welcome to "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. surveyors from japan's capital have done is survey in the east china sea. china and taiwan also claim the territory. a team from the tokyo metropolitan government wanted to check them out in order no buy them but they never stepped

on shore. ordered the survey. he wants a metropolitan government to buy three uninhabitated islands. so they inspected the area from their ships. some team members switched to smaller boats to study the waters and shore around the largest island. >> translator: we will use the data for the purchase and good use of the islands. >> he said they need to land to properly measure the island's size and to inspect the ecosystem. the governor says he'll join the team on a return trip next month. he's demanding the central government allow them to land. a chinese government official protested against the survey. and chinese media joined in with their criticisms. the foreign ministry official

launched a complaint with japanese embassy staff in beijing. both sides restated their country's positions. reporters on china central television called the survey illegal. still they stress that the japanese government had not permitted the team to land on the islands. japanese leaders should keep the relationship with china in mind in managing the issue. relatives of japanese citizens abducted by north korea have held a rally to renew their calls for the government to work harder to bring they loved ones back. the event was held in tokyo on sunday to mark ten years since north korea admitted to the abductions. >> translator: we have spent the last ten years waiting for our loved ones to return home. this year can be crucial. i hope we can make the best of this opportunity.

>> the leader of the family's group asked the government to drop a strategy to deal with the north and make progress on the issue. about 2,000 people took part in the rally. yoshihiko noda gave a speech. >> translator: we will seek every possible way to illicit reactions on north korea so all the abductees can return home safely. >> the group asked more than 9 million people to sign a petition. the members handed a list of the names to noda. former abductee says time is running out. she says she hopes the others can be reunited with their families soon. she is one of the five japanese who returned home shortly after the north admitted to the abductions. yokota says she will not die

until she's reunited with her daughter megumi. she was abducted in 1977 at the age of 13. north korea admitted in september 2002 that some of its agents abducted japanese citizens decades ago. japan lists 17 people as abduction victims. a bomb exploded on sunday in a military facility in central damascus. they declared they will continue attacking government nerve centers. the bomb exploded at a building area for soldiers guarding senior military officials. a spokesperson for the rebel group says that collaborators guided them inside the facility.

>> state-run tv reports four people sustained light injuries. but the rebel group spokesperson says at least ten people were killed. government forces are maintaining heavy attacks on rebel forces with helicopters in various cities. human rights activists say at least 40 people were killed on sunday alone. anti-government forces are also continuing their attacks using bombs and gorilla tactics. >> iran's armed forces will start large scale drills this month in preparation for a possible israeli or u.s. attack. an iranian commander said saturday the army will join the islamic guards for air defense exercises. troops will train with anti-aircraft missiles for an attack on other targets. israeli leaders says they won't

hesitate to stop the country's nuclear development. commanders tested new short range missiles in august. leaders of the nation have also been concerned about the nearby u.s. presence. american force is with 20 of their allies will begin a mine sweeping training exercise this month. iran also says the country's first and only nuclear power plant is operating at full capacity. it's the first nuclear plant in the middle east. iran's nuclear agency says the plant began full fledged operation with a maximum output of 1,000 megawatts. it was connected to the national power grid last september. but the production was delayed due to concerns with the fukushima accident. russia will take charge of developing nuclear fuel rods and collecting spent ones.

the plant will operate under the atomic agency. iran says it will build more nuclear plabts and more nuclear technologies. that's nuclear power technologies. the united states, european nations and israel are weary that iran will speed up its enrichment activities to develop nuclear weapons. voters in angola have griffin them another party in office. certain to win a majority in parliamentary elections. provisional results show that the popular movement for the liberation of angola have secured 75% of friday's vote. he has governed the country since 1979. the lead e forer of the party becomes president. the election win will extend the incumbent's rule by five years. angola is one of africa's

leading oil producers. the country has seen an economic boom since a war ended ten years ago. russia has revealed a tax on imported vehicles. joined the world trade organization and reduced import duties. the new tax is charged as a vehicle kal disposal fee. it's about $600 for a passenger vehicle and about $4,500 for a truck. a higher levy is applied to used vehicles. russia cut the import duty on new cars from 30% to 25% when it joined the wto last month. a senior manager at the moscow office of an accounting firm de loit. he says japan should keep an eye on russia's taxes. >> translator: russia probably introduced the new tax to keep its 30% tariff.

video shot immediately after the accident of fukushima, that's the fukushima nuclear accident, documents how tokyo electric power company responded. geno tani will reveal some of the footage and what it reveals. >> reporter: tepco released portions of the video this month. more than a year and a half after the disaster. it was taken during teleconferences between workers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant and officials at tokyo's headquarters. as they struggled to bring the crisis under control. tepco created a 90 minute segment from its hours of footage. it released this to the media for broadcast. the video shows workers panicking in response to a series of explosions at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant.

>> reporter: the video is important because it documents tepco's initial response to the accident. it could help fill in some of the blanks about what went wrong. >> covered the nuclear accident and its aftermath. he has spent weeks revealing the footage. tell us what you saw. >> as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. there are a lot of written documents about the nuclear disaster. but they do not offer a complete picture of what happened. for this reason, i feel that the video is very important. >> how did tepco make the video available?

>> one part consists of 90 minutes of footage taken from the hours of video recorded. tepco released this version to the media on august 6th. some parts of the video were edited to protect the identities of individual workers. tepco is also allowing journalists to watch 150 additional hours of video at its tokyo headquarters while limiting time. there are conditions. the video is shown on computers. no one may download or record the images. only written memos are allowed. the video is available for viewing only on week days and for a maximum of six hours a day. >> 150 hours of video with six hours a day means that it would take at least 25 days to watch all of the footage. >> yes. that's right.

but at first tepco says journalists could watch the video only for five days. the company later extended the period to one month. i have discovered many things by watching the video. that was just after the number one reactor exploded. a senior officer of tepco's headquarters announces that members of the accident task force can leave. the video shows most senior members including tepco's president immediately leaving the room after the announcement. now tepco says that these people remained inside the company buildings, but the video raises questions. >> tepco must have more footage. is there any chance they'll release all the video? >> well, tepco is reluctant to make any of the video public. they say the teleconferences are

for internal communication. they also say the company does not legally have to release the video. but the video footage is a record of the nuclear disaster. not only for japan, but all over the world. nhk will continue to press tepco to disclose all information about the accident. >> that was "nuclear watch" with geno tani. people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of the 2011 disaster. but it won't be easy. they have to rebuild homes, businesses, entire communities. we'll show you their struggles and their successes on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." from tackling street crime to fighting terrorism, police in pakistan live with risks every day. the lifestyle takes its toll.

here's more on the latest threat to pakistan's finest. >> reporter: it's tough being a policeman in pakistan. the work is hard and dangerous. islamic extremists are out to make trouble. as a cop you are on the front lines. over the past ten years, violence has killed more than 5,000 members of the police and security forces. the pressures of it together with irregular hours helped create another problem. obesity. about 40% of the 175,000 strong police force is officially overweight. some cops can barely break out

of a jog. with all this flab the police are cracking down. they have issues a ruling against flab. a policeman's waist can now measure no more than 96 centimeters. that is no random number. to the police chief who chose it, it's ideal. why? because it's exactly his trouser size. >> translator: we have to fight against well-trained terrorists. our goal is to discipline our overweight policemen and get them back into fighting shape. >> reporter: every morning now policemen come up to the gym hoping to roll back the calories. they have been told if they don't trim the fat, they will strain their chances of promotion and spoil their professional standing. it's enough to make some cops sweat. >> translator: with a body like this i can't chase after criminals. and i run out of breath quickly.

it's hindering my work. >> reporter: at 100 kilos, muhammad would agree he's a little on the plump side. with a girth of 119 centimeters, he's looking at 23 centimeters of fat between him and his goal. >> translator: i gained weight because i'd eat late at night and go right to bed. and also because of job stress. i didn't think they'd make an official rule, but now i have no choice but to diet. >> reporter: he says he piled on the bounds after being given a desk job. and fewer chances to move around. he is now walking to work and not taking the car. at home he goes jogging or does other exercises to push himself harder.

at dinner instead of four pieces of bread, he makes do with one. he might wish he could turn back to the clock. 26 years ago he weighed 40 kilograms less. but he says he is not just losing weight to obey orders, he wants his children to have their wish, a slim and dashing dad. >> translator: it's not cool to be so fat. he looks like a lazy worker. i hope he loses weight. >> translator: my family wants me to slim down. the healthier i am, the more i enjoy my time with them. now i work out, have more stamina, and feel fitter. >> reporter: the policemen of pakistan have signed on for a new fight on the front lines of fat and the enemy is everywhere. nhk world.

thai people are afraid last year's floods might return, now have something to wash away their worries. the government is exhibiting its new anti-flood measures. >> reporter: after the flood crisis last year, thai government decided to set up this warning machine to monitor rainfall level. the warning system will work once the water is at critical limits. being held in the capital of bangkok showcases worries and measures being implemented by the government and other organizations last year. a project costing $11 billion includes the installation of new gauges at 200 points along the

river in the north. the source of last year's flood. there are also plans to construct large flood walls that can also be used as roads. they will be built around the industrial parts which are home to many foreign companies. prime minister shinawatra attended the event where she was briefed by officials on the progress of the projects. >> i hope that all of you will take opportunity of this exhibition to learn more about how thailand intend to better manage water resource and help be ready for floods. >> reporter: the government aims to dispel deep rooted fears of another flood among the people and businesses before rainy season takes a turn for the worse. nhk world, bangkok.

people in bangkok are ready to welcome the foreign tourists who flock to the country to receive massage treatments. now there's a world record to prove it. the guinness world record for mass massage wuss broken in bangkok where 641 therapists simultaneous gave a 12 minute massage to lucky volunteers. traditional thai massage is particularly popular to visitors to the country. >> translator: tourists to thailand compliment thai massage. >> massage also plays an important role in the nation's tourism industry. health tourism is expected to draw an estimated $255 million u.s. in revenue over the next five years. >> translator: thai spas, herbal product makers, and other health businesses are good.

motivation to come for health treatment. as well as traveling. rachel ferguson joins us now with the world weather forecast. it's been a hot and humid summer in tokyo. but it seems bearable this morning. what can we expect today? >> certainly has been absolutely roasting for the last little while, hasn't it? but this morning is a bit cooler. that said we're still going to be seeing about 30 degrees. the hottest part of the day here in tokyo. but it is just a little bit more bearable than it has been recently. it's going to be quite unstable across much of japan today. thunderstorms across much of the country. we've got this steady stream of moisture coming up from the south. that's going to be bringing heavier rain. across china you can see lots of dry, clear skies. high pressure in place, but there is going to be quite a lot of rain just along the east. all the way from southeastern

russia, in fact, towards northern and eastern parts of indochina. the heaviest rain is going to be seen here today. and then that's going to be edging closer towards the korean peninsula to tuesday. that could be problematic because the korean peninsula has been hit very hard over the last month or so by many bouts of rain. so into tuesday we could see the return to torrential down pours here. we're also seeing some enhanced heavy rain across the philippines. there's a system inching towards parts of northern and central philippines that's going to be enhancing the monsoon here. that could lead to flooding in addition last week's earthquake on friday will have loosened the grounds. there will be an increased risk for landslides and mudslides to occur. 30 degrees in tokyo. down to 29 in seoul. just 26 in beijing which is much cooler than it has been

recently. 16 in ulanbator. leslie is increasing in intensity towards the rest of the week. we could be dealing with a hurricane here. it is en route to bermuda. that could create a problem next week. for the time being, though, the only thing to mention to be careful of is that you'll be noticing some problems maybe in the sea and then to puerto rico as well. we're talking about rough seas, sea swells, and rip currents here. it's going to move away from land masses at the moment. we'll see what's happening with bermuda. other tropical activity today, a tropical depression has formed to the west of mexico. that is bringing thunderstorms to the coast. it's moving out further towards

the west. so those conditions should improve to the next 24 to 48 hours. then we have isaac. now, isaac made landfall in the gulf coast last week as a hurricane. now it is just ambling its way through the east. so the tennessee valley and also the lower mississippi valley, you could see some thunderstorms today. they could get nasty. about 50 millimeters of rain in a 24 hour period isn't out of the question. it's going to slowly make its way towards the atlantic coast. a lot of rain in the southeast. thunderstorms also for parts of minnesota back into south dakota. and the other side of that front is going to be dry and windy. so fire weather for montana and north dakota during your overnight hours monday daytime should see improvement on that front. 40 degrees in oklahoma city. very hot through houston as well as los angeles. much cooler for you in vancouver. 20 degrees. as for europe, going to be very stormy for central parts of the mediterranean. and then the remnants of another

tropical system in iceland. up into norway as well. and temperatures are just about on average across the continent. here's the extended forecast. our lead story for this hour, surveyors from tokyo have conducted a survey of the

senkaku islands. japan controls the islands in the south china sea. tokyo governor ordered the inspection. he wants the metropolitan government to buy three uninhabited islands from a japanese family. the japanese government prohibited the 25-member team from landing. so they surveyed the area from their ships. some team members switched to smaller boats to study the waters and shore around the largest island. >> translator: we will use the data for the purchase and good use of the islands. >> sakamachi said they need to land to properly measure the island's size and inspect the ecosystem. the governor says he'll return next month. he's demanding the central government allow them to land. a bomb exploded on sunday at a military facility in central damascus.

syria's anti-government forces claim responsibility. they declared they will continue attacking government nerve centers. the bomb exploded at a building area for seniors guarding officials. free syrian army says that collaborators within the military guided them inside the facility. >> state-run tv says four people sustained light injuries. but the rebel group spokesperson says at least ten people were killed. government voices are maintaining attacks with helicopters in various cities. uk-based human rights group activists say at least 40 people were killed on sunday alone. anti-government forces are also continuing their attacks using bombs and guerrilla tactics. and that wraps up this

edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.