welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. voters in iran choose between hardline conservatives or a moderate candidate as they cast ballots in a presidential election. the united states says it will provide more support to opposition forces in syria now that analysts have concluded the assad regime used chemical weapons. toy lovers flock to an expo in tokyo where the latest

products in smartphone, tablet technology offer a new experience. >> people in iran are lining up at polling stations and filling out ballots to pick a successor to replace mahmoud ahmadinejad. a moderate candidate is still hoping for a breakthrough. we are watching things unfold in tehran. >> reporter: the line has been long. more than 50 million iranians are eligible to cast ballots at 60,000 locations across the country. police have tightened security. massive anti-government riots broke out in 2009 soon after results were announced. the government has lifted restriction on internet use to

limit demonstrations. i'm at the polling station in central tehran. many people are coming to vote with the hope of changing the harsh economic sanctions. the state of the economy has worsened during president ahmadinejad's eight years in power. international sanction over the nuclear program have played a big role. ahmadinejad's government also supports the regime of syrian president assad, putting it even further at odds with the west. six candidates are vying to replace him. three are hard liner conservatives. and the country's top nuclear leader.

reformists and moderates have rallied behind rohani. rohani was nuclear negotiator. seeking better ties with western countries. >> translator: the most important thing is that he can manage things. he can get good results. >> translator: i will vote for mr. rohani because people believe iran's economy will improve. >> election will announce the result on saturday. if no candidates get a majority in the first round, the top two will face each other in one week. nhk world, tehran. >> the outcome of the election could have a significant impact on regional and international security. i spoke earlier about what's at stake.

she's an expert from the international institute for strategic studies from london. the iranians protested the result of the 2009 election. this time around some candidates were barred from running including former president, moderate conservative. how would you describe this election in terms of legitimacy or fairness? >> it's been very interesting. initially everybody expected the elections to come and go without too much excitement and to be honest, without too much legitimacy. it seemed that the regime had learned their lesson from last time around and certainly once the council denied them from running, things seemed pretty much set. but now things have heated up and are getting a little bit more interesting. especially with rohani being the shining star of the reformists.

it's unsure where it will go. >> with that shining star in mind, which candidate is most likely to win and why? >> that's the big question. and in iranian politics, it is virtually impossible to determine what's going to happen because it's always a surprise. the last four elections have been surprises so there is no reason why this one shouldn't be. it was expected that a hardline conservative would win. now there has been a last minute push for rohani and for the reformist. >> what would the outcome mean for iran in the region? along with iran's neighbors like iraq and among other middle eastern neighbor countries. >> before we go on to that it's important to highlight that the iranian president doesn't have

that much power in iran's foreign policy. the main character that makes the decision is the supreme leader. in that respect, no matter who is elected, not much will change. somebody who is a hard liner will continue to advocate resistance towards the west. whereas somebody like rohani might be slightly more flexible in his views of the west. >> many iranians are concerned about the economy. do you see any changes there? >> well, it has been the big topic of these elections. i mean, you know, inflation is just rampant in iran at the moment. unemployment is high. and the economy is on shakey grounds. despite the fact that it's a very big economy.

there are significant challenges in putting things back on the right course. unfortunately at the moment none of the candidates have really made clear what their plans for the economy is. it's unclear what they will actually will be able to do. his administration has concluded u.s. president barack obama is changing his approach to the civil war in syrian. his administration has concluded troops loyal to bashar al assad has used chemical weapons. so mr. obama has decided to provide military support. >> the assad regimen has used chemical weapons and the president has made a decision. >> ben rhodes says chemical weapons are believed to have

killed 100 to 150 people. he says the aid to the opposition will include military support. but he hasn't provided details. intelligence officials looked into suspicions about chemical weapons use in syria in march. those in britain and france said assad soldiers used the weapons against the opposition. syrian rebels have been urging the u.s. to provide them with conventional weapons. president obama is expected to discuss the issue with other world leaders next week at the group of eight summit in northern ireland. britain and france support arming the syrian opposition. japan's leaders are hoping to backup early economic achievements with something more substantial. they've rubber stamped new fiscal policies and a growth plan. cabinet members got together friday. they cemented the third pillar

of abenomics. raise corporate capital spending to $730 billion a year, that was the level before the lehman brothers collapse in 2008. triple infrastructure exports by 2020. and they also agreed on fiscal policy to have japan's primary balance deficit by fiscal 2015. they aim to create a surplus by 2020 and steadily reduce debts after that. ministers also approved a plan to revise social security costs to aid japan's fiscal consolidation. abe said these fiscal and growth policies outline the path to recovery. he said the real economy is improving in terms of employment, production and consumption. >> translator: it is important to steadily implement these

policies without wavering. >> meanwhile, japan's top business leader has called on abe to make good on his promise to carry out the growth strategy and reduce the budget deficit. >> translator: we'd like the government to create an economic environment that will help japanese companies to win global competition. >> he also said he will continue to press the administration to cut corporate taxes and take other pro-business steps. a next generation passenger jet from european aircraft maker airbus has taken off on its first test flight. the passenger air bus a350 left from the airport in the southern french city on friday. much of the plane including the fuselage and main wing is made of lightweight carbon composites. it's powered by a new advanced

engine, which is designed for improved fuel efficiency. it also has more spacious cabins. airbus has already received more than 600 orders from carriers all over the world for the new jet. >> we're going to set new standards, not just for comfort, not just for performance, but for environmental friendliness. people living around airports won't even know we're taking off. >> airbus will be challenging boeing's lead in the mid-sized airliner market. it has lagged behind boeing since the u.s. firm put its 787 dreamliners into service in 2011. here are the latest market figures.

tourist was the third highest ranking official under the former military regime and currently speaker of the lower house. the politician appeared on a program by the radio station voice of america during a visit to washington. he says he is aware of a constitutional restriction that blocks the possibility of aung san suu kyi becoming president. he knows there's a panel now in place to investigate what parts of the constitution should be changed. the current institution prohibits any politician with a foreign national as a family member from becoming president. aung san suu kyi's two sons hold u.k. citizenship, so she would

not be able to take the top office even if she won the next election by a large margin. but a constitutional amendment would be far from easy. it would require support from at least 75% of parliamentary members. nepal's interim government announced on thursday that the national elections scheduled for this month is postponed until november. the election has been delayed several times. political discourse has continued in the himalayan country since the end of a decade-long civil war over six years ago. nepal abolished its monarchy in 2006 to become a republic. an assembly was elected in 2008 and tasked with creating a constitution for the himalayan nation. the assembly disagreed on issues such as how much power to grant the president was dissolved in may of last year before it drafted a constitution. the main political parties agreed to establish an interim government headed by supreme

court chief justice. he set this month as a schedule for election to decide nepal's constituent assembly which will also double as parliament. the registration of eligible voters has not been completed. some political parties object to the planned election. they say it should be held when a politician, not a supreme court chief justice, is serving as prime minister. they claim his role is a violation of the separation of the legislative and judicial branches and he should step down. toy lovers are streaming into an exhibition center in the japanese capital. they're trying out thousands of gadgets and devices at the annual international tokyo toy show. and they're seeing that more and more designers are integrated smartphones and tablets into their products to appeal to both children and adults.

nhk world takes a look around. >> reporter: from high-tech toy cars to mutant ninja turtles, the latest showcased offerings from japan's toy case industry for over 50 years. this year, 148 companies are taking part. from japan and around the world. and they've got around 35,000 toys on display. one trend that's generating a lot of attention this year is toys that use smartphone and tablet technology. this car can be controlled just by moving your finger on a tablet screen. and there are plenty of other items that take advantage of smartphones and their sophisticated applications. this may seem like an ordinary jigsaw puzzle, but once you place an ipad on it, you can see the special effects light up.

you can also input your own messages or special characters that are only visible using your tablet. even young children in japan are eager to get a smartphone of their own. but many parents have misgivings, especially due to safety concerns. toy companies have responded by bringing out smartphone look alike toys that have many special features but don't actually connect to the internet or other phones. even traditional toys are staying up-to-date by incorporating new technologies. this doll has been a big hit in japan since it first came out in 1967. this year she has been given a high-tech upgrade. her hair changes color when you use a brush that's been chilled. it also changes with the warmth of your hand. this is the smallest radio-controlled helicopter in

the world. it weighs 11 grams and is just 65 millimeters across. small enough to sit on the palm of your hand. its miniature motor was developed using some of the same technologies found in smartphones and other precision equipment. >> translator: our job is to come up with toys that exceed children's expectations and keep them guessing. >> reporter: as the number of children in japan drops, the toy industry is turning to technology to make sure it stays ahead of the game. the toy show will be open to the public on saturday and sunday. nhk world, tokyo. japanese automakers have long been known for their small and efficient cars. now, they've got even smaller and more efficient. officials in japan's transport ministry have given the green light for an ultracompact

electric vehicle to be used on public roads. this two-seater vehicle has a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour, it can run 100 kilometers on a single four-hour charge. municipal officials have been testing the car for nearly two years. they've lent it to tourists and asked doctors to use it on house calls. inspectors gave the brakes, horn and others a final inspection before handing over. >> translator: more ecofriendly than minicars. we hope they'll be widely used for short distance transportation. >> for the time being only local authorities can apply for the regular use of such vehicles. some professional athletes live lives many people can only dream of. they work at something they

love, they can be adorned by their fans and they can earn millions of dollars. but some find their fortunes like their fame can disappear. nhk world has the report. >> reporter: americans are crazy about their football. even college championship games draw well over 40,000 fans. the good players quickly gain media attention. teams in the national football league, or 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 sport. the u.s. media reports that 78% of former nfl players declare bankruptcy within five years of

their last game. this 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. lewis set many records. and he was named the best player in the team's history. despite all that success, he lost his home and also his assets. he agreed to an interview in his lawyer's home. >> just wheeling and dealing. that's pretty much it. i actually do some sales work for another trucking 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 $40 million. at the invitation, lewis doubled 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 know. i know what happened. >> 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. >> 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. >> gets a chance to polish up on things we didn't know. >> lewis gives lectures to students in his hometown. he also takes classes 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. so this time i got to make it right. >> many pro athletes learn

there's more to sports than athletics and competition. gradually many are learning how. nhk world. it's cleared up somewhat in tokyo, but there are severe storms in southeast asia. rachel ferguson from our weather team has more. rachel. hello there, yes. southeast asia has been hit hard in the past couple days. one is the southwest monsoon, which is what we see this time of year in the summer through the autumn months brings heavy rain across the region. we also have the addition of a tropical system here. a tropical depression enhancing that monsoonal flow. that means heavier rain and stronger winds as well. now, while the system doesn't look like it's going to be developing to a tropical storm, it will develop slightly over the weekend and move a little bit further towards the east towards gaun dong province. you'll see the rain there

particularly getting a bit heavier into the weekend. so this is our next 72 hours. you can see where the hot spots are. southern portions of the indochina peninsula as well as the southern coast of china and also the philippines have been dealing with ongoing heavy rain. there's another tropical system also just to the east of the philippines which is going to be enhancing rainfall on both sides, west and east of the arch play goe. waves up to about two to three meters over the weekend. japan will experience unstable weather. saturday could bring some severe storms as we have some air aloft, which is very unstable and mixing in with those temperatures which are above average across much of the country. sunday we'll be a bit drier as high pressure moves in. and that's the high pressure that's keeping things hot and dry across northern eastern portions of china as well as the korean peninsula. here are your temperatures then as we head on into saturday. 27 degrees on saturday. so a little bit warmer in tokyo, but still a little drizzly and

we've got storms here as well. many temperatures across japan will be reaching up to the 30-degree mark over the weekend. we go next into the americas. now, the storms that have been pushing through the east are nearly heading out to the atlantic, but not just yet. they still have a little bit of power left in them. there's been a tornado report in maryland in recent hours. and you can still see where that end of the front line is moving over florida. still some showers up in new england as well, but friday is going to be drier for you certainly and a little bit cooler. now, in the center of the continent we have some clash of air masses, this humidity in the warmth coming from the south and the cool northern airs that's really helping to create a lot of instability and a lot of thunderstorms. some heavy rain as well. that's already created at least one very dangerous situation. we'll show you the video coming out of iowa now. this is a little girl and two women who were trapped in a car

in rising river waters after their vehicle slid off the road into the river. thankfully of course they were rescued as you can see. quite a dramatic rescue. all three were pulled to safety. they lost the vehicle, but of course the main thing is that they escaped without injuries. so this looks like it is going to be a pretty potent storm moving up in towards the central plains and then the upper midwest as well. as for the northwest, well, you've been seeing some ongoing instability here as well. and heavy rain is going to be targeting you in canada, saskatchewan particularly could see a few days of heavy rain leading to flooding issues. and we have thunder and lightning up there as well could be dangerous stuff. they say ten people a year die of lightning strikes in canada. do take care if that's you. i'll leave you with your temperatures and also your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, thanks for joining us. have a great day wherever you

are.

♪ the kingdom of buton is tucked away at the eastern end of the himalayas. the small nation was virtually