in china, in japan, and in the united states millions of people gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare celestial event. welcome to nhk world "newsline." an annular solar eclipse only comes around once in a lifetime depending where you live. that's why people from the united states to china to japan stopped hours ago to stare at the sky. they used telescopes, protective

glasses or pinhole cameras to see the moon pass in front of the sun and create a ring of fire. these are images of the eclipse sped up 260 times. it lasted from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on where viewers were. an annular solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and earth are in perfect alignment. the moon appears smaller than the sun so a bright ring forms around the moon. here's the path of the eclipse across the pacific ocean. millions of people around the world caught the view. people also saw a rare phenomenon called baily's beads. the surface of the moon has mountains and valleys. when the sun back lit the moon forms like sparkling beads

dotted the ring's edge. many commuters in tokyo caught the eclipse on their way in to work. some stopped wherever they were standing. others tried to catch a glimpse on the moon. >> translator: this is so rare. it'll be a great memory. >> survivors of japan's disaster also watched the eclipse. locals gathered near the coast in iwake, fukushima. the tsunami slammed the city in march 2011. >> translator: it was really mysterious when the annular eclipse occurred and it got dark. >> some japanese space enthusiasts didn't want to risk missing the eclipse because of cloud cover so they took to the sky. nhk world went along for the ride.

>> reporter: these people are hoping to see the eclipse from 12,000 meters above the ground. the weather conditions are good. of course, we are above the clouds. the view was everything the group had expected. >> translator: it's marvelous, really exciting. a big, beautiful ring. >> i got a beautiful photo. >> reporter: one couple had an special unforgettable day. the man put on a pilot's uniform.

>> translator: we've traveled together until this moment. let's go to lots more places. will you marry me? >> reporter: he gave her a necklace with a moon shaped pendant as a memento of the eclipse. of his proposal, she said yes. nhk world, tokyo. >> some people in tokyo had to peek through scattered clouds to see the eclipse. that's how the morning unfolded for a group of students in the city. nhk world's rina nikano met up with them. >> reporter: students arrived at this tokyo elementary school 90 minutes earlier than usual. sleepy but excited. their classroom for this lesson was outside. teachers gave them a hands on tutorial about the eclipse. >> i can only see it once in my life so i'm excited.

i just want to see it clearly. >> they say it's happening in tokyo for the first time in 173 years. so i really want to see it. >> reporter: students, teachers, parents, everyone came together to make the best of the five-minute experience. more than 80 volunteers set up state-of-the-art viewing equipment. the kids were also given protective glasses and they saw their own pinhole artwork action. >> translator: it's great that the whole community came together to make this happen. >> reporter: and then it was time.

the crowd peered through the clouds to watch the moon align with the sun. depending on where you live this type of eclipse can be a once in a lifetime event. educators in japan say the timing couldn't be better. studies show that students here have been losing interest in the sciences over the past three decades. >> translator: this experience will help get the kids interested in natural phenomena or in space science so i think it was great. >> reporter: and from the looks of things some of these students are on the right track. >> translator: it looked like an onion ring. it was rare and so great.

>> translator: i want to study more about the solar system. >> reporter: these young astronomers will need to travel if they want to witness another annular solar eclipse. scientists say people in the japanese capital won't see another for 300 years. rina nikano, nhk world, tokyo. the infrequency of this type of eclipse also had people in parts of the united states gathering to gaze at the sky. the event happened just before sunset. more than 1,000 people turned out in lubbock, texas, to witness the spectacle. the last time a solar eclipse was visible in the u.s. was 18 years ago. the sun's brief disappearing act began at around 7:40 p.m. local time. the crowds cheered when they saw the moon create a golden crescent.

cloud cover blocked much of the ring of fire. but people didn't seem too disappointed. >> the moon bathing the sun, it was really cool. >> we could see the eclipse the whole time until right at the end where you really -- it is kind of the best part of it, and then the cloud came. but it is still -- it was really, it was really a nice view the whole time. >> even penguins got caught up in the excitement. take a look. cape penguins in chiba zoo began squeaking excitedly when the sky dark nened during the eclipse. the squeaking lasted for about five minutes. the zoo keepers said this type of behavior is rare. a zoologist says penguins off make calling noises at twilight to confirm the location of other penguins. he says they were probably confused by the sudden darkness.

an explosion in yemen's capital killed more than 60 people. the blast wounded dozens of others. authorities say it was the work of a suicide bomber. the explosion happened on a major road near the presidential palace in sanaa. soldiers were rehearsing for a military parade to celebrate the country's national day. the reuters news agency quoted local police as saying yemen's defense minister and senior military officers were at the scene, but not hurt. local media say a man wearing a military uniform blew himself up. the yemeni army has been conducting large scale operation with u.s. troops in recent weeks. they're targeting an al qaeda-linked militant group that has taken over the part of the country's south. experts say the bombing may be an act of retaliation.

senior diplomats from japan, south korea and the united states met in seoul to talk about how to deal with a common threat. they agreed to take concerted action against north korea if the reclusive nation tests another nuclear weapon. the diplomats are chief delegates to the six party talks on the north's nuclear program. it is first time the groups met since north korean authorities failed last month to launch what they called a rocket. >> if dplk goes for further escalation, we are to take unified and coordinated actions and responses. >> we're united in our resolve to respond, not just the three allies, but russia and china as well. >> u.s. delegate glyn davies again pushed china to play a greater role in preventing north korean officials from carrying out provocative acts. the u.n. security council adopted a statement condemning last month's launch.

that's part concerns the north's leaders could respond with the new nuclear test. concerns about regional security are encouraging old foes to forge new alliances. south korean defense officials are working to find ways to cooperate with their chinese counterparts. the nations fought in the 1950s during the korean war. >> translator: we're in talks to seal a mutual logistics support treaty which will enable our militaries to exchange things like fuel and water. >> south korean defense ministry spokesperson kim min-seok gave details of the agreement. if both sides sign the deal, it would be first of its kind in the field of defense. but some challenges stand in the way. north korean leaders are expected to protest against the agreement. south korean authorities also are -- are also trying to sign a similar accord with the japanese government, but domestic disapproval of the linkup prompted defense minister kim kwan-jin to postpone his

visit to japan later this month. spokespersons say negotiations are still ongoing. nato leaders say their missile defense system for europe is inching closer to becoming fully functional. they're building the shield to protect the continent against possible threats from iran. the leaders of 28 nato member countries agreed on the first day of the summit in chicago to implement the system. the alliance's secretary general declared the shield now has interim capability. >> it is the first step towards our long-term goal of providing full coverage and protection for all nato european populations -- territory and forces. >> u.s. officials say the system's current capability is limited to interceptor missiles on an aegis equipped war ship in the mediterranean and a radar system in turkey. nato plans to deploy interceptors in spain, turkey,

romania, and poland by 2018. russia opposes the system, saying it's designed to counter moscow's nuclear capability. observers say activating the shield may fuel stronger russian opposition. >> another world is possible! >> as nato leaders met, more than 10,000 people protested. they gathered in chicago to demand the united states immediately withdraw troops from afghanistan. president barack obama told nato leaders member countries will transfer security to the afghans and withdraw all combat units by the end of 2014. an opinion poll suggests about two-thirds of americans don't believe it's worth while to continue u.s. involvement in afghanistan. they think money being spent on the war should be used at home. the standard of living for many americans have worsened since the war began in 2001.

polls in france suggest the majority of people there are also wanting to pull out of the war in afghanistan behind them and bring their soldiers home. new president francois hollande is responding to that sentiment, but his pledge to withdraw french combat troops two years earlier than other nato countries has got some leaders concerned. hollande says the only french soldiers staying in afghanistan next year will be the ones training the afghan police and military. he says nato's secretary-general and other leaders have agreed to his plan. hollande gave his support to nato's anti-missile defense system. but he said in the past the setup is too expensive. russian leaders are against the missile defense system. hollande says nato officials should convince them the shield is not a threat to their security, or will be used to target their nuclear weapons.

microsoft ceo steve balmer says his company will aim to strengthen sales in japan. microsoft has also unveiled a new product under development, windows 8, to the japanese public in tokyo. >> one thing of which i'm incredibly sure, it is that the community of microsoft partners here in japan are some of the most committed, focused, driven partners we have anyplace in the world. >> balmer spoke before officials from pcmakers and application software developers. microsoft plans to enter the tablet pc mark wet windows 8. it has large scale icons called tiles on the screen for handling information. balmer also said the company wants to export ideas developed in japan to the rest of the world. he asked his audience to develop

innovative application software for windows 8. the entrants of microsoft into the tablet pc market is likely to fuel competition further. the market is already crowded with makers using operations systems developed by apple and google. yahoo! is planning to slash its steak in china's e-commerce group alibaba. the u.s.-based internet company says alibaba will make a buyback. yahoo! plans to use the money to return cash to its shareholders by buying back their shares. yahoo! was looking for a buyer for its alibaba stake to nurse itself back to financial health after losing out to goog until online advertising. the plan hadn't made progress because of management confusion, especially after the company's ceo was suddenly discharged last september. yahoo! now plans to join hands

with an investment fund in strengthening its financial foundation. japanese brewers are boosting production of nonalcoholic beer to quench the thirst of this rapidly growing market. the companies have been trying to improve the taste of their beer and to introduce new products and their work is paying off. nonalcoholic beer has become more popular among women and younger consumers. they view the beer as a soft drink. asahi brewers introduced a new nonalcoholic beer. suntory lickers is the market leader for nonalcoholic beer. it is boosting production in may by 30%, compared to a year ago. sapporo brewies raised its production by 20%. and kirin brewery plans an increase. the brewers are also trying to expand sales by getting more pubs and restaurants to serve

nonalcoholic beer. and here are the latest market figures. consumers in japan are paying more for one of their traditional staples. the price of domestic rice has risen since the 2011 disaster. some people have had enough. they're switching to foreign varieties. but japan's rice imports are

fixed on an annual basis. so growers of this grain around the world are jockeying to get their products on as many plates as possible. nhk world reports from sydney on what australian companies are doing. >> reporter: australia is a major agricultural producer. the eastern state of new south wales is a well known rice growing region. its climate, a vast gap in morning and evening temperatures for instance, makes it an ideal place for growing rice. australia is now in the midst of harvest season, using large equipment. farmers are busy. peter draper has been growing rice here for nearly 30 years. he's hoping to see his high quality rice boost the country's exports of the grain to japan. >> the japanese like our style

of rice because it is very similar to theirs and it is very good quality like their rice, very good quality. the fact we can grow rice without using a small amount of chemicals very early in the crop. >> reporter: since last year's major disaster, australia's rice shipments to the asian country have nearly doubled. australia is making every effort to pitch its rice to japanese people. >> at sunrise, we have rice from all over the world growing here in australia. like this sticky rice used for sushi. arborrio, a creamy rice ideal for risotto, and fragrant jasmine, perfect for asian. we even got a variety of rice that doesn't stick. >> reporter: australia exports about 80% of its rice. that has prompted the country to embark on global market research projects.

this institute spends about $6.3 million a year studying a variety of rice growing in different parts of the world. it's conducting taste and texture tests and doing dna analysis. to meet the needs of japanese consumers, it has to develop a sticky type of rice. it's costly and time consuming but if the effort pays off the variety could churn out big profits. that tantalizing prospect has prompted the institute to develop an improved variety. this rice is popular in japan, but difficult to grow in australia. >> this is a japanese variety. premium quality japanese cuisine. australia grows a wide range of

different quality types and it's in the australian industry and it's important to have japanese style rices in amongst to cater for changes in market demand. >> reporter: this is a newly developed variety. it's considered as good as kashiokari. the stem is short, which keeps the rice plant from falling in bad weather and helps boost the harvest. australia is pinning high hopes on this rice. it's hoping that the grain will grab a lead in the japanese market. >> a number of companies have come out publicly and explained they're going to use australian rice and i guess that's developed a little confidence amongst others to come and ask questions about rice as well. so, breeding the right varieties that they want, milling it to the right quality, and then delivering it in a timely

fashion. >> reporter: the australian government and private farmers are expected to join hands in the future in intensifying efforts to carve out a larger share of the japanese rice market. janina sugano, nhk world. for the weather forecast, mai shoji with the update. mai? >> hi there. luckily we had clear sky intervals here in tokyo, japan. we got to see the astonishing view of the solar eclipse in tokyo. but tomorrow will look like a different story. there is wet and unstable weather coming toward oz our way and the pacific coast, much of the kanto region will be dominated with this. and we will be feeling those showers picking up from tomorrow morning and those northerly winds picking up from the afternoon hours. now, the system will be moving all the way towards northern japan, covering much of those regions. talking about wet weather, let me show you a video coming out

from southeast china. southeast china has been hit by steady rain for several weeks now. heavy rain last weekend in guangzhou city flooded roadways and paralyzed traffic as you can see from the video. no injuries were reported, but several vehicles stalled after their engines became water logged in the rising flood. the water has receded, but as the rainy season stationary boundary edges back to the north, more showers are expected this week. i'll show you how much more we're expecting to see. 250 millimeters of additional rainfall could be targeting just south of giyung and these are places where the ground is very, very saturated already so no additional rainfall is welcomed, but this could trigger further flooding, mud slides and landslides. seoul, warmer at 28, but chilling down here in tokyo. 16 degrees you had about 24 degrees, so a bumpy ride for us

here. ulan batur, the lowest is 1 degree, so you may see snow accumulate overnight. let's move over to the americas and talk about the tropical storm. this is alberto. and it is now moving in a southerly direction. you can't see from this graphic, but it is going to be moving in a northeasterly direction soon. it is not going to be intensifying into a hurricane, which is very good news and it will not be making landfall. but the rip currents are going to be very high, showers will be continuing around the georgia outer waters. all right, elsewhere here, in the americas, we have a low pressure system moving from the northern rockies and towards the northern plains. and ahead of that system, very warm temperatures and behind in the wake of that system, cooler temperatures will be presiding there for a few days. now, warmer temperatures could bring some severe thunderstormic event on your tuesday. taking a look at phoenix, reaching up to 42 degrees. i know that wildfire still has not been contained. but there are risks of very

high -- very high risks of fire weather that will be continuing in those areas. now, moving over to the european continent, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake has hit northern italy. weatherwise, not favorable for the cleanup. severe thunderstorms could erupt here, and also some heavy rain could target the quake-hit re e regions into the next 24. the system will move in the next 24, but showers will be persisting in and around the region. rome, temperaturewise, 17 degrees, looking at a rainy day here in paris as well. but very nice weather here in moscow at 27. well above average. here's your extended forecast.

we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes.

i'm gene otani in tokyo.