china. and also in the pacific too, it's a small one right now but definitely looking a lot more

organized in the past 24 hours. and this will be another tropical storm system that we are keeping an eye on. first a look at typhoon nesat, though, and it is getting very close to hainan island as well as the southern end of china. already bringing in those strong tropical storm force winds. and it will continue to bring in much more stronger gusts over the course of today as that eye of the system just aims to move over the island and then into the gulf of tonking. it is expected to slightly weaken over the next couple of days, but it is going to be till saturday morning that it finally enters northern vietnam and we can see a tropical depression. so it is going to be a pretty windy next couple of days. you do want to watch out for that. and rough sea conditions, too, will make the coastline quite dangerous. over toward -- in terms of rainfall, i should say, we're going to be talking about quite a bit. mainly across hainan island. upwards of 200 millimeters possible in the next 24 hours. but surrounding areas, too, like the southern end of china as

well as in toward portions of vietnam can expect significant rainfall. you do want to watch out for that. and even after these 24 hours, we'll be talking about a lot more rain in the area. the 48-hour forecast definitely showing still, while the heaviest rain doesn't last too much longer, still just lingering showers across this wide area. so once the grounds get well saturated, even small amounts of rain could even trigger flooding as well as a landslide. definitely an area of concern for the next couple of days. for the philippines too, still struggling to recover from the onslaught of typhoon nesat. and we're going to see more rain moving in over the next 48 hours. this will be from our other tropical storm system, severe tropical storm nagae picking up speed, right now winds just over 100 kilometers per hour but they will get much stronger just as they start aiming for the northern end of the philippines. once again, you will want to brace for much stormy conditions

as well as plenty of rainfall. otherwise, east asia will be looking at rain for this section of northeast china through the korean peninsula. it's starting to move in toward japan. in the afternoon hours we'll see more showers for southern areas like kyushu. and then in the north too a little more rain comes on. in tokyo sunny skies for the most part today and temperatures rise to 25 degrees. meanwhile, seoul will be on the cool side at just 19. and over towards europe clouds still continue to move through the scandinavian peninsula, and they're now heading in through eastern europe. but otherwise, this high pressure area will keep things fine and dry again for the bulk of continental europe as well as the british isles, too. warm temperatures once again for this area on thursday. highs rise to 27 degrees in london. expecting even 29 in paris. definitely warmer than we usually see at this time of year. all right. let's look at your weather conditions for now.

and here is your three-day outlook. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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