hello there. welcome to "newsline." it's friday, june 14th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. intelligence analysts have been working for months to determine whether chemical weapons have been used in the syrian civil war. u.s. president barack obama wanted conclusive proof. now analysts say government forces have used chemical agents against opposition fighters. white house officials say forces loyal to president bashar al

assad used the weapons on a small scale. they say the chemicals used include the nerve agent sarin. they estimate that 100 to 150 people are likely to have been killed. they say they'll share their information with their allies and with analysts at the united nations. white house officials say president obama will consider whether to provide support to syrian opposition forces including military assistance. the european union has proposed to its members new nuclear safety measures that would require periodic reviews of all reactors by multinational experts. the eu's executive arm, the european commission put out the new safety directives draft on thursday. the goals are to increase transparency and a new system of peer review for nuclear power plants following the fukushima incident in 2011. it would require legally binding peer reviews every six years for

all 132 nuclear reactors in operation in the bloc. the commission would form a verification committee to urge member nations to step up safety should problems be found at any plant. the proposals include boosting the independence of national regulators so that special interests cannot override safety objectives. the commission also wants to obligate member states to build emergency response centers on the premises of nuclear plants to effectively cope with any emergency. it aims to have the proposals approved by member nations next year. u.s. marines at a camp in okinawa may soon find themselves living somewhere else. u.s. officials have agreed to return the land on which they live. the marines live in a housing area in camp zukeran. they hope that officials will return the housing area to japan. the defense minister suggested the transfer could happen as early as december. >> translator: we've reached

this agreement about six months earlier than we initially planned. >> negotiators have been discussing the transfer of more than a dozen military sites in the area. they're trying to work through the details of handing over the nearby marine corps futon ma air station. that's scheduled to happen around the year 2022 or after. japanese executives have been working for months on a plan that would have created a heavy machinery giant. the people at ship builder kawasaki heavy industries have been discussing a merger with their counterparts at mitsui engineering and shipbuilding, but their talks have collapsed. kawasaki's president satoshi hasegawa and two other members of the executive board were pushing for the deal, but the other members decided to remove them. they appointed a new president. he said everyone else on the board is against the deal. >> translator: it was a difficult decision, but we lost

trust in them because they pushed the merger deal as if it were a foregone conclusion. >> murayama said board members will not pursue a merger with mitsui. instead he said they would consider joint ventures with other firms. major talks reveal the tough business climate for the industry and were designed to strengthen their marine energy businesses. the japanese government has formulated its long-term economic and fiscal policies. the document states it should balance its budget by fiscal 20 and even consider cutting social security costs to reduce the nation's snowballing debt. a government panel finalized this on thursday. the plan calls for achieving an average gross domestic product gross of about 3% in nominal terms and around 2% in real terms over the next decade. the plan expects a nation per capita gross national income to increase by more than $15,000 in ten years. the government has been urged to

halve its deficit by 015 and turn the balance into a surplus by fiscal 2020 as it has pledged. the plan specified social security as an area the government should consider cutting costs but stopped short of setting num irerical targets. the cabinet is set to approve the plan on friday. u.s. retail sales in may rose slightly from the previous month indicating a moderate improvement in consumer spending. the u.s. commerce department said on thursday that the country's retail sales totaled about $421 billion in may, up 0.6% from the previous month. personal consumption increased for the second straight month and surpassed market expectations of a 0.3% rise. automobile sales were up 1.8%. and building material sales rose by 0.9%. reflecting a robust housing market. sales of consumer food products also increased along with sporting and entertainment

goods. however, sales of furniture, electric appliance, fuel and clothing declined. now, let's take a look at the market figures. the head of the united nations is painting a grim picture of life for children in conflict zones.

secretary general ban ki-moon's new report says they face unprecedented threats and calls the situation in syria, mali and the central african republic extremely worrying. he releases a report on children and armed conflict every year. it says troops loyal to syrian president bashar al assad have made children walk in font of them as human shields. it says anti-government fighters have forced children to serve as come baltents. the report notes armed groups in northern mali have done the same thing, kidnapping boys and using them as soldiers. >> we would like to see parties take their responsibility to ensure that children are not paying such a high price. >> the report says children are more vulnerable in recent crises because there are no clear frontlines and combatants are hard to identify. the crisis in syria will be one of the main items on the

agenda next week at the g-8 summit. japanese government officials say prime minister shinzo abe will announce aid for syrians displaced by the civil war. the g-8 leaders will gather in the town of innis cullen in northern ireland. in addition to syria, they'll talk about the global economy and the nuclear programs in iran and north korea. abe calls on countries to work together to resolve the crisis. he'll announce $100 million to help jordan deal with the influx of syrian refugee, and they say he'll promise $10 million in humanitarian aid for syrians displaced by the conflict. when it comes to north korea, abe's expected to say the g-8 must send a strong message it will not tolerate the country's nuclear ambitions. officials say he will call for authorities in pyongyang to follow u.n. security council resolutions. a group of farmers in the u.s. state of idaho are suing a

biotech giant. they say genetically modified wheat developed by monsanto was found in the western state of oregon. no genetically-engineered wheat has been approved for u.s. farming. some imports were suspended after last month's discovery. japan is one of the largest importers of u.s. grain. the idaho farmers say the japanese restrictions are inflicting heavy losses on the u.s. wheat market. they say thousands of farmers have been affected. monsanto representatives told nhk the strain was only found on one farm and never entered the food chain. a consumer group and farmers in the states of washington and kansas have filed similar suits. the government agency in charge of helping victims of the nuclear disaster in fukushima plans to punish one of its senior officials for making inappropriate remarks on twitter. the reconstruction agency says in march the official tweeted that a group of citizens demanding ways to minimize

exposure you are to radiation were damn leftists. he posted the comments after being booed and jeered while attending a meeting with them. the senior official went on to say that the only thing he feels sympathy for is their lack of intelligence. he also made jokes about lawmakers. whenever he received advanced notice of the question to be asked in the diet, he tweeted that he'd been unexpectedly bombed again. people in fukushima were shocked. >> translator: he should have given some thought to how people in fukushima would feel. he's not taking things seriously. >> senior vice minister for reconstruction offered a public apology. >> translator: i find the remarks made by the senior reconstruction agency official inappropriate. >> the agency questioned the official on wednesday who admitted to posting the comments

on twitter. the tokyo police department has given awards to two of its officers for their deft handling of a crowd of raucous soccer fans on the streets of tokyo. the officers were on traffic duty near shibuya station on the night of june 4th when japan's national soccer team qualified for the world cup. >> translator: police officers are also very happy about japan qualifying for the world cup. please follow traffic rules. we don't want to yell at you on a joyous night like this. >> the male officer told the soccer fans that they represent the 12th member of the japanese team, which has a reputation for upholding rules and exhibiting good manners. he has become a sensation on the internet where he's known as dj police. a female officer was given an award for her actions. the two are members of the riot

squad public relations team. this is the first time for the police chief's award to be given to individual officers for crowd control. buddhist monks have gather in myanmar in an effort to bring an end to the religious violence that has continued in the country since last year. patchari raksawong in bangkok has more on that. >> following the meeting, the monks held a press conference to appeal for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between buddhists and muslims. a group made up of famous monks from around the country met near the largest city of yangon on thursday to discuss ways to end the fighting. >> translator: we held this conference to tell the world that our religion stands for

peace. we're going to solve this problem in a peaceful fashion. >> this march more than 40 people died in fighting in central myanmar. the government has not been successful in attempts to stop the spread of the conflict. buddhists account for 90% of the population of myanmar, and monks have great social influence in the country. the monks who held the press conference hope to reduce anti-muslim sentiment, however, some other groups take a strong stance against muslims. the european union has readmitted myanmar to a trade scheme designed to boost developing countries. the decision is likely a reward for the former military regime's progress towards democracy. the eu previously excluded myanmar from its generalized system of preferences in 1997 when the military regime was accused of violating international conventions on forced labor.

the eu says in a statement that the agreement is possible given the positive developments in myanmar. it emphasizes the importance of facilitating economic growth and development opportunities in the southeast asian country. the eu classifies myanmar a least developed country. under the scheme it will be granted duty-free and quota-free access to european markets for all products except weapons. governments currently account for the majority of myanmar's exports to europe. it seems that the eu aims to foster both the economy and the democratization in the country by encouraging more trade. the foreign ministers of 17 east asian and latin-american countries are gathering for a two-day meeting in bali, indonesia. the forum hopes to promote ties. the sixth foreign minister meeting of the forum for east

asia/latin america cooperation kicked off on thursday. the forum is an association of 36 countries in latin america and east asia including ten asean member nations. it was established in 1999 when the then-prime minister of singapore proposed measures to enhance relations. trade between the two regions has increased nearly seven-fold in the past decade. indonesian foreign minister who is co-hosting the forum hopeses to further improve mutual benefits. >> we have to acknowledge that there is still plenty room for enhancement. we wish not to see missed opportunities as the economies of east asia, economies of latin america grow and prosper. >> the ten asean member countries participating in the forum are working toward creating an economic community

in 2015. as their economies grow, asean hopes to develop ties with other emerging markets, including latin america. and that will wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. emerging economic powers still struggling with poverty. emboldened citizens still demanding democracy. the threat of violence, the push for peace, the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on south and southeast asia every weekday live from bangkok, only on nhk world "newsline." a japanese composer wants to help the people who died in the quake and tsunami two years ago. he's written a piano sonata in their memory. mamoru samuragochi lost his hearing 14 years aeg due to illness. he's often called a modern-day beethoven.

♪ intense passages express the anger and suffering of the victims. the music is rich in peaceful melodies that represent prayers for the dead. ♪ >> translator: i'd like many people to listen to this sonata to keep memories of the disaster from fading. >> translator: i'm so happy to have discovered this wonderful piano music. it really makes me want to keep going. ♪ >> samuragochi hopes the people who died on march 11 can find peace.

he believes performing his music will relieve their suffering and anger. some professional athletes live lives many people can only dream of. they work at something they love. they can be adored by their fans and they can earn millions of dollars, but some find their fortunes, like their fame, can disappear. nhk world reports. >> reporter: americans are crazy about their football. even current championship games draw well over 40,000 fans. the players gain media attention. players in the nfl draft the top players just by signing on the dotted line, quite a few become instant millionaires. despite all that income and increasing number of players end up broke after they retire from the sports. the u.s. media reports that 78%

of former nfl players declare bankruptcy within five years of their last game. former nfl star jamal lewis is among those who filed for bankruptcy. he retired after playing for the renowned baltimore ravens between 2000 and 2010. he set many records, and he was named the best player in the team's history. despite all that success, he lost his home and most of his assets. he agreed to an interview in his lawyer's home. >> just wheeling and dealing. that's pretty much it. i actually -- i do some sales work for another trading company. >> reporter: he grew up in a poor area of the south. as a high school football player, he practiced hard,

hoping it might lead to a better life. the university of tennessee gave him a football scholarship. later, he signed with an nfl team. over his career, he made more than $14 million. at the invitation of france, lewis dabbled in a lot of businesses. he invested $18 million in the construction of an amusement park and 10 million in some other companies. he also invested in financial products without knowing much about them. lewis ended up losing everything and can't explain how. >> pretty much i don't know, i don't know what happened. >> reporter: experts say many players go bankrupt because they

focus entirely on sports. they say the problem begins at university. >> it's poor educational policy. they don't develop any financial literacy. and so as a result of that, all of a sudden they have large amounts of money. >> reporter: last year experts held a seminar for athletes, both active and retired. the aim was to help them manage their assets. more than 200 showed up for further classes in april. >> it gives us a chance to polish up on a lot of thins that we didn't know. >> reporter: lewis gives lectures to students in his home town. he also takes education courses on how to manage personal finances. this summer he plans to launch a new business. >> i learned a lot from my mistakes and just got a fresh

start. this time i got the make it right. >> reporter: many have learned there is more to sports than athletic competition. they must manage their money, too. gradually, many are learning how. reporting for nhk world, new york. time now for a check on the weather with mai shoji. mai, good morning. it seems a storm that swept through midwestern areas of the united states is now affecting people in northeastern parts. what's the latest? >> catherine, we have been tracking a storm system that has spawned a large number of tornadoes in the north american continent. let me show you the damages. tick turs coming up from the upper midwest first. a massive storm has hit the midwestern u.s. halting traffic and forcing schools and businesses to close. in ohio, drenching rain has caused widespread flooding and strong winds, knocked over trees and power lines. meanwhile, a couple of tornadoes

have reportedly touched down in northern iowa. some buildings are damaged and 1400 homes are without electricity. no injuries or deaths have been reported, which is great news, but take a look at these damages. pulling you back, the storm system has now traveled toward the mid-atlantic states and the new england states. it is associated with a cold front that is sagging all the wayowards the southern areas, and these are the storm reports we have been seeing. there are a total of more than 450 reports of winds and hail. and the hail are in large sizes. we are still talking about this cold front sitting here and seven centimeters in diameter, damaging wind gusts and tornadic activity cannot be ruled out and this includes the greatest threat in maryland, virginia, as well as north carolina. so if you see any dark, black clouds coming your way, do take

shelter immediately. it will continue into the late evening hours here. to the back of that, we have some high pressure covering your area, but another system is approaching so it will be a very short break for that. the alberta you're seeing heavy patches of rain, but that will be descending down to the upper midwest. yet again another round of severe weather to come. we cannot rule out the fact that there are chances of tornadic activity once again. wichita's heating up to 37 degrees yet again. and in colorado, the wildfire has not been contained yet. and this is not going to be helping the situation. we've got heat, breezy conditions as well as no precipitation. humidity level is very low just yet. but clear skies here, which is great news for the u.s. open that's been held in pennsylvania. inside you'll be seeing some sunny spells and light rain. while saturday/sunday looking perfect for golfing. all right, here across eastern asia, we have a tropical

depression that will be formed in the evening hour hs over the south china sea. this is acting like a conveyor belt of moisture supplied to hainan and macau, especially. in and around hong kong already. it is likely to be adding up to about 100 millimeters of more rain in the similar areas. rain will be across japan as well, but the topic of today is the heat yet again. yesterday osaka prefecture in kink u ya region will have seen 38 degrees there yesterday, which is scorching hot, well above the midsummer temperatures. again, 35 in kyoto is expected and tokyo down to 24, but with rain that should be dissipating in the afternoon mourps here's our extended forecast. ♪

one more story to share with you before we go. engineers in the czech republic have invented a bicycle that can fly. the bike carrying a test dummy took off inside an exhibition hall in prague. the prototype has four propel r propellers powered by built-in batteries. the bike rose a few meters before changing direction and making a smooth landing. engineers say the bike can carry a person weighing 75 kilograms for five minutes. >> translator: it's limited by the capacity of the batteries, but battery capacity doubles about every ten years, so we think the flying bike will have many uses besides sports and tourism. >> officials from the three companies that developed the flying bike want to commercialize it as soon as possible. but first they have to confirm its safety.

they also need to find out if riders will require a license. and that all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.