welcome to nhk world "newsline." voters in japan could be heading to the polls this fall. prime minister noda says he will dissolve the diet and call a general election soon after lawmakers enacts his financial reform package, which would raise the country's consumption tax. he made the decision after striking an agreement with the two major opposition parties to save the package. the prime minister held an evening meeting with the liberal democratic party and partner, the rdp refused to help noda pass bill if he didn't set an

election date. noda wouldn't do that but did say once the bills were enacted, he would be ready to go to the polls. the prime minister and his ruling democratic party are trying to raise the tax by 2015 to finance japan's debt and aging society and also plans to modify the social security system. he doesn't have to hold an election until next summer but staked his political career on hiking the tax. the opposition forced his hand with threats of no confidence and censure motions. manila's residence are trying to keep heads above water as widespread flooding ravages the philippines. as of wednesday the rain has become intermittent but the flooding has claims lived and forced hundreds and thousands from their homes. nhk world has the latest from manila. >> reporter: the philippines is

facing the worst season of delluge to hit the capital since 2009. a large area is paralyzed with buildings and roads under water. there may have been fewer rains but houses behind me are still submerged in floods. the typhoon swept into the philippines late last month bringing heavy rainfall monsoon rains continue to pound manila and other parts of the country. weather officials say the capital had more rain per hour since monday. the river in the northeastern part of the city overflowed, flooding homes and businesses. disaster management officials say at least 64 people died in landslides or by falling into swollen rivers. they say nearly 800,000 people have evacuated to schools and

other facilities. but many are still stranded. the government mobilized the military, coast guard and police for around the clock search and rescue mission. >> translator: i hope the water goes away soon so we can get our lives back to normal. >> translator: the flood swept away my money and all of my things. i have a small child. we won't be able to eat even if we return home. >> reporter: the rain has eased for now but government officials are calling on citizens to signal the alert for more heavy rain. they say heavier rains are expected to continue throughout the day. kathleen ocampo, nhk world, manila. syrian president, bashar

al-assad's decision to use his military machine to target anti-government forces and civilians has left him isolated but one of his few remaining allies is sticking with him. syrian state tv show the president meeting with the top iranian official, the first time assad has appeared on the network in two weeks. assad met with the secretary of iran's supreme national security council. he promised continued support for the syrian government and the president said he will keep fighting terrorists until the country is free of them. he spoke about a day after his prime minister defected and joined opposition forces. assad last appeared on state-run tv on july 22nd. news about the syrian president has been scarce since mid july. that's when fighting between government troops and opposition forces escalated in the capital damascus. egypt says its military has attacks suspected militant sites in the north of the sinai peninsula. that's in response to recent

attacks of armed men in the area. the operation began earlier on wednesday, egyptian helicopters struck at targets with missiles in the area near the border with the gaza strip while troops raided the village to the south. the military attacks reportedly killed 20 militants and destroyed three vehicles. the operation came after militants attacked several checkpoints in the north of sinai on sunday killing 16 egyptian soldiers. the attackers stormed through the border into israel but were killed by israeli forces. more attacks occurred on other check points in the security and administrative center of northern sinai. islamic militants have increased activities in the region, taking advantage of the turmoil generated by the ousted former

president hosni mubarak. japan's current account surplus shrank in june. the current account is a broad measure of a country's foreign trade. it includes income from foreign investments and dividends in addition to exports and imports. the finance ministry said that the nation's current account surplus stood at $5.5 million, down 20% in yen terms but the decline in the surplus was narrower than last month. this was due to the trade balance which returned to a surplus for the first time in four months. it was $1.4 billion. exports exceeded imports as the recent fall in crude oil prices reduced imports. exports posted $69 billion while imports were over $67 billion. japan and china agreed to sharply raise the number of regular flights linking tokyo's airport and china next spring. under the deal announced on

wednesday, daytime flights using haneda airport will double to 16 per day and four night time flights will operate as new services. the airport is located near central tokyo and has been open for regular flights to international destinations since 2010. the two governments also signed an open skies agreement. this gives airlines of the two nations freedom in setting routes and flights connecting regional airports in both countries. the total number of chinese travelers to japan topped 1 million a year. japanese officials are hoping that the increased number of flights will help boost economic activity. >> toyota motor is eyeing the south american auto market as european sales remain sluggish due to the region's debt problems. managers in brazil say they aim to sell 200,000 vehicles there in 2013, that's twice the unit sales forecast for this year.

>> translator: brazil will host a world cup soccer tournament and the olympics. we have high hopes that brazil's economy will keep expanding. >> they hope to introduce a compact car next month. the automaker will start selling its popular prius hybrid later this year. u.s. and european makers account for nearly 80% of the brazilian auto market, the world's fourth largest. toyota's shares were only 3% last year. auto makers from south korea are also considering entering the fray in the fast growing economy. >> facebook has started an online gambling service in britain, the social networking giant launched this new business as it aims to boost its revenue sources. facebook began providing online bingo developed by british game maker games. adults 18 and over can bet money

using credit card and play the game for cash prizes. facebook started the service because online gaming using real money is legal and well regulated in britain. behind the controversial move is the intention to secure profits as the stock price has been declining since it went public a few months ago. global warming and nuclear accident in japan have focused attention on renewable energy. wind and solar power generate a lot of interest but another promising source is geothermal power, it taps heat produced by magma deep underground. here's the report on efforts to harness the country's massive potential. >> reporter: indonesia has 150 active volcanos, more than any other country on earth. from where i'm standing this

source of energy has been gushing up continuously since the discovery in the late 1920s. the indonesia government plans to fully tap this natural gift. indonesia has been enjoying average yearly growth of 6%, demand for power is rising fast, especially from the industrial sector. the country faces a serious power shortfall, that's one reason it's hurrying to develop geothermal power. indonesia was once a leading member of the group of major oil exporting nations, but growing domestic demand means its now a net importer of oil. the indonesia government is focusing on geothermal power as a new energy source. it wants geothermal energy to make up 40% of the additional electricity it plans to supply by 2014. the government also plans to increase geothermal power

generation by eight-fold by 2025. to achieve that, the government expects foreign firms with deep pockets and rich technical no how to lead the charge. he works at the indonesian representative office of a japanese trading house. this company and a european partner firm have invested about $1.5 billion in a geoothermal project. they'll break ground in august and complete the development by 2016. >> translator: we know there are geothermal resources down there but we can't always access them. we do face a huge risk. >> reporter: the company's position to join the high risk

project was helped by the endnesia government's electricity buy back program to get private firms involved in geo thermal projects, the government planned to purchase electricity generated by geothermal energy. the plan is guaranteed for 30 years. >> the current price is already productive, but we like to interest -- we like to have more investors. >> reporter: indonesia aims to become a global giant in geothermal energy. this office strategy hinges on whether or not it can mobilize foreign companies to invest. mark ho, nhk world. the doctor has been fighting against an invisible enemy for much of his life. at 95 years old he's still fighting. he survived the hiroshima atomic bombing and treated 6,000 other

survivors until he retired three years ago. he spoke about the dangers of radiation, especially internal exposure. it's different from external exposure. that refers to radiation penetrating the body from the outside. it's what happened to many residents of hiroshima and nagasaki when the atomic bombs exploded and released strong ways. internal exposure refers to the effects of getting contamination by food or air. the doctor and others maintain radio active exposure can cause all sorts of illnesses. 67 years after the atomic bombings his warnings are

aattracting new attention. nhk world reports. >> reporter: he visits this place every august 6th, one of the memorials in hiroshima for the victims of the atomic bombing. >> translator: the experience of the atomic bomb was a special and big issue in my life. it changed my view of life as a doctor. >> reporter: back in 1945, hida was serving as an army doctor in hiroshima. exposed to radiation but he still worked tirelessly treating survivors in the aftermath, he was surprised when he started to see patients who had escaped the blast but had returned to the city days later. they were also dying of acute radiation syndrome. showing symptoms such as high fever, hair loss, and bleeding.

hida watched over the years as more survivors developed cancer and other diseases. authorities restricted reporting of a bomb health damage for several years after the war. so it wasn't until the 1970s that hida realized his patients were likely suffering from internal radiation exposure. >> translator: in hiroshima radiation killed human beings for the first time. still now the nature of the radiation damage cannot be understood from a medical point of view. nor can it be treated. >> reporter: hida dedicated his life to educating people about the long-term health damage radiation can cause. he delivered speeches around the world. the last year's accident at fukushima daiichi gave him a new focus.

many people in japan wanted to hear his message. parents in particular, they worry radiation from the damaged plant could harm their children. yoko is a mother of two living in tokyo. >> translator: my children grow up with what i give them to eat. and i feel horrified about the possible effect on them. >> reporter: she and a group of mothers turned to hida so they could be better informed. he explained how atomic bomb victims became sick. he also criticized politicians and experts who say the radiation released by fukushima daiichi poses no risk.

>> translator: internal radiation exposure is indeed dangerous. once you absorb even a low dose it will cause damage. we experience this horror many times after hiroshima and nagasaki. >> reporter: hida told mothers that many a bomb survivors tried hard to prevent being sick by taking every measure to maintain good health. >> translator: you should spend the rest of your life working together to shut down nuclear plants and abolish nuclear weapons. >> translator: i will think about how not to be a victim of radiation. >> reporter: dr. hida delivered more than 150 speeches since the

fukushima nuclear accident. >> translator: there is no other surviving doctor who can speak about the damage from radiation exposure. the government and other relief say that people don't need to worry about internal exposure. but i've seen evidence to the contrary. i have to speak about it even though it's hard at times. >> reporter: the 95-year-old says he's committed to teaching the next generation the lessens of the past and reminding them of the dangers they face in the present. nhk world, hiroshima. >> a sinister question is how much damage it can pass on from parents to children.

a scientist in osaka is trying to find out. the focus of the study children born to south korean, the name for survivors of the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. a group of second generation is working with the team led by a professor of radiology at osaka university, trying to determine whether the illnesses are linked to the parents radiation exposure. the study will involve analysis of blood samples from atomic bomb survivors and children to determine what effects of exposure have been passed on. >> translator: i hope this study will help second generation gain official recognition as victims of the atomic bombings. >> about 10,000 second generation are living in south korea. some claim leukemia and arthritis are the result of the parents' exposure to radiation. the study group hopes it will improve lives.

in japan the offspring receive regular health checks and support. those in south korea are not entitled to such benefits. experts at the japan u.s. organization radiation effects research foundation in hiroshima say the genetic impact of the atomic bombings has yet to be determined. voters in japan could be heading to the polls this fall. prime minister noda will dissolve the diet and call a general election soon after lawmakers enact his financial reform package, which would raise the country's consumption tax. he made the decision after striking an agreement with the two major opposition parties to save the package. the prime minister held an evening meeting with the leaders of the liberal democratic party and its partner, the ldp has refused to help noda pass bills if he didn't set an election date. noda wouldn't do that but he did say once the bills are enacted,

he'll be ready to go to the polls. the prime minister and his ruling democratic party are trying to raise the consumption tax from 15 to 10% to finance japan's debt and aging society. they plan to modify the social security system and technically doesn't have to hold an election until next summer. but he staked his political career on hiking the tax. the opposition forced his hand with threats of no confidence and censure motions. nhk world senior political commentator is tracking the story for us. what's the significance of this latest agreement? >> this means prime minister noda will be able to pass his tax hike bill and reform social reform bill and also related legislation in a couple of days as a schedule with the help from the main opposition and partner.

once agreed to enact the bill but later its leaders changed their minds because noda tried to delay calling an election. so his ruling dpj could stay in power longer. they have a low public approval rating and believes it would be able to defeat the party if noda calls an early election. in the wednesday meeting, it seems that noda did not fully compromise with the opposition leader. he only said in an election would have happened sooner, he didn't give an exact date, you know, japanese voters could head to the polls sometime this fall. >> why did the ldp agree to cooperate if noda didn't give into their demands? >> the leader had to seen to be acting in the best interest of the country. the country is in a dire situation.

it carries a greater proportion of debt on its books than any other developed nation in the world. experts point to greece as a warning of the need to get the nation's finances in order. debt as a percentage of gross domestic product in japan is higher than any other industrialized nation. on top of that, japan has one of the highest proportions of citizens older than 65. paying for social security is putting an increasing strain on national finances. it has been a promise to the world to raise the consumption tax which is relatively low among wealthy nations. for all of these reasons, the ldp main opposition leader made a -- had to make a compromise. prime minister noda saved his face. and this country, japan, would be able to avoid losing trust

from the international society. and investors. >> thanks as always. nhk world. we go back to the storm that hit the philippines. robert speta has an update. what can you tell us? >> that monsoonal flow is still running across the south china sea and has been continuing to fall onshore. we have been seeing reports of the last few hours of intense rain, basically reducing the visibility down to nearly zero. it does look like it will continue to occur through your ursday and going into friday. in addition, about 120 millimeters up to 200 millimeters could be felt in and across this entire area, on top of the nearly 1 meter of rainfall this week, absolutely staggering and record breaking

rain has put a deluge on most of the downtown manila and does look like a lot of suburban cities out across the metropolitan areas around manila have been impacted by the storm. not to mention just that but high waves from the southwesterly flow, up to 5 meters high could be impacting the cost lines. farther to the north, we're watching this continuing to blow onshore. still go to see heavy rainfall with this storm. about 300 millimeters has fallen within the past 24 hours. an additional 200 to 250 millimeters could fall as the storm lingers across this entire area. going through the next 48 hours, just see this heavy rain. good news, there is an upper level trough that's going to work through the area. that will be working its way towards the east and with it, that storm should start to move away gradually improving your conditions here. temperaturewise, high of 37,

beijing up to 32. even tokyo, you're at 31 on your thursday. over towards the americas, let's start off with ernesto. this has been continuing to bring heavy rainfall across the yucatan peninsula. you're also seeing that additional 150 to 250 millimeters could be falling here as it re-intensifies up to a hurricane before hitting the central portions of mexico. you can see this mountain chain in here, that's going to decrease the storm's intensity and make it significantly weaken into the end of the week. farther towards the north, we have a cold front pushing south. this is bringing severe weather across the ohio valley. gusty winds and frequent lightning for you, as well. behind it, at least cooler temperatures way off to the north, south of that front, oklahoma city at 38. even phoenix up to 45 here on your wednesday. now in europe, meandering jet stream has been the topic here

towards the west of the jet stream, hot temperatures here across much of the spain, madrid, looking at a high of 40. off towards the east of this, much cooler, more unstable. berlin only up towards 20 here on your thursday. further to the west, 40, lisbon at 44. london, partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid to low 20s throughout the remainder of your week. that's a look at your world forecast. >> robert speta, thanks, from all of us here at nhk world, thanks very much for joining us. have a great day wherever you are.