it's friday, september 30th, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. china has successfully put on unmanned experimental module into orbit as the first step toward the completion of a manned space station by 2020. china's first space laboratory

tiangong 1 was lunched from the jiuquan satellite province thursday night at :16 p.m. local time. it's scheduled to dock with another unmanned spacecraft within two months. this will be the first step among a series of experiments planned by china to acquire the know-how for building a space station. premier wen jiabao observed the launch from the gansu province space center. president hu jintao watched live in bay ching. beijing. the launch will help to promote the nation's space technology at home and abroad. however, observers say that a chinese space station could add to international concern over its possible military applications. in 1970, china became the world's fifth space power when

it put its first satellite into orbit. its experience with weather and communications satellites helped china to commercially launch satellites for overseas clients. in the 1990s, the country announced a three-stage manned space project. the first stage was the development of a manned spacecraft. the second, now in progress, involves the launch of a space lab and the acquisition of docking and other technologies needed for short stays in space. the final stage will be the construction of a full-fledged space station for extended stays in space. china has expressed the hope that other countries will cooperate with its space program, dismissing speculation that its space lab would be used for military purposes. the chinese foreign ministry held a news conference on thursday. >> translator: china's space development is already an

important element in international efforts towards space exploration. our space program is for peaceful purposes only. >> professor emeritus ikuo kayahara of takushoku university says china is planning a military build-up in space to keep in check the dominant space technologies of the united states. commenting on china's space development, kayahara said on thursday that china sees the successful use of space as the key to countering the overwhelming military strength of the americans. >> translator: to build a space station will prove that the country is one of the most advanced nations in space, and it will give its 1.3 billion people much to be excited about.

in other news, the japanese government had asked chinese authorities to prevent internet hacking before a high profile cyber attack took place in japan recently. the websites of japan's national office and the national personnel authority were attacked and access was disrupted for a period on september 17th and 18th. japan's national police agency noticed a threatening message on chinese servers prior to the incident. the post called on people to launch cyber attacks against japan to mark the 80th anniversary of the manchurian incident on september 18th. the incident led to japan's occupation of manchuria, now in northeastern china. a cabinet secretary and official said on thursday before the cyber attacks occurred, the government had asked china through the japanese embassy in beijing to take precautions. after the attacks, the foreign ministry requested chinese

authorities to take preventive measures against any such recurrence. the government will hold an information security panel next week to strengthen anti-cyber attack measures. the u.s. justice department says the furukawa electric company has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $200 million fine for price fixing of auto parts in the united states. three senior executives of the japanese company will receive prison terms. on thursday, the u.s. justice department announced that furukawa electric was involved in bid rigging for ten years up until last january to maintain the price of automobile wire harnesses. three top executives at furukawa have admitted to their involvement in the koconspiracy and will serve prison years ranging from one year to 18 months. a detroit court is expected to officially hand down the verdict soon. u.s. officials said price fixing has harmed automakers and

consumers because auto parts were sold at artificially high prices. the justice department, in cooperation with the fbi, will continue to investigate other automotive companies that may have also been involved in the price fixing. japan's fukushima daiichi nuclear plant can be used to be a step closer to a state of cold shutdown. tokyo electric power company announced on thursday that the temperature at the number two reactor largely remained below 100 degrees celsius, bringing the mercury below the 100 degree mark at all three troubled reactors, but tepco still faces challenges, such as stabilizing the cooling systems before a state of cold shutdown can be achieved. 100 degrees is the benchmark temperature for a cold shutdown which is a goal for step two of tepco's plan to contain the nuclear disaster. the government is aiming to achieve a cold shutdown by the end of this year.

under normal circumstances, a cold shutdown can be be reached when reactors are halted safely and the water inside drops below 100 degrees. but since the fukushima plant has suffered nuclear fuel meltdowns, the criteria are somewhat different. that's why a cold shutdown has been redefined as bringing the temperatures at the bottom of the crippled reactors to below 100 degrees. another requirement is curbing the release of radioactive substances so that additional human exposure near the plant can be limited to 1 millisievert per year or less. >> translator: we are satisfied that all three troubled reactors are below 100 degrees. it's very important to maintain this situation permanently. one of the hurdles to achieving a cold shutdown is

treating the contaminated water. water must be put in the reactors to keep it cool but this produces 500tons of radioactive water each day, which must be decontaminated. an expert points out another major hurdle. >> translator: 100 degrees is only a benchmark point and it does not mean the reactors are safe. another major earthquake and tsunami could strike and the water cooling systems could suddenly stop working. if this happens, it's vital that the cooling process is resumed quickly before additional melting occurs. japanese experts on nuclear energy have held their first major gathering since the accident at the fukushima daiichi power plant in march. the atomic energy society of japan plays a key role in the

advancement of the nation's nuclear technology and the training of engineers. today's "nuclear watch" looks at how japanese experts have had to rethink their views since the nuclear accident. >> reporter: the united states began the peaceful use of nuclear energy following the cold war. japan followed the u.s. by building its first test reactor in 1957. the atomic energy society of japan was founded two years later. its members include researchers at universities and other institutes and people working for utilities and manufacturers. they include some of the leading figures in japan's nuclear industry. many of the society's 7,000 members work for tokyo electric power company. the operator of the crippled fukushima daiichi plant. the society helps to promote nuclear technology and train researchers. it has also created safety standards for nuclear plants and

made recommendations to the government and the nuclear industry. but the ongoing nuclear accident at the fukushima daiichi has forced its members to re-evaluate their views on nuclear energy. at the conference, the society's president, satoru tanaka, who is also a professor at the university of tokyo, shared his thoughts about the accident. >> translator: the accident has had a huge impact on the people of japan and has caused them great worry, from a position of promoting the advancement of academic resources and technology, we find the situation extremely regrettable. earlier michio kijima talked to yoichi osaki for details.

>> translator: mr. osaki, these are representing neither the government or tepco. they are not stake holders therefore, why do they have to express their feelings of remorse? >> translator: because many members of the atomic energy have been developed in nuclear safety measures and there are members of the government council will performs safety reviews and have been developing safety guidelines for nuclear power plants, so the members of the society think that they are partly responsible for not being able to prevent the crisis from happening. at the conference, many participants raised questions about what went wrong and why. >> translator: we may have been avoiding discussion of the key issue of securing nuclear safety. it's unclear who is responsible and in what ways. >> translator: we must be able to discuss this freely and achieve comprehensive evaluations within our organizations. >> reporter: hisashi ninokata,

professor at tokyo institute of technology who is investigating the nuclear accident at fukushima has this to say. >> translator: some say that we created a nuclear safety myth but such a myth spread throughout society without us knowing it. this has undeniably resulting in delays and measures to improve nuclear safety. >> translator: did any members of the society look back and report on the accident? >> translator: nobu shuto, professor emeritus at tohoku university, who was well-known for his studies of tsunamis, was invited. it is quite unusual for someone who is not a member of the society to give a lecture at the conference. in a thesis published 26 years ago, dr. shuto warned about a tsunami but it was not given much attention in drawing up safety measures for nuclear power plants.

>> translator: it is important to use one's imagination when preparing for tsunami. we have to imagine how past tsunami would have affected today's coastal areas. >> translator: how will the society and the japanese nuclear physicists, researchers try to cope with the fukushima daiichi nuclear accident into the future? >> translator: the most important thing is that evacuees from fukushima will be able to return home as early as possible. the atomic energy society says it will work closely with experts around the world to help decontaminate the region as much as possible. to bring the crisis under control, fuel rods must be taken out from reactors and nuclear wastes must be disposed properly. to solve these problems, the society says it will disclose

knowledge and skills and work hard to regain public trust. but even if this situation is brought under control, there is no assurance japan will continue to use nuclear power generation in the future. at the conference, some members voiced concern that nuclear power research may lose momentum in the future or others said the society might have been lacking in the attitude to put safety first. the researchers must reaffirm the importance of safety once again to gain support from the public. >> translator: thank you, mr. osaki, for being with us. >> that was our reporter y

yoichiro osaki for today's "nuclear watch." "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." next bego to our bureau in bangkok. patchari raksawong has the latest on what's making headlines in the region. >> pakistan has held a 3450e9ing of all of its parties amid accusations the country provided support to terrorists. hideki yui reports from islamabad.

>> translator: the statements from the high-ranking u.s. officials were a matter of surprise to us. they were in total contrast to the sacrifices made by pakistan and our successes in the war against terrorism and extremism. >> reporter: prime minister yousef raza gilani invited representatives from all of pakistan's political parties to the talks in islamabad on thursday. this sort of meeting is normally held only in the case of a national security emergency. it has not been called for two and a half years. the u.s. government has criticized pakistan for not taking meaningful action against the pakistan-based taliban group called the hakani network said to have conducted an attack on the u.s. embassy in afghanistan. america's most senior military officer publicly accused the pakistani government of supporting the militants. bilateral ties have been deteriorating.

pakistan has denied the allegation saying there is no evidence that the group is based on its soil. pakistan says its army cannot afford to take action in light of the high casualties it has already suffered. the political meeting is designed to counter the u.s. with the unified national response from pakistan. hideki yui, nhk world, islamabad. and 18 refugees from myanmar have left thailand en route to japan, where they will be allowed to stay under a pilot's scheme to accept displaced people. the japanese program was launched last year to provide refugees with an opportunity to assimilate and become members of society. the four refugee families fled their homes in myanmar and living at a camp in northwestern

thailand. as part of the assimilation program, they have already been learning to speak basic japanese. >> translator: i want to work in japan and send my children to school. >> once the refugees arrive in japan, they will take part in a half-year introductory program to learn about the country before they begin to look for work and a place to live, but many refugees who came to japan last year found it hard to find a job because of their limited language skills or lack of vocational training. japan faces a challenge to provide long time support for refugees and to prove preparedness so they can be readily accepted into japanese society. the refugees from myanmar arrived in japan on thursday evening. and to wrap things up, we take a look at how fashion and

beauty trends are changing in vietnam, as women have more money to spend, but even though they want to look hot, for many women it's just as important that they don't get burned. nhk world's mari yamada explains. >> reporter: vietnam is often soaked in scorching sunlight. traditional dress for women, it goes all the way down to the ankles and has long sleeves. but on the streets, more women stand out for wearing hot pants and sleeveless tops. exposing skin is trending in vietnam. this woman lives in the capital hanoi. the fashion conscious 22-year-old spends most of her salary of about $400 a month on

clothes and cosmetics. >> translator: a mini irt with a tank top is trendy this year. >> reporter: but although she loves mini skirts, the garment she's looking at on her tablet computer are long. they are the latest fashion for women when they ride on scooters. the jackets's long sleeves stretch over the backs over the hands. it's a perfect way to protect the skin from the sizzling sunlight. women want to look stylish but they don't want a suntan. this design fills that need. the look is common on the bikes that crowd vietnam city streets. all these clothing are

especially made for preventing sunshine. almost all women in vietnam, they wear these clothes when they ride motorbikes. shops have popped up along busy streets in hanoi that only sell sunscreen clothes in all sorts of designs and colors. >> translator: i don't want to get a suntan. if i had dark skin, i would no longer be beautiful. >> reporter: a fair complexion is an absolute must for vietnamese women. cosmeticsmakers are strongly targeting women anxious to protect their fair skin from the sun. 236-year-old gwen nue works for a japanese beverage company.

she earns about $900 a month, an appropriate income in vietnam. noen and her husband both have jobs. almost all the cosmetics she buys are from luxury labels. she spends time taking care of her face with lotions and creams to maintain her fair complexion. good care of my skin with >> translator: i take really good care of my skin with excellent skin care products every day. i want to keep my fair complexion as long as i live. >> reporter: with more money to spend, vietnamese women's desire to look good is becoming one important facet of the nation's booming economy. mari yamada, nhk world, hanoi. >> and that will conclude our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok.

and now let's take a look at the market figures. welcome back to your weather uptate. we are getting a look at the weather across asia and we are still talking about a lot of tropical activity in the southeast, the clouds from bun

heading into the gulf of tonqing. let's look at tropical storm nesat made landfall along the northern end of hainan island. by tonight expected to move into towards the northern end of vietnam and lose a lot of the strong winds by saturday morning, but for the course of friday, this section of southern china, hainan island, northern vietnam will want to brace for some pretty strong winds. now rainfall, too, will still be pretty heavy in some areas. localized areas could be looking at upwards of 200 millimeters to fall still, in addition to all the rain that we've already seen in the last 24 hours or so, so you do want to watch out for flood risk and landslide risks. now as we look towards the philippines, too, rainfall

accumulation will really start piling up over the next 48 hours and this will be due to our other tropical storm system, typhoon nalgae, this one is still on a strengthening track, wind speeds just over 140 kilometers per hour but they are expected to get even stronger. it is expected to move over the northern end of luzon saturday, heading back out into the south china sea sunday morning and looks like it will maintain the same path nesat is, so next week this will need close monitoring. for the weekend, however, the philippines need to brace for once again heavy rain and strong winds. elsewhere across east asia all of the moisture from this tropical activity will continue to fuel showers across the southern half of china. meanwhile a couple of frontal systems will move in to japan bringing a round of showers. it won't last for long, and we

should see sunshine return on saturday. highs friday tokyo 29 degrees. it's a lot cooler in seoul with only 18. and getting a look at europe now, still a lot of clouds moving through the northern end of the scandinavian peninsula. winds will remain strong and there's still some lingering rain for the coastal areas of norway and then for the rest of continental europe we're talking about this high pressure system that's still dominating the area, bringing clear skies even over towards the british isles, too, so once again looking at fairly clear conditions, just a little bit of rain moving in towards ireland, northern ireland, as well as scotland, and temperatures still very, very warm, even getting up to the 20s in stock hholm friday, to 25 in berlin, we're expecting 29 for both london and paris, that's considerably warmer than seasonal averages, it's warmer than madrid which will only come in at 27 degrees. all right, so that's a look at your weather forecast 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.