welcome to nhk world "newsline." the japanese embassy in beijing asked chinese police to investigate an incident involving its ambassador. two vehicles forced the ambassador's car to a stop on monday evening. man ripped the japanese flag from the hood of the car, then fled. an embassy worker took photos. the embassy gave pictures to the security bureau. japanese officials demanded police investigate and arrest those responsible. security bureau officials responded by saying they'll work with other departments to look into the incident.

chinese officials say they regret what occurred. and they say they won't let it happen again. am bass doer niwa made his first public comment since the incident. he said it is important for the safetive japanese nationals and those working for japanese firms in china. >> translator: i support what happened. because it was a passionate patriotic act aimed at protecting china's national interests. >> translator: i can't agree with such an action. the act wasn't rational. i think they should think about how they would feel if the same thing happened to a chinese ambassador. >> meanwhile japan's senior vice foreign minister headed to beijing. he will meet with officials to discuss developments between the two countries. yamaguchi is expected to share views on the anti-japan protests continuing across china.

the two sides will also address the incident involving the japanese ambassador's car. yamaguchi will deliver a letter from noda to chinese president. in the letter, noda is thought to stress the importance of strategic mutually beneficial relations between the two countries. some neighbors will sit down at a table together for the first time in four years. officials from japan and north korea will meet on wednesday in the first direct talks since 2008. candidates will talk to the citizens about the agenda. north korea's envoy has arrived for the talks in beijing. he refused to comment on the kidnapping of japanese nationals in the 1970s and '80s by north korean agents. >> translator: if we anticipate the results before the talks begin, the speculation could trigger misunderstanding. i think it would be impolite.

>> the meeting will be the first under leader kim jong-un. his diplomats say the abduction issue is done. japan's for minister disagrees that it is resolved. >> translator: there are various matters pending. i believe the abduction issue is a top priority. i'll proceed to discussions with north korea. a 13-year-old japanese girl was abducted by north korean agents in 1977. the parents of the girl have not heard from her since. they have urged the government to make a break through in the upcoming talks with north korea. in a lecture in tokyo her parents expressed their hope. >> translator: i want japan to keep insisting that north korea respond to the cases of japanese abductees, otherwise, diplomatic normalization can never be realized. if the government can't make a break through by continuing to insist on a resolution, it will

be impossible to solve the issue. >> japanese government officials say north koreans kidnapped 17 in all. five have since returned to japan. the two sides are also expected to discuss how to repay tree ought the remains of japanese nationals. they were in the northern part of the korean peninsula during the second world war. members of a civic group from japan have left beijing to inspect the remains. about 35,000 japanese died in the region during the war. remains of more than 20,000 are still in the country. the group will visit chong jin in the northeast and cemeteries near pyongyang. >> translator:er with very grateful that we have been given this opportunity. >> the men also visited the country in april. during that trip, the north's

envoy for normalization called on the man to collect the remains. two months later japanese media were shown some of the suspected graves. a committee of the south korean national assembly has adopted a resolution on japan in a climate of diplomatic tension. members are demanding an apology and compensation for korean women forced to work in military broth he'll during world war ii. the foreign affairs committee want japan to admit responsibility for so-called comfort women. south korean lawmakers describe what they endured as a crime against universal human values. members urge south korean officials to discuss the matter with their counter parts in japan and elsewhere. a spokesperson for foreign affairs and trade says the government has yet to decide on a course of action. economic progress often comes at a price to the environment. that's something people in vietnam's booming cities know

all too well as she struggle through crowded streets, traffic jams and chronic pollution. so they have something to celebrate as the country broke down tuesday on its very first subway line. >> reporter: i'm in the biggest commercial city in vietnam. this is also one of the most important business centers in asia, but the city streets are crowded with buses and motorbikes. for the people of vietnam, having a subway system has been a long cherished dream. ho chi minh number one will be the first subway line in vietnam. construction is being supported by technology from japan. for the first stage an inverted track is being built by a leading japanese trading company. a number one line will run through the center of ho chi

minh city over a total distance of 19.7 kilometers. of that 17.2 kilometers will be completed in the first phase, including 11 stations in the railway yard. construction should be complete by the end of 2016. the population of vietnam is 19 million people. with more people and an accelerating economy traffic congestion and the air pollution are worse than ever. the government sees new subway networks as a potential solution. it promises on to have five more lines in ho chi minh city and eight lines in the capital of hanoi. >> translator: we will complete this project, and we hope to win more orders.

>> translator: we appreciate japan's railway technologies and safety measures. we hope japan will help us construct other railway lines, too. >> for the people of vietnam, the subway network is an important symbol of their country's progress. it's also a project for japanese companies who want to win more deals in vietnam. akiko icahara, nhk world, ho chi minh city. apple is seeking to stop samsung sales of smart phones in the u.s. market. the move comes after the american computer giant won a court battle against its south korean rival over infringement of smart phones and tablets. apple filed a preliminary

injunction on monday for eight samsung smart phones including the popular galaxy models. the u.s. firms wants samsung product banned from the u.s. market until a california federal court makes a formal ruling. a judge set a hearing for september 20th on apple's request. last friday the same federal court ruled that samsung infringed on apple's patent, on the designs of iphone and ipad. ordering samsung to pay more than a billion in damages. samsung is asking for a cancellation after previous injunction in joun for one of its tablets computers. saying that not all of samsung tablets violate apple's patent. nec says almost 2400 workers volunteered to leave the company under early retirement. that is about 2% of its global work force. the firm posted a net loss of about $1.4 billion thatened in

march. that is part of nec's effort to slash jobs at home and abroad. they laid off some 3,000 full-time workers, mainly at factories oversees. they plan to let 5,000 nonregular employees go in september. another ailing electronics worker, sharp, is planning layoffs, cutting 2,000 domestic jobs through early retirement program. the sharp group is planning to eliminate a total of 5,000 employees. japan's airways has decided to providity pilots with an ipad, carrying digital flight manuals. the move is aimed at cutting the amount of luggage pilots take on flights. at present, each ana pilot carries over 10 kilograms of paper manuals on long distance flights. airline officials say the use of the tablet will cut this down to only about 700 grams. they also note the step will help cut fuel costs. it has the additional advantage

of providing pilots with up-to-date information, such as weather. >> translator: we can choose the best flight path with the device. and we can improve our customer service. and fuel efficiency. >> the tablet will be distributed to all of the roughly 2500 ana pilots. here are the latest market figures. athletes from around the world are resting up in london ahead of wednesday's start to the pair limb pick games. a path stanny man has the chance

of bringing home his country's first pair limbic gold medal. pakistan failed to win a single medal at the olympics so this could help deep rooted prejudice back home. nhk world reports from islamabad. >> he is a long jumper and one of his legs is shorter than the other because of cerebral paralysis that affected him as a small boy. >> translator: i put a cushion in one of my shoes when i run. i can't keep my balance without it. >> reporter: he won a silver medal in beijing four years ago. he attends a camp in islamabad shortly before departing for london. he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. for intensive training. his goal is to stand atop the

podium with a gold medal around his neck, but he has another aim as well, to help eradicate prejudice against disabled people in pakistan. >> translator: in pakistan there is deep-seated prejudice against people with disabilities. they often receive verbal abuse. i want to show them that if you do your best, god will help you, and you'll be successful even with a disability. >> reporter: he hopes success in london will bring rare good news to people in pakistan. the economy is weak and violence widespread. more than 35,000 people have been killed across the country over the past decade. >> translator: i want to prove that young people in pakistan can be active members of the

world community. we are not inferior to other nationalities. i want to show that we can do anything if we put our minds to it. >> reporter: pakistan failed to win a medal at the recent olympic games. he's fellow countrymen now look to him to represent pakistan and give hope to everybody, no matter their ability or circumstance. nhk world, islamabad. >> thousands. >> musicians from around the world come from britain, india

and japan. all of them have disabilities. >> conductor charles hazelwood founded the british para orchestra, he wanted to showcase talents of the musicians to a global audience. >> okay, once more, please, adreen, if you will. >> here we are in london. well play some very highly publicized concerts. >> barriers that once blocked the way have gone down across the city. the london underground is no exception. tube stations used to have long steep stairs or escalators. but transit officials made them more accessible after london won its bid for the olympic and paraolympic games. 66 of the 270 stations are now barrier free. passengers can now ride elevators down to the platform and the platforms no longer have bumps and gaps. people with disabilities can now access a new internet service at

tourist information centers. they can enter the name of an attraction, restaurant or hotel. the website tells them the best way to get there, depending on their disability. they can access the site from mobile phones. and the number of monthly uses has topped 1 million. >> make changes, it's about much more than sport. it's about inclusion. it's about an entire society. >> the paraolympic model is spirit in motion. more than ever, that's true for spectators as well as athletes. erica stephenson, nhk world, london. scientists at nasa have transmitted the first ever voice message from another planet thanks to a little thing called curiosity. the mars rover curiosity beamed back the message along with new images of the red planet.

this image shows layer upon layer of multi-colored strata. scientists compare the terrain to the grand canyon in arizona. the dots on this photo indicate the different levels. sciences say the geological makeup appears to be different. the lower ones res resemble tho found on the grand canyon, which was formed by water. nasa officials say the images reveal a previously unknown side of mars. they plan to send curiosity towards the canyon to search for signs of life. nasa administrator charles bolden recorded the voice message. technicians sent it to rover on mars, and then curiosity beamed the recording back. >> curiosity will bring benefits to earth and inspire a new generation of scientists and explorers as it prepares the way for a human mission in the not too distant future. thank you. >> one nasa expert compares the audio transmission and the pictures from mars to the milestone set by neil armstrong,

the first man to set foot on the moon. he died on saturday. nasa officials say the curiosity mission as another step toward establishing a human presence beyond earth. the neighborhood of tokyo is one of the japan's most famous tourist spots. visitors can enjoy traditional festivals, temples and shops. it's also home to tokyo skytree, the second tallest structure in the world. for the last three decades it has hosted an unusual summer parade. the neighborhood's biggest party is actually an adaptation of a brazilian festival. nhk world explains. >> reporter: you may think this scene is something you'd find on the streets of rio de janeiro. well, think again. it's more than 18,000 kilometers away at 31st asambo carnival. about 5,000 people attend the

event. local business people always look forward to the parade. >> translator: just hearing that sound gets us excited. it's fantastic. >> translator: it's so festive, and a nice change in style, too. >> reporter: the carnival has even received the brazilian stamp of approval. >> translator: it reminds me of home. it's a lot of fun. >> yeah, yeah. we are here for it each year. >> reporter: it has already been a trendiest neighborhoods. the country's first elevator and aquarium were here. the area was also full of cinemas. some called it the entertainment capital of japan. the number of visitors fell in the 1960s, so they started the samba carnival to restore sparkle to the area.

>> reporter: you know what they say about culture and history here, right? anything goes in asakusa. for example. we were the first ones in japan to host the vienna opera. >> reporter: one week before the competition, more than 20 teams are making their final preparations. they have competed in the asakusa carnival every year. they have won 18 out of 30 competitions and are a force to be reckoned with. but champions aren't made overnight. this team has more than 300 members. they practice for an entire year to prepare for a single 50-minute routine. >> translator: we're all practicing so hard for that one hot, summer day. all of us are in this together

as one. >> translator: my heart is racing. the band is starting to come together. >> reporter: the samba lover is in charge of everything from the costumes to song selection, even the choreography. the 20-year dance veteran has even performed at the carnival in rio. his team took second place last year, but this time he hopes for better. >> translator: at the real carnival, there are ballet dancers, jazz dancers, actors and circus performers. the asakusa carnival has certain elements that appeal to the japanese audience. >> reporter: the long-awaited day has finally come. each team will be judged on

dance, costumes, musical ability, execution of their theme, and overall creativity. this year's theme is key. they say their performance will symbolize the journey of finding and unlocking their treasure. before they know it, it's all over. barbarosa is awarded second place again this year. the members say it's not the results that matter but enjoying the spirit of samba. now it's back to the drawing board. the team will begin preparing for next year's carnival as soon as this week. the asakusa sam ba carnival began as a variation on a latin american parade. the local people have infused it with their own cultural flavor. so much so it's now joined the ranks was distinctive

traditions. nhk world, tokyo. a typhoon has been downgraded to a tropical storm in south korea. robert speta has been following that and more in weather. robert? >> we are watching it over the peninsula and you can see this big band of weather. you can see the winds taking place over north korea and then moving over northeastern china into the remainder of your tuesday and into wednesday and thursday, really seeing heavy precipitation here up towards 250 millimeters. could be occurring, and not just here. in western japan, you have feeder bands upwards of 100 millimeters of rain fall could occur here. some localized flash flooding as well. look further towards the west, there is a break in the korean peninsula, but towards taiwan you see the band from the south. that's our other storm.

it has been downgraded from a typhoon. it brings heavy rain fall towards taiwan today. over 164 millimeters of rain here in central taiwan. now it is pulling off there towards the north by the end of the work week. this very well could be impacting the korean peninsula as well here on thursday. then going into friday. now elsewhere, i to take a look at eastern japan. high pressure is dominating. that is keeping storms towards the west but also keeping things hot about tokyo here for your high on wednesday. 34, pect that to remain in place, throughout the remainder of your week, and shanghai of 31 and beijing as well down towards 34. bangkok with i-33, seeing highs into the low 30s, as well asthma nilla. accompanying afternoon and evening thunderstorms. here in the tropics, in the americas, i want it quickly point out one tropical system just towards the north of

mexico. good news, that will push off towards west. in impacts with this. but then we have isaac, this storm system is continuing to bear its eyes on southern louisiana and southern mississippi. storm surges are actually a big threat here. see all these areas in red, that's where hurricane warnings are in place as that storm continues to push off there towards the north, upwards of 1 to 3 meter high waves could push onshore with that storm surge. low-lying coastal flooding will be what threat here, especially through your tuesday into wednesday. but not just that. as it works its way on towards the coast, heavy rain fall will build up. over 450 millimeters of rain here across the southern portions of louisiana. very well could take place. also southern mississippi. low-lying flooding will be a threat but also you're talking about power outages. so if you are not evacuating with some of the coastal areas, especially even further inland where you plan on riding the storm out, be prepared for power outages throughout the remainder of your week as the storm

continues to push on. off towards northeast, looking at frontal area, this will continue to push off over the atlantic. but behind it, see big high pressure sinking in from canada. dryer and cooler air will be coming in with that. look the a the high in chicago. 29 for you. toronto at 25. even to the overnight hours, expect things to dive down to about the mid teens. now here is a look at your forecast.

we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.