welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. u.s. defense leaders say they will reduce their reliance on nuclear arms as president obama repeats his call for a world free of those weapons. the only two nuclear reactors online in japan are expected to pass new safety guidelines and keep churning out energy. women in congo hope they'll be better protected now that

thousands of u.n. peace keepers have a mandate to use force against rebel forces. u.s. president barack obama is changing the rules that govern how his country handles the most destructive weapons. the defense department has revised its guidelines on nuclear arms for the first time in 11 years. military commanders will reinforce conventional weaponry and reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons. president obama has said again and again his goal is to make the world free of nuclear weapons. he spoke in germany about his plans going forward. >> after a comprehensive review, i've determined we can ensure the security of america and our allies, and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third. >> defense department officials announced the new guidelines to maintain credible deterrence of nuclear weapons while reducing the reliance on them. they say the u.s. will consider the use of nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances to

defend its vital interest and those of its allies. they say civilians, or civilian facilities, would not be targeted and collateral damage would be kept to a minimum. the new strategy says u.s. leaders will aim to strengthen nonnuclear capabilities and reduce the role of nuclear weapons to deter attacks. president obama used his speech in berlin to urge russia leaders to build on the new start treaty that went into effect two years ago. both sides agreed to reduce nuclear warheads to 1,550. politicians in moscow say leaders should first follow through with the promises they made in the treaty. russia's deputy foreign minister says the u.s. has yet to reduce the warheads to the agreed number. sergei says u.s. needs to scale back missile defense in europe. russians view it as a threat to their military deterrent capabilities. putin's adviser yuri said obama

made the proposal during the g-8 summit. he says putin told obama it must include countries because they already possess many nuclear weapons. top law enforcement officials in the united states have revealed they're keeping an eye on their citizens in yet another way. they've been under fire for secretly collecting phone and internet records. now they're acknowledging they use drones for domestic surveillance. fbi director robert mueller made the disclosure at a hearing of the senate judiciary committee. he says the bureau makes minimal use of drones. >> it is very narrowly focused on particularized cased and particularized needs and particularized cases and that is the principle privacy limitations we have. >> u.s. authorities are considering whether to allow law

enforcement to use drones on american soil starting next year. members of congress and human rights activists say the move would pose a further threat to privacy. the obama administration has recently been addressing concerns over privacy following the disclosure of a secret national security agency surveillance program. a former nsa contract worker revealed the agency gathers phone and internet data at home and abroad as a way to combat terrorism. the only two operating reactors in japan are expected to pass new safety guidelines and stay online this summer. the new guidelines will take effect in july. they oblige utilities to strengthen measures against serious accidents like the one that occurred in fukushima two years ago. the nuclear regulation authority submitted a draft report on its safety assessment of the number three and number four reactors at the ohi plant. the report says the reactors

would not be seriously affected by major earthquake but adds the gee lodge cat strata under the site are not fully known. improve measures including the onsite emergency response facility. the report concludes that the two reactors are unlikely to immediately cause a serious safety problem. the nra plans to compile a final report after a meeting next monday with officials from konsai electric power company. they're scheduled to go offline in september for mandatory checks. some residents of the town are cautious about the safety of nuclear power. >> translator: i hope they'll operate safely because any problems will directly affect our lives. >> translator: the people of the town have no say in whether there should be reactors in ohi, but i have strong doubts about nuclear energy because many problems have occurred since the fukushima accidents. >> the ohi mayor is confident

that the reactors will be able to stay online this summer. japanese nuclear regulators have unveiled their new emergency response center. they'll use it as their headquarters in the event of a nuclear accident. 200 people can work in the office during an emergency. they can monitor operations and radiation levels in and around nuclear power plants across the country. a teleconference system links them with emergency command centers at nuclear plants, local governments and the prime minister's office. >> translator: previous emergency response center was small and crowded. we couldn't share information smoothly in the confusion after the fukushima nuclear accident. the new center is equipped with improved systems so we can better deal with possible accidents. >> government officials were criticized for being slow to grasp the situation after the accident at the fukushima daiichi plant and slow to inform the public. workers at the fukushima facility are getting a closer look at one of the more dangerous parts of the plant

without putting themselves at risk. they're using a remote controlled robot to examine a ceiling in the reactor 2 building. radiation levels inside remain high. the new robot is equipped with a seven-meter long arm, a camera and docimeter are at the tip of it. officials with plant operator tokyo electric power company say the highest radiation reading was 19 millisieverts per hour, the maximum exposure limit is 50 millisieverts per year. the tepco officials say the images the robot took did not reveal any problems with pipes. they note there's an opening near the ceiling leading to the damaged containment vessel. they say they'll use data provided by the robot when planning repairs. thousands of residents are still waiting to go home. vast tracts of land are still waiting to be restored.

and more than half fishing ports on the pacific coast must be rebuilt. people in northeastern japan still face challenges following the 2011 disaster, but step by step they're moving forward. see their stories every wednesday on "the road ahead" right here on "newsline." chinese leaders say they want an early resumption of the six-party talks on north korea's nuclear development. this comes after a senior north korean official said wednesday that leaders in pyongyang are ready to talk. north korea's first vice foreign minister met in beijing with his chinese counterpart. he said the north koreans are willing to have dialogue with all sides and attend any kind of meeting including six-party talks. chinese foreign ministry spokesperson ying urged officials to come to the negotiating table. >> translator: we heard all parties concerned will cease opportunity presented by changes

on the korean peninsula and start working out conditions for restarting the six-party talks. >> a spokesperson added that a chinese leader will soon meet kim in beijing. senior officials in japan, the u.s. and south korea say leaders in pyongyang should take the first steps towards deknew cle -- met with glen davies and security official, they agreed they need to see action from the leaders before the six-party talks can resume. >> translator: japan, the u.s. and south korea demand concrete actions from north korea if we are to realize a nuclear-free korean peninsula. >> the three diplomats say they'll arrange a meeting of their country's foreign ministers as soon as possible. we talked with an expert on north korea to find out what's

motivating the country's leaders. the professor specializes at international politics. he teaches in seoul. >> north korea's intention for the dialogues and proposals are quite delayed with their efforts from escaping such as worsening the relations with their ally, china. north korea is just showing off their efforts to china and there is no true intention to the get to the table for the denuclearization. another intention is to break the mood among united states, china and south korea. by contacting individual relations, north korea is trying to spread cooperative posture among these nations.

north korean proposals for dialogue with the united states is about peace treaty change from the armistice agreement and the nuclear free world which are not about denuclearization in north korea. these agendas will not be completely accepted by the united states. north korea these issues are not the favorite subjects that led to dialogue between the united states. so we are quite dubious about north korean's negotiation proposal with the united states. their intention is to face saving china's efforts the north korea nuclear issue. another intention is that north korea wants to be nuclear state approved by united states, but it will not be accepted by united states at all. the country north korean's first goal is to consolidate kim jong-un's political power. kim jong-un believes that

nuclear weapon program greatly contributed to stabilities. so north korea nuclear weapon problems are hardly abandoned. rather, north korea puts more efforts to be accepted as a nuclear nation by super powers such as china and the united states. resuming dialogue between south and north korea looks like unlikely in the near future. north korea government has little intention to negotiate with the south due to the unstable political situations rather north ckreorea put more perfects for friendly relations with china. people in the democratic republic of the congo have lived in the shadow of conflict for years. armed groups are fighting to

gain control of land and resources in the vast african nation, and they don't just use guns. rebels sexual assault tens of thousands of women every year. now congolese will offer better protection. nhk world's yu kobiyashi reports. >> reporter: a town along goma. the rebels have powerful weapons like anti-aircraft artillery and rocket launchers. and between these fighters is goma. later they negotiated with the government, but it is still controlled surrounding areas. this is one of the villages which were attacked by rebels.

this 28-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by men believed to be rebels. after the attack, her husband divorced her. now she hides with her relatives. >> translator: when i returned home after being attacked, my husband kicked me out of the house. he told me that he couldn't have me as a wife any longer because i might be infected with a disease. >> reporter: it is estimated that 400,000 women are sexually assaulted in congo a year. this hospital treats and supports the victims. an official points out that the rebels attack the women as part of a strategy to break community

bonds and take control. >> translator: it is particularly bad when women are attacked in front of their children, sexually assaulting the women leads to the destruction of family and community bonds. >> reporter: in response to urgent calls for help, the u.n. has started to take action. in march, the u.n. security council decided unanimously to establis its first-ever offensive combat force. this breaks with the principle of neutral peacekeepers. this month the offensive peacekeepers become duties. >> force intervention brigade

will actually be going after the armed groups to persuade them to surrender. we do think we will be able to have a positive influence on the situation. >> reporter: as the war continues, so does the suffering of thousands of congolese women. they want to see if the peacekeepers with their new mandate will be able to protect these women. yu kobaashi, congo. fed chairman ben bernanke said the u.s. central bank may start to wind down its asset-buying program towards the end of this year. that's if the economic recovery continues. the fed had upgraded its outlook for the american economy, and this prompted investors to buy the dollar. the u.s. currency is stronger against major currencies.

dollar/yen right now at 97.94-98. euro/dollar right now is at 1.3207-3208. let's turn our attention to the stock market. now the possibility of the fed tapering its stimulus program caused global investors to be more risk averse. major european markets taking a london's ftse down by 2.3%. frankfurt down by 2.3% and cac403.3%. market players are also cautious as they received a mixed bag of economic data. the latest business activity report for the eurozone shows a contraction, but it's also the smallest downturn since march 2012. meanwhile, germany's producer price index fell more in may than in april.

investors sold shares after receiving economic data showing the largest contraction in china's manufacturing activity in nine months. hong kong is one of the biggest losers. hang sang dropped 2.88%. japan were capped. the nikkei average wu down by 1.74%. on the decline in the asian markets, an expert in singapore says market players have become worried about less money flowing in. that's because early tapering of the fed's easing monetary policy is now within sight. >> within the economy right now transitting to a more normal environment, whereby there will be monetary stimulus by the central banks, we'll supplement less and real market forces will start maxing more. obviously, this will not be a smooth transition. as you can see, the market has been quite volatile, given talks of some tapering by the federal reserve government. in the next couple of months,

the market is likely to remain volatile. microsoft says it will offer rewards to people who have come up with ways to protect users of its products from hackers. the u.s. technology giant says the reward program will be introduced next wednesday. that's when the firm releases its latest operating system, windows 8.1. the program offers $100,000 to people who identify vulnerabilities in the software. an extra $50,000 will be awarded when they also propose ways to prevent hackers from taking advantage of these weaknesses. anyone aged 14 years or older can apply except those living in countries subject to u.s. sanctions such as iran and north korea. microsoft says it enlisted outside help in order to improve security of its software offerings. the company regards computer security as one of the top management issues. it systems came under attack in february. it's asking hackers and computer experts alike to join the reward

program. haze in singapore has risen to the worst level on record triggered by slash and burn farming in neighboring indonesia. the singapore prime minister is calling on the public to remain indoors as much as possible. nhk world's mark ho reports. >> reporter: singapore is proud of its pristine streets and clear air, but today a thick haze is blocking the view of its skyscrapers. air quality in the city state deteriorated to levels officially classified as hazardous on wednesday and thursday. the density of pollutants in the air hit the highest reading ever based on the five-level index set by the government of singapore. smoke comes from slash and burn farming on the indonesian island of sumatra. the method also triggers accidental forest fires. seasonal winds blow the smoke across the strait of malaka.

prime minister li held a press conference on thursday to address the situation. >> we can't tell how this problem is going to develop. it can easily last for several weeks and quite possibly it could last longer until the dry season ends in sumatra. >> reporter: the pollution is affecting the daily lives of singaporeans. people wear respiratory masks to walk the streets. schools are postponing camps and outdoor activities and suspended outdoor physical fitness classes. haze surrounds the malayan statue, the symbol of singapore. tourists look dismayed by the pollution. >> i mean, we are here to see the view. but we are not able to see properly. >> reporter: some restaurants have closed their doors for the time being. people working in the tourism industry are calling on

indonesia to take responsibility. >> it is a sovereign state. it is a sovereign nation. but i personally feel there is a thing which is called a moral obligation to another human being. >> reporter: singapore is a major trading and financial hub in southeast asia. as the haze threatens economic activities, the government is urging indonesia to take urgent steps to improve the situation. mark ho, nhk world, singapore. meteorologist robert speta now joins us with the weather forecast. robert. >> well, let's first start off by talking about the hazy air mass across the malaysia peninsula and singapore. really the fires that are causing that haze to push across the strait here. and you can see it very visible actually on satellite imagery. really this is quite indicative of when you see fires. that pinpoint on the satellite and then downwind you see really the clouds sort of dispurbursin

out. the cloud is smoke and haze pushing off. typically this time of year you see the southwesterly winds pushing that aloft. really into the near term it looks like those rains will not guilty -- not change. throughout the next several weeks that really is going to be the same case. now, it's the same flow too also causing that heavy rainfall farther off towards north. just drier down here but into the ind china peninsula heavy showers pushing on shore and the southwest monsoon continuing to impact you here in the philippines actually being enhanced kind of flip from down south. this is really getting much more moisture due to a newer developing tropical system there in the south china sea. it's going to start to push out towards the northwest in the hong kong area. just down towards the south about four-meter high waves and also heavy rains and the mill e manila area especially along the

coastal areas in western lizon could be seeing risk of flooding and landslides. let's look closer towards japan just off the west coast actually tropical storm still out here. really don't expect it to maintain strong intensity at all. up to 72 per hour kilometer winds here. main reason, there's this stationary boundary that's been continuing to dominate much of western japan. this is going to continue to get wrapped up in it. it's still going to provide moisture to cause the risk of flooding. we've already seen heavy rain reports out here, actually 300 millimeters recorded here in the past 24 hours. now, as the storm tracks off towards the east, remember it has that counterclockwise rotation, so you're going to get the strong southwesterly winds there in southern kyushu. still risk of further flooding and landslides especially along the pacific coast of japan. if you're farther off to the

east, it looks like light to moderate showers. nothing flooding out here. definitely have an umbrella on hand. but by friday evening most of this precipitation is going to slowly start to taper off going into the weekend. let's take a look at temperatures. actually cooler there in tokyo due to all that cloud cover. 23 for the high. 31 in seoul, partly cloudy skies here. where you are seeing the hot spot is chongqing still hovering near the 40-mark. it's not until next week when you start to see things cool off. now in the americas, let's talk abts the rough weather. it's not so much in the states this time. it's there into central canada, alberta, saskatchewan and montana, up to baseball size hail reported in alberta. same low pressure area bringing the risk of flooding and about 90 to 110 kilometer per hour winds could be coming out some storms erupting as it pushes towards the east. farther to the south and southwest, actually very, very dry conditions here on the flip side of that. that has brought the risk of fire weather. if you're on the eastern

seaboard, there is decent weather in your forecast. take a look at this. atlanta 31 for your high, partly cloudy skies, sunny skies in washington, d.c. and extending up to new york. that's a look at your world weather. here's 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. good-bye and good luck.

♪ "design talks." >> today's topic is sound design. the tinkling of a wind chime. a refreshing sound that allows us to hear the wind. in a japanese garden, quiet is expressed with this unique sound.