welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, october 13th, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. slovakia's main ruling parties have reached a deal with the opposition to approve changes to the eurozone's bailout fund. slovakia is the last of 16 other member nations to endorse the change. the deal on wednesday came the

day after parliament voted to reject the plan. the opposition approved a greater contribution to the fund in return for an agreement that the ruling parties move forward at general election to march next year. the election was originally scheduled for 2014. that compromise means the empowered bailout fund is expected to win consent from parliament within this week. ratification by all 17 euro zone countries is needed for the changes to the bailout scheme to take effect. the compromise will cost prime minister iveta radicova her job. a junior coalition party refused to support the new scheme, and a confidence vote in the government on tuesday toppling radico radicova's cabinet. six people have been killed and three hurt in a shooting at a hair salon in the u.s. state of california on wednesday. local police arrested a man and have taken him into custody. the three wounded were taken to the hospital in critical condition. the shooting occurred in the

city of seal beach, about 50 kilometers southeast of los angeles. local media report that the victims were employees of the salon. russian military forces on disputed islands in the northern pacific are being reequipped. the arms build-up is part of a long-term strategy that comes despite the fact that the islands are claimed by japan. the interfax news agency says russia has begun replacing aging weapons on the islands. it quotes a senior defense ministry official as saying new surface-to-air missiles and tanks have already been deployed. the official says homes for military personnel are already being built on kunashiri and etorofu islands. in may the chief of the general staff, nicolai makarov, said russia will carry out a military build-up on the two islands over the next five years. the flooding that has inundated much of thailand is

now beginning to affect the country's economy. the thai government has ordered that industrial parks in central thailand be evacuated. this has forced many japanese companies to suspend operations. >> i came to the industrial park with lots of japanese companies, but there is a lot of flood here, so we cannot reach the factories. >> about 150 japanese firms have factories in the park in ayutthaya. workers cannot even approach their workshops because of the rising waters. the current water level around the honda factory is higher than two days ago. ayutthaya is located about 100 kilometers north of the capital, bangkok. another evacuation order was issued in a different industrial park on wednesday, where some 100 japanese companies have plants. >> translator: i heard from

local people that this is the first flooding on such a scale. >> yoshihiro nosaka is a technical instructor at an auto parts maker. on arriving at his factory on wednesday morning, he saw the gate was closed and sandbags were piled up around it. he had to climb up the gate to enter the plant, but the evacuation order was issued and he and his co-workers had to leave the factory five minutes later. >> translator: i just want the floodwaters to recede and to return to normal. hopefully, we can deliver as many products as possible when the water is gone. >> many factories outside the flood zone are also suspending business operations as their parts suppliers have stopped production. this maker is supplying engine parts to toyota, honda, nissan, suzuki, and other car manufacturers.

it has been forced to halt part of its operation since tuesday as its supplier suspended work following the flooding. >> translator: if we lack even one part, we cannot complete the product. we've never experienced such flooding before. so it's very hard to imagine the aftermath. next we go to our bureau in bangkok. patchari raksawong has more news from the region. myanmar's government began freeing prisoners on wednesday, one day after it announced an amnesty for more than 6,300 detainees. the government has extended the amnesty to both political and other prisoners. president than shwe released a statement on tuesday saying his government would free exactly 6,359 detainees.

nhk filmed several prisoners leaving a prison in yangon on wednesday. the opposition national league for democracy, or nld, says it has confirmed that at least 100 political prisoners have been released so far. the move is seen as the government's astemt to appease pro-democracy groups. western nations have imposed economic sanctions on myanmar and have said the release of political prisoners is a condition for lifting the restrictions. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton speaking to reuters after myanmar announced the amnesty said she was encouraged by the promising signals but that it was too early to announce any steps washington might take in response.

the leaders of vietnam and india met in new delhi on wednesday after reaching an agreement to jointly develop oil fields in the south china sea last month. vietnam apparently hopes to keep china in check on territorial issues by strengthening ties with india. vietn vietnam's president truong tan sang and indian prime minister manmohan singh on wednesday exchanged documents outlining oil fields in the south china sea and other matters including crude oil refining and agricultural issues. >> a strong india-vietnam partnership is a factor of peace, stability, and development in the asia pacific

region. it is a partnership that stands on its own merits. >> meanwhile, china has taken a strong stance against the development. general secretary of the communist party gen fu chong visited beijing the next day and met with chinese premier hu jintao. state-run china central television reported that while discussing the territorial disputes between the two nations hu gave a stern warning about vietnam and india's joint project. hu told wen that vietnam should not make any moves that complicate or expand the disputes. some southeast asian countries including vietnam and the philippines are trying to coordinate an effort to negotiate with china for an end to territorial disputes in the south china sea. now the world's largest opium producer is getting even bigger. according to the latest united nations survey, poppy production

in afghanistan will increase by about 60% this year. the u.n. office on drugs and crime made the forecast on tuesday in its annual report on afghanistan's poppy farming. the plants are used to make opium and other narcotics. >> we still have around 1 million afghans, that means 1 million afghan families, who are being and are affected by drug addiction. >> the u.n. says that more and more land is being used to cultivate poppies. three provinces that had been declared poppy-free are said to have returned to production. half of the country's provinces are now growing the crop. the report says farmers are returning to poppies because of the slow progress in establishing security and rebuilding the economy and because opium prices are rising.

the u.n. says opium is a key revenue source for the taliban and warns that the group may use the money to step up attacks on the government and multinational troops. and that's going to wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. on march 11th the town of minami zahn reik yue in northern miyagi prefecture was devastated by the tsunami that hit the coast of japan. the waves swept away many buildings, including the town hall, leaving 560 people dead. seven months on local children have produced a short movie about the disaster. the film focuses on the japanese word "kizuna," meaning a deep bond of friendship between people. nhk world's daisuke azima has the story. >> reporter: i'm in front of an elementary school. it stands 16 meters above sea

level. but a tsunami seven months ago submerged the school's first floor. for the first time in their lives 23 pupils from the school are participating in the production of a movie feature, with the support of a director and his team. >> translator: i want you to think about the bonds between people and the kind of actions that make such bonds visible. >> reporter: the children were divided into four groups and offered the choice of producing a documentary or drama. they took part in the whole process, from writing to shooting and to editing. yoshihiro yamauchi chose to produce a ten-minute documentary based on interviews.

yoshihiro and his parents live in temporary housing after losing their home to the tsunami. >> translator: it was right over here. and the entrance was around there. >> reporter: for the kids in the project he interviewed other local survivors. >> translator: how did you feel after your house was swept away? >> translator: the whole neighborhood was filled with a crashing sound. >> translator: i'm not sure if the interviews will go well. it's difficult to visualize the result. >> reporter: the children were invited to shoot at the shonai movie village, that reproduces the atmosphere of imperial japan. they were given just two days to

complete the film. the film was premiered at an international film festival in yamagata prefecture on monday. >> translator: how did you feel when you moved into temporary housing? >> translator: when i got to those temporary houses up in the hills, i hated the idea of leaving town. i feel much better now. some nights i just can't sleep. >> reporter: even those who weren't directly hit by the tsunami came to realize the importance of human bonds. >> translator: what does the word "kizuna" mean to you? >> translator: it's the small things we do to help each other.

>> translator: have you ever experienced kizuna with other people? >> translator: i like interacting with other people. the bonds we develop, the communication between us is what makes us grow. that's the meaning of "kizuna." >> reporter: this interviewee came to the movie village from fukushima prefecture where natural disaster was compounded by a serious nuclear accident. >> translator: reconstruction has been slowed down by the problem of radiation, and the situation is still very serious. >> translator: what's your hope for the tohoku region? >> translator: we need to use the disaster as an opportunity to show our strength to the entire nation.

>> translator: my impression is that the kids got really involved and that they asked very candid questions. >> translator: i was very moved by the scene where they speak with the survivors. >> translator: i'm happy to have edited my film. i'd give it an 8 out of 10. if there's an opportunity to make another film, i'll do better. >> reporter: the features produced by these children clearly show that the affected areas are still on the minds of many people. and the idea of kizuna is helping people to overcome their difficult situation. daisuke azuma, nhk world, yamagata. "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." officials in yokohama city are conducting more soil tests for radioactive strontium. this comes after a local resident detected the substance on the roof of an apartment building. yokohama is located about 250 kilometers from the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. radioactive cesium, more than 80 times the government's set limit of 500 becquerels her kilogram, was found last month in samples of sediment collected from roadside ditches in yokohama. the city later removed the contaminated sediment. but the city decided to retest

the samples from the roadside for radioactive strontium due to the request of a local resident. the resident said a private testing institution had detected 195 becquerels of strontium per kilogram, more than six times the government safety limit, in the rooftop sample. the science ministry says radioactive strontium can accumulate in bones and that it poses a cancer risk. the ministry says it has conducted only a few checks for strontium outside of fukushima prefecture because the amounts detected within the prefecture were very small. high levels of radiation have also been detected in southwestern tokyo. a roadside reading in setagaya ward earlier this month showed 2.707 microsieverts per hour. the reading was taken near an elementary school. >> translator: i pass here every day and i used to play in the park nearby. so it's a surprise.

>> translator: i wonder why in setagaya. >> setagaya ward is more than 200 kilometers from the dpis abled fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. what has people concerned is that the radiation levels were slightly higher than the reading in the village of iitate that's inside the government-designated evacuation zone. iitate's less than 50 kilometers from the crippled power plant. setagaya ward intends to carry out more studies. seven months after the march 11th disaster many damaged medical institutions still cannot provide sufficient treatment. but that's put cloud computing into the spotlight. a cloud-sourced database allows doctors to share clinical data on people who can't travel to hospital. nhk world's natsuke shinozaki has the story. >> reporter: the city of ishinomaki in miyagi prefecture

is ruined. we visited a major hospital there in august and september. as much of its medical equipment has been destroyed, the hospital was still unable to accept emergency patient and set up makeshift facilities accepting only outpatients. as a result, another major hospital that suffered only minor damage was crowded with patients. the shortage of medical facilities may grow even more serious. this doctor has been providing medical care for patients who cannot travel to hospitals. he has seen serious shortages of medical facilities in disaster areas. since september he's been visiting temporary housing and other places four days a week. on this day hideo sono received treatment for the first time.

>> translator: does it hurt when pressure is applied? germs have gotten in somehow, causing inflammation. >> reporter: sone noticed something wrong with his right leg in august but had no way to go to his usual hospital after the disaster. his leg was swollen, and he couldn't walk on his own. doctors providing in-home care have to visit patients whenever necessary. muto has been teaming up with other doctors. >> translator: doctors sometimes treat the same patients. so sharing clinical data and maintaining continuity in treatment is extremely important. >> reporter: muto has introduced a cloud computing system.

data on patients are updated after each doctor visit. the data is stored in a cloud server online instead of on a single computer. muto and the members of miz team can access necessary data anytime. data on sone's swollen leg was stored on the day of the visit. the data included the antibiotics used and other information on sone's treatment. >> translator: i'm really thankful. it will be great if the system goes into wider use. >> reporter: the advantages of cloud sourcing don't stop there. >> translator: the bed sore problem is serious. i'd like to hear your advice, doctor. >> reporter: cloud sourcing

enables doctors in faraway places to share data and give advice in their specialized fields. >> cleaning to prevent infection is needed more urgently. >> reporter: muto is organizing a study session to promote the system in ishinomaki. >> translator: our presence will be significant. if we can work with local nurses and care managers. to contribute to regional recovery. >> dr. muto is hoping to expand the system by including retailers and other establishments to help patients with shopping and other essential activities. and now let's take a look at the market figures. ♪

and now let's take a look at the global weather forecast with sayaka mori. >> hello. time now for your weather update. let's start out with southeast asia. tropical depression bayan is now moving across -- is leaving away from -- it's moving away from the northern philippines but still bringing heavy rain as well as strong winds across much of luzon. the system could affect the indo-china peninsula next week.

we also have another tropical depression that is spreading heavy rain across much of the indo-china peninsula as well as south coast of china. so the risks of flooding and landslides will remain high here. as for china, central and southern parts are experiencing moderate rain. the rain will spread to the southern parts of the korean peninsula as well as western japan by friday. and as for northeastern china you may see scattered thunderstorms on thursday. as for temperatures, we're expecting 23 degrees in tokyo and 22 in seoul. it's going to be very chilly in ulan bator with only 5 degrees. as for the americas we've got a tropical depressions across southern mexico. those are bringing heavy rain across much of the central parts of the americas. lots of heavy rain are going to affect across this area for the next several days. as for north america, it's very wet across the western portions.

we've got a couple low pressure systems dumping heavy rain. the heaviest rain can be found across the mississippi valley. and there is a possibility of thunderstorms, large hail, as well as damaging winds across the lower part. the rain will develop into thursday, but it stays very dry and settled across much of the western half of the u.s. but in british columbia you may see heavy snow in higher elevations. as for temperatures on thursday, we're expecting 31 degrees in houston and heating up to 37 in los angeles, but stays very seasonal in vancouver with only 14 degrees and 10 degrees in winnipeg. now for europe, a long rain band is still stretching across continental europe, bringing heavy rain as well as scattered thunderstorms. the heaviest rain can be found across central germany, and the rain will move southward and reach southern italy as well as the baltic states in the next 24 hours. meanwhile, a lot of

thunderstorms are still erupting across northern turkey. those stormy conditions should ease as we head into thursday afternoon. and heavy rain still continues across the northern cokros cros corner -- northwestern corner of russia and it continues to be west for the next couple days pf as for temperatures we're expecting 31 degrees in madrid and 33 in lisbon. stays very chilly in the north. only 8 degrees in stockholm and 8 degrees, same goes for moscow. and 13 degrees in berlin, and the same goes for vienna. here's your extended forecast. ♪

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>> and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.