hello there, welcome to "newsline." it's monday, may 20th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. south korean officials have called on north korea to begin talks on the kaesong complex. they will start an investigation monday on the damages companies suffered because of the stopping

of the operations at the complex. the north hasn't responded to the south's proposal to hold talks. north korea test fired missiles over the sea of japan on saturday and sunday. south korea commented on the north's action on sunday. >> translator: the north should end its provocation and accept talks with the south. >> unification ministry said a government task force will visit the head offices of companies from the south that had operations at the kaesong complex. they want to understand how much companies have suffered and expand measures to help them out. prime minister shinzo abe has reiterated his determination to resolve the abduction of citizens by north korea. his stance is to resolve both

the abductions issue and the north's nuclear program in a comprehensive manner in line with the 2002 declaration. >> translator: resolving the abduction issue means returning all abducted japanese nationals from north korea, finding out what really happened to them and for the north to hand over the perpetrators of the abductions. my administration will hold negotiations with north korea to achieve that goal with a strong determination. >> abe added that japan's basic policy toward north korea is to apply dialog and pressure. he said japan will fulfill its international responsibility and continue pressuring the north if these issues remain unresolved. abe refused to provide details about his adviser's meeting with

officials. the abe said suga briefed him on the visit and will hear from the adviser if necessary. chinese premier has arrived in india on his first overseas trip since taking office in march. he's expected to discuss how to strengthen economic cooperation between the two most populace countries, each of which has more than a billion citizens. he arrived in new delhi on sunday. he will hold talks with indian prime minister through his stay through wednesday. he hopes to strengthen relations with indenindia, one of its mos important neighbors. one issue that needs resolving between china and india is their bosch der demarcation along the himalaya mountains. troops from both sides were in a tense standoff earlier this

month. the two country the have been discussing how to ease tensions in the area. china hopes the visit to india will reduce those tensions. a senior pakistani politician from a reformist opposition party has been killed ahead of sunday's re-polling of the national elections. zara hussain was shot as she left her home if karachi. she's a senior member of the pti led by the former cricket star. they claim that the elections held on may 11 were rigged. the opposition, pakistan muslim league, sharif, won a victory on may 11th. pti also added more seats. they have been accused of

killing zara. many terrorist attacks took place during the election campaign. at least 28 people were killed and more than 100 others were wounded on voting day alone. the straight of more muss is one of the most important shipping lanes. to safeguard the root, more than 40 countries, including the united states, britain and japan are carrying out a military exercise in the persian gulf. it the sho beppu has this report. >> reporter: the jints drill is being led by the u.s. navy's fifth fleet which oversees the entire middle east. maritime training is now in full swing. some 6,500 personnel from 41

countries are taking part. it is one of the largest military exercises ever staged in the gulf. during the exercises, they use these kind of mock mines. they actually put it in water and train how to find it. among the main activities are antimine drills. minesweepers are practicing locating mines using sonar devices. divers jump from helicopters into the sea to destroy mines with explosives. the u.s. military says the drill does not have any particular nation in mind. but it is widely perceived that its focus is on iran. the nation has threatened to close the straight of hormuz.

>> anybody that wants to disrupt that free flow of commerce -- and that's why it's so important that we get together, because mines, you want to be very responsive. >> reporter: also under way is training based on the scenario that oil facilities along coastal areas have come under attack by islamic radicals. >> we've added a couple different factors to this exercise this year, to include maritime infrastructure protection and maritime security operations. >> reporter: the drill comes at the time of the increased destableation in the middle east, including the civil war in syria. there are concerns that the turmoil could spill over into the gulf region. >> the instability that we see in syria, the civil war that's ongoing is one that

destabilizes, not only the nations immediately surrounding syria, in particularly the nations that are impacted by the refugee situation, but it's also destabilizing across the entire region including near the gulf. >> reporter: the countries taking part in the drill are on heightened alert. they know if trade is affected it could affect the entire global economy. sho beppu in the persian gulf. thousands of people have rallied in japan's southern okinawa prefecture. they were demanding a cut in the u.s. military presence in the region. more than 70% of u.s. military facilities are concentrated in the prefecture. the demonstrators gathered on sunday after a three day peace

march. they host the futenma the station. over 3,000 people from okinawa and elsewhere in japan took part in the rally. a declaration was also adopted. >> translator: we oppose the buildup of u.s. bases in japan. we also demand a comprehensive review of the forces agreement. >> they walked along three routes. one covered the southern part of okinawa. the area was a fierce battleground in the final days of world war ii. they also marched where the japanese and u.s. governments want to relocate the futenma air station. the event is held at this time every year to mark okinawa's return to japan from u.s. control in 1972. japanese government leaders say they will drop the nation's pledge to cut greenhouse gas

emissions by 25% by 2020. they say the target is impossible after the nuclear accident two years ago. they man to set a new target before a u.n. climate change conference later this year. former prime minister said the goal of reducing emissions by 25% from the 1990 levels by 2020. he made the pledge four years ago at the u.n. headquarters. government officials had based the nation's energy strategy on nuclear power. these reactors emit significantly less gases than coal fired plants, but only two of japan's 50 reactors are up and running after the fukushima accident. so officials have decided to cancel the pledge, and they are working out a new target. they will soon submit a document to the u.n. climate change secretariat in germany. they hope to register a new figure before the conference begins in november. now the fukushima accident is still a grave concern for

japan's neighbors. thousands of people in taiwan have rallied to stop the construction of a new plant in taipei. about 3,000 protesters took to the street on sunday. they shout thad they don't need nuclear plants. >> translator: i wasn't interested in politics before. but i joined the rally because i want a safer world for my children. >> the government wants to build taiwan's fourth nuclear plant, but opposition to the plant has increased since the fukushima meltdown. the prime minister fears a negative impact on the economy if the plan is scrapped. the government will hold a referendum by later this year. the polls suggest that 70% of those surveyed oppose the construction of nuclear plants. politicians and business leaders in the united states are betting resources deep

underground will help their economy recover. the work to tap shale gas has added some 1.7 million jobs across a number of industries. much of the action is happening in the south. nhk takes us there. >> reporter: american people are hoping that shale gas will bring a full-fledged economic recovery. the southern states of texas is already enjoys some benefits. construction firms are rushing to build hopes for a fast growing local population. as shale gas boosts businesses' hiring people are moving in from other states. new communities are springing up. a nearby port is booming as well. this area had been undeveloped until two years ago. today building materials are brought in through the port. they are sent to sites where

shale gas and oil are produced. the state's government built port facilities, but space ran out quickly. construction is now under way to expand the area but 300 meters. >> the shale gas that's being brought up from south texas and from other areas of the country has led to unprecedented growth. >> reporter: in the u.s., riding shale gas production has had a major effect on the chemical industry. they use natural gas as a low material for their petro chemical products. chemical companies have announced plans for major investment in texas. energy giant exxon plans to build a world class chemical plant the product is expected to generate over 10,000 construction jobs. the completed plant will make ethylene and other materials

from shale gas. smaller companies are also looking into new business opportunity. this farm began getting water to construction sites and bases last year. the rapidly increasing number of workers is causing a shortage of water for laundry and other daily use. in response to this rising demand, the company has increased its delivery staff from five to 27. but it's still short staffed. >> no, you're going to be on call from 6:00 on monday all the way to 6:00 on wednesday. >> reporter: there are so many orders coming in, it's difficult to arrange shift. so though are decided by lottery. >> you got 6:00 to noon?

>> i feel that they're very happy with what has come out in the economic side and to have money, you know, at a weekly pay. we are just expanding, and it's been wonderful. >> reporter: the shale gas and the oil industry is expected to create 3 million jobs in the u.s. by 2020. a huge contribution to the country's job market, nhk world, texas. about 60 cyclists have played an unusual game called

bike polo. 18 teams from tokyo and other parts of the country took part in sunday's event in tokushima city. teams use mallets to hit a ball in a 20 by 10 meter court. they display their skill by taking shots at the opposing goal and blocking with their wheels. anyone with a bicycle can play bike polo. he's hoping that people who watch the game will soon give it a try. musicians in tokyo have marked the restoration of a rare old musical instrument with a concert. ♪ >> successful hoteler the invented the recorder like instrument in 1935 inspired by the shauk hatchy. he made it from metal to play western music with japanese

traditional instruments or rather traditional elements, but after world war ii, it fell out of favor because of its high cost. ♪ >> musicians marked 50 years since the man's death with a concert on saturday in tokyo using a modernized version of the instrument. they played folk, jazz and pieces designed specifically for the instrument. >> translator: it goes well with the sounds of the i guitar. it has gentle tunes. ♪ some beautiful sounds there. well, crowds have turned out to view a pro session of portable

shrines as the annual early summer festival reaches its climax in tokyo. the festival is held in downtown tokyo. its climax is a pro session of three portable shrines weighing about 1 ton each. men and women wearing happy coats and headbands paraded through the compound shouldering the portable shrines for about two hours. >> translator: it was so much fun. they let me in. that was great. >> translator: it's like a new year's celebration. for us, today is the beginning of the year. >> then the portable shrines moved on to the streets of sur oungd districts, bringing the three day celebrations to an end upon their return to the shrine. up next, a boy plays a

japanese game of cup and ball. but don't be fooled. there's a lot more to this story than meets the eye. for a start, the game takes years to master. as for the boy, there's a fire in his eyes you'll seldom see in a playground. >> reporter: this is a traditional japanese toy. but some people take it very seriously. one of them is this 14 year old boy. his dynamic routine can be hard for the eye to follow. it seems simple enough. three cups on a spike, a ball and a string. but the variety of tricks is endless. he has already had success on the international stage. here he is in poland competing in a juggling competition. he took first place in the speed trick category.

>> translator: i live for this. it's part of my heart. my body and my life. >> reporter: his coach says he knew the boy had a special talent from the first time they met. he keeps his knees loose. this flexibility and movement is important to absorb the ball's energy. >> translator: he used his knees well, so i asked him to come to every class. he had potential. >> reporter: a natural talent, developed with a lot of hard work. once he sets his mind to learning a trick, there's no stopping him. he'll even give up meals to keep practicing. he's devoted to this, and there's a reason for that. he was born with heart problems. doctors operated on him many times as a young boy. as a result, he was never able

to play contact sports. he first learned about this sport at age 10, shy and withdrawn, there was something about the ancient game that appealed to him immediately. >> translator: mastering many tricks makes me so happy. i feel like i've gained confidence. i feel more alive. >> reporter: today that confidence drives him to compete. he's preparing for a competition, but he's still got to master some tricky techniques. this is one of them, back splip, stopping on the brim of the cup, the ball has to finish on the spike. he is having trouble with his timing. >> translator: try to swing in a circle like this.

>> reporter: he listen to his coach's advice and focuses on getting it as high into the air as he can. the big day has arrived. the competitors must perform 20 tricks in a set order. they have four minutes to complete the routine. the challenge in back flip is trick number 12. sure enough, it is causing him trouble, and he only has one minute left. on the 14th try, he finally spikes it. it's the first time he successfully performed this trick in a competition. he finishes in 9th place, not as high as he hoped, but he's overcome a big hurdle.

>> translator: i'm really glad i did it. i was able to give it 100%. >> reporter: he is more motivated than ever. he says he'll keep giving 100% until he has spiked his ultimate goal, master of japan. certainly one of those things that looks much more difficult -- or much easier than it looks. all right. time now to check the weather. our meteorologist joins us with the latest. people in southeastern china are experiencing heavy rain. what's the latest there? >> that's right, kathryn. heavy rain is coming down across southeastern china. people have been killed. thousands of people have been evacuated due to landslides and flooding. unfortunately, there is more rain on the way. you could be seeing an additional 100 millimeters in the next 24 hours.

the ground is already very well saturated. additional rain will certainly raise the potential for flooding as well as landslides. and it looks like rain is not going any where. rain will likely continue for the next couple of days. the reason for the rainy weather is the stalled it frontal line. this is the rainy season. the system is effecting taiwan as well as indochina peninsula. and rain will persist across the area over the next couple days. towards the north, looking dry for the north half of china as well asmon goal yeah, but whet and windy conditions will continue in china as well as russia throughout the day. the eastern half of japan will see scattered rain and rain could become intense and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon. but the western half of japan will see plenty of sunshine. temperatures will be cooling down to 21 degrees in tokyo. the same goes for seoul with

plenty of sunshine. 31 for you in beijing. 31 in taipei and cooling down to the lower 30s in bangkok on monday. all right. in north america extreme weather is happening in the mid section of the u.s. through texas into the dakotas. we're talking about heavy rain and thunderstorms. in fact, several tornados have been reported in parts of oklahoma as well as kansas. hail the size of a baseball in kansas as well as nebraska. and heavy rain is coming down across the northern half of the u.s. this system is slow moving. that means the nasty weather will continue into tuesday. across the east scattered thunderstorms with a southeastern part of the u.s. as well as eastern canada. eastern canada will see rain intensifying on your monday. across the west, looking dry, but conditions are ideal for

wildfires, especially in parts of texas as well as new mexico. temperatures will be extremely warm for many areas. the cooling down to 17 in denver and 14 degrees in winnipeg. finally, in europe, then, wet and windy weather will persist in the southern parts of scandinavia. rain is coming down across central parts of europe. we are seeing heavyain across western germany. march like weather in madrid with a high of only 16 degrees. cooler temperatures will continue across the next several days for paris. here's your extended forecast.

chlts and that's all for this ed dig igs of "newsline." we'll be back with more of your updates at the top of the hour.