r. welcome to "newsline." it is tuesday, august 14. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. syrian insurgents say they shot down a fighter jet. the warplane crashed in the eastern part of the country. the downing raised new questions about the oppositions military capabilities. an opposition member says they brought down the plane with

weapons taken from the syrian army. state run media said the jet crashed due to technical problems. rebels in the free syrian army are launching attacks using tanks and machine guns snatched from their opponents. syrians raided a military depot in the southern city of dara. they are using fighter jets to support troops in cities. tens of thousands of resident are fleeing attacks and heading toward turkey. they are living in shelters and hoping to cross the border. nhk world has more. >> reporter: here, this is the entrance checkpoint from syria to turkey, controlled by opposition force. several hundred people waited at the checkpoint on monday for the turkish government to issue entry permits.

the checkpoint is located about 50 kilometers north of aaleppo and controlled by the free syrian army. fugitives line up to receive water and baby formula. from the opposition forces. children who fled with their parents while playing with shells, scattered around their shelter. a 48-year-old man told nhk his house was burned down by government forces. he fled from the suburb of aleppo four days ago with his seven children. >> translator: it's so sad our

family has to live in a refugee camp without friends or relatives. >> reporter: the turkish government official says 10,000 people fled to the border area over the past four days. bringing the total to about 60,000. they are preparing for building more shelters to make up temporary housing. josho watanabe, nhk world. uncle and mentor to kim jong-un is waving the way for the leader to go to china. china arrived in beijing airport monday with about 30 delegates from puyongyang. they will discuss projects in a border area in northeastern china and in the port city of

rasan. china has been in charge of north korea economic reform and investment. he is seeking assistance from china and hopes to rebuild the economy by moving forward with joint economic projects. about 48 south koreans are swimming to a disputed group of islands in the sea of japan. they are trying to show support for their country's claim to the territory. both country claim sovereignty over the islands. swimmers set out monday morning on south korea's eastern coast. south korean singer is one of those taking part. he is being joined by student from the korean national sport university. they will take turns swimming legs of the 220 kilometer trip. they aim to arrive wednesday on

the anniversary of korea's liberation from japan's colonial rule. the swimmers will stream footage of their attempt on the internet. relations between the two countries have soured since south korean president visited the islands last week. he is facing calls to strengthen south korea's territorial claim. the japanese government says it's considering taking legal action at the international court of justice. an nhk monthly poll showes a big majority of jap piazza worry about an unprecedented visit by south korean's president to disputed islands in the sea of japan. the response said it could negatively affect the two country's relations. 1,639 people aged 20 or over from friday to sunday, three fourths said they are worried about the visit. about a fifth said they're

unconcerned. south korea claims the island, as we have been reporting. on a different question, when they were asked about the recent enactment of bills to raise the consumption tax and reform social security, 48% of respondent said they approve. the same proportion expressed disapproval. the support for prime minister noda and his cabinet stood at 28%, up one point from last month. the disapproval rate stayed at 56%. the world's youngest nation, south sue dan, celebrated last month the first anniversary of its independent. one year on, the country remains in a fragile situation. a report on how it affects the lives of the country's youngest generation. >> reporter: on july 9, 2011, south sudan achieved independence after more than two decades of civil war.

the capital was soon a buzz with nation building projects. but the long drawn conflict completely disrupted essential services in infrastructure. the representative of unicef explains the impact on children. >> south sudan has had very, very little development, investment over the past decades, so systems that we take for granted, even in developing countries now days, south sudan is decades behind those countries. we don't have the regular systems where even as something as basic as vaccination. as we look at children completing primary education, it is still around 10, 12% of those that go to school. >> reporter: unresolved territorial disputes with sudan escalated earlier this year in serious military clashes along the border. the sudden influx of 400,000

returnees after independence is also sparking tension among the population. how do the conflicts affect people's life? >> the fact that there is insecurity along the border means that people's livelihood is affected. it means that people are still not spending the time and putting their lives back together where it relates it agriculture and livelihood. it also means that we still have hundreds of thousands who are returning from sudan to south sudan. and they are coming to a place where, as it is, we have very minimal basic services. >> reporter: another factor aggravated the situation. the government suspended in january the production of oil, due to a dispute with its northern neighbor over the distribution of revenue. >> it definitely affects people's lives in many ways. it is 98% of the revenue

earnings for the government of south sudan. the general impact on the economy is going to have an impact on the average people and on the teachers and health workers. people who are already struggling. we've seen inflation go up to about 80% food inflation. >> reporter: she says a large portion of international assistance is channelled toward humanitarian aid, leaving too little to develop the education and healthcare sectors. >> humanitarian funding is for nine months to a year. it's limited in scale and scope and it doesn't go towards building systems. but we really need for south sudan is money that is predictable and longer term. the investment that we make in the first few years of a child's life will determine how the nation develops. and nation building is making sure the children are invested

in. >> south sudan has one of the highest rates of child mortality. about two thirds of children are unable to attend primary school. this summer, "newsline" is presenting a two-week series on war and peace. we focus today on a doctor from hiroshima. he and a group he works with are especially qualified to promote the end of nuclear weapons. nhk has more. >> reporter: a deputy elector of a hiroshima hospital and from individual physicians from the prevention of nuclear war. ipp has 100,000 members, every

two years they pressure the nuclear powers and united nations for the evolution of atomic weapons. they received a nobel peace prize in 1985. >> translator: i believe doctors know more about the dangers of radiation and people in other professions. so it's important for us to speak out about the inhumanity of nuclear arms. >> reporter: he is in a special position to talk about radiation. both of his parents were hiroshima survivors. his mother died five years ago. he attends to otheres who lived through it and feels more driven to honor them. he's been lecturing as a doctor on the dangers of radio activity. he joined ipp in 1989.

later, he started examining victims of radiation exposures in north and south america and other countries. >> translator: as a child of a bomb survivors, i probably understand the reality of radiation exposure more than the average person. i feel it's my duty to continue my activities. >> reporter: as the convention draws near, he connects with delegates around the world. he hears different opinions about what the group should be. he wants to keep the focus on weapons. but ever since the fukushima disaster, he thinks more people might be worried by power plant than worse, nuclear arsenal. at a meeting to decide themes for the convention, some members

say overseas chapters want to improve the issue of nuclear power. but the convention is only three days long. and for the first time in 23 years, it's being held in hire shimo, where an atomic bomb was dropped. he wants it stick with the issue of weapons. >> translator: hiroshima is the starting point for overseas members too. i want to invite them back to think about ways to eliminate nuclear weapons. >> reporter: over 200,000 people died when the two bombs fell on hiroshima and nagasaki. >> translator: we have to abolish the weapons. nuclear war should never happen again. why should the elderly worry that after their grandchildren grow up, a nuclear war could kill them? what i do is part after doctor's job in a broad sense.

>> reporter: people's awareness of radiation's dangers has risen since fukushima. but it's not only power plants. activist like yanagida are part of a movement trying to ensure a safe future. with 200 medical delegate from around the world attending this august conference, the message from hiroshima should be clear. banish nuclear weapons. shoko, nhk world, hiroshima. hiroshima, nagasaki, the atomic bombings marked a brutal conclusion to a brutal conflict. world war 2 ended 67 years ago this month. lessons of 1945. from the fight to abolish nuclear weapons, to the efforts of younger generations to promote peace.

our special coverage, with a tr peace, lessons of 1945. people in india are abandoning old ways of life as they get the benefits after growing economy. they are also abandoning their beast of burden, the donkey. nhk world reports on a rescue program for four-legged laborers, who have become unemployed. >> reporter: nestled in the himalayan mountains, india rises to about 6,000 meters above sea level. people here maintain traditional culture. farmers in this mountainous area have always relied heavily on the labor of donkeys. in this village, an hour-drive from the city, they come to be an important part of the work force. but in town, the animals are

simply abandoned. there are paved roads in recent years and farmers find it easier to replace their beast of burden with trucks. as people seek a convenient lifestyle, many working animals are left to fend for themselves. the donkeys walk through the streets paying no attention to people or traffic. the vehicleets are replacing them as means of transport. >> translator: the donkeys roll around loose. they could cause an accident as they suddenly appear from nowhere. >> reporter: neglected by their

owners, the animals skafage for food. some are attacked by wild dogs. but some locals are trying to help. the leader of a group rescuing the animals. the group asks the town residents to call them if they spot stray donkeys. they then round up and take care of the animals. he finds a weak donkey in the serpt of down. it's a female. he the collar ind dates she used to have an owner. he calls for a truck and takes the animal into his care. this physician offered protection for abandoned donkeys. volunteers work around the clock to care for about 20 animals,

including ones that are pregnant or have been wounded in traffic accidents. more animals are brought to the facility on regular basis. they eat grass and their food alone costs as much as 750 a month. the financial burden, the group came up with the foster family program, targeting tourist. foster families choose an animal and pay its food expenses. in return, they receive monthly updates and photos of the animal they are sponsoring. >> they go through a difficult time and they are not stray, actually. they are owned by someone.

i want to save as many donkeys as possible and keep our eyes open to bring them here, give them the right atmosphere, right food. >> reporter: donkeys have been sporting the lives of local people for centuries as rapid modernization puts these animals as risk, some humans are stepping in to return the favor. nhk world, ladar. sfls now take a look at the market figures.>sfls now take a market figures.>sfls now take a market figures. now take a lookt figures.

an elderly woman who has survived a pair of huge tsunami has been telling other people how they can save their lives too. to get her message across, the woman relies on an old-fashioned technique. she works from a picture story, painted illustrations that accompany her narration. >> reporter: 87-year-old yoshi tabata illustrates her picture show. tabata lost her mother to the earthquake and tsunami of 1933. tabata was eight years old at the time. she plays the main role in her story. she has been telling her story

for over 30 years. to warn people about the danger of tsunamis. this is miyako city, tabata's hometown. >> translator: this is where my house used to stand. >> reporter: 78 years after the first tsunami, tabata was threatened by another large one. the water swept her house away, but it didn't touch her. she managed to reach safety at her younger sister's house on a hill. tabata says she was able to survive two major tsunamis thanks to the advice of her grandfather, who also survived one. >> translator: he always told us, if an earthquake hits, we

should just run away. we are each responsible for our own safety. we are told to run for higher ground, otherwise the tsunami would get us. >> reporter: he stressed there's not much time. so don't feel you have to wait for your family to gather. tabata wants to use her picture story show to spread her grandfather's lesson to as many people as possible. >> translator: she taught me how tragic tsunamis are and made me think about a tsunami hitting some time in the future. >> translator: i realize that i need to talk with my family about what to do before we confront disaster. >> translator: if there's one thing i would like people to know, it is this -- it is up to

you to save your life. i really hope that i can make young people realize this fact as it's so essential. >> tabata wants people all over the world it heed her grandfather's warning. so last year she published her picture story in a book with an english translation. now we have our weather forecast. people throughout japan are dealing with heavy rain. what can we expect? >> that's right, catherine. blanket be much of japan with widespread heavy showers, the region experiencing the worst of it, osaka received as much as 110 millimeters of rain in just the span of one hour. the tremendous amounts of rain are falling right now. over the next 24 hours, we will likely see an additional 100 to 120 millimeters of rain for the southern half of japan that is accompanied by thunder storms,

gusty winds and even tornado is not out of the question. out towards the west, similar situation will be found across the korean peninsula, looking dry at this moment, but as you did see within another round of heavy rain is on its way it impact the same area within the next 24 hours. down towards the south, we can see a cluster here. this is still hovering through the northeast of the philippines. right now, sustained winds are 72 kilometers per hour with gusts up to 108. it will likely move towards the northwest and hit the northern island of the philippines or taiwan by wednesday or thursday morning local time as they see tropical storm status and make land fall in southern china by friday. strong winds haven't reached yet but heavy rain is already coming down on the path of the storm, we will likely see upwards of 200 millimeters over the next 72

hours. just the northern islands ever philippines and southern taiwan. the risk of flooding will be very high over the next several days. we will certainly keep you posted onity progress. as for temperatures, 31 degrees in tokyo. but 4 degrees cooler than yesterday. and the same goes for seoul on tuesday. okay, heading into the americas, we've got a tropical storm hector, west of mexico, that continues to pull away from the country. and as for mainland u.s., this is the system responsible for spreading thundershowers from the lower great lakes region down towards texas. some areas may be seeing a risk of severe thunderstorms over the next 24 hours, the heaviest severe weather should be shifting in towards the northeastern states. out towards the west, monsoonal moisture is creating scattered showers for southwestern corner of the u.s. their heavy rain is coming down in parts of central california. southern california, i should

say. and central nevada raising the risk of flash floods. temperatures are shaping up like this, nice and comfortable in vancouver with high of 24 degrees and the same temperature for seattle, but heat is still hanging on in los angeles, getting up to 32 degrees on your tuesday. all right, finally, let's go over to europe. slow-moving and strong low pressure system still sitting over eastern europe producing severe thunder storms, damaging wind and even the risk of hail. good news is that it's going to be weakening, but unstable air will continue throughout the day. out towards the west, massive low pressure system creating scattered showers through the british aisles and western portions of france and western side of the iberian peninsula. temperatures are looking like this -- 25 degrees in london and 28 in paris on your tuesday. here is the extended forecast.

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

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