hello there. welcome to "newsline." it's friday, july 19th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. morning show hosts and monarchists are expecting the royal baby. duchess of cambridge is expected to give birth to her >> the whole world wants to know

what's going on because this is a special occasion, isn't it? very excited. >> the first baby of the duke and duchess of cambridge could be born any day now. buckingham palace did not reveal the due date. a spokesperson said only that kate middleton is due to deliver in mid-july. the indian government will deploy a new army corps specialized in fighting along the himalayan mountainous areas bordering china. the potential for conflict of india and china was highlighted in april. india accused chinese troops of crossing the border leading to a military standoff. the military unit will contain about 50,000 troops. the unit will include an artillery brigade equipped for fighting in rough areas. the government plans to establish the corps division over the next seven years. regions will include the northeastern and eastern states as well as kashmir. it also plans to have a base for transport aircraft to supply

materials and personnel. a russian court has sentenced an opposition leader to five years in prison for embezzlement. critics say the sentence for alexei navalny was politically motivated. navle ne worked in 2009 with the province of kirov. prosecutor assist he organized a scheme to steel money from a timber firm but some have questioned their motives. he writes blogs critical of vladimir putin and the ruling party. he organized a rally last year to protest irregularities. on wednesday he registered as a candidate for the mayor of moscow. the election is scheduled for september. they criticized the sentence and said it was harv and proves that putin rule business silencing his critic. the european union says the

conviction raises serious questions about the rule of law in russia. japanese government leaders are concerned about what reports say are chinese plans to develop new gas fields in the east china sea. they're worried china's state-run oil companies could siphon off gas from the sea bed under waters claimed by japan. the top government spokesperson in tokyo says any such plans are unacceptable. >> translator: we cannot accept any union lateral action by china to develop gas fields in waters where territories claimed by the two countries overlap. >> reuters news agency says china's state-run oil companies plan to develop seven new gas fields in the east china sea. two sites are near the line japanese leaders say bisects the east china sea halfway between china and japan. chinese leaders claim their economic exclusive zone extends

farther to the tip of their country's continental shelf. japan's chief cabinet secretary says japanese and chinese officials have yet to agree where boundaries lie, but he says they've agreed to work together to make the east china sea a region of peace, cooperation and friendship. he says he'll keep on presenting japan's position to the chinese. the japanese government plans to appoint a career japan coast guard officer to head the agency. the guard is taking on an increasingly challenging role in patrolling japan's territory waters. this is the first time a career officer of the agency will assume the position. yuji sato is 59 years old. sato joined the coast guard in 1977 after graduating from the japan coast guard acad empep he's been serving as vice commandant for operations since may this year. government sources say prime minister shinzo abe pushed for sato's appointment to boost morale within the coast guardp.

the guard's previous commandants have been transport ministers which oversees the agency. a people tested by politics and history. innovators whose technology spread around the world. artists who capture the imagination of audiences everywhere. these are the faces of south korea. nhk world updates you on what's happening across the peninsula, wednesday and thursday, here on "newsline." u.s. military commanders are realigning their forces in south korea to better deal with any threats from the north. they've broken ground for a new headquarters in a suburb of the capital seoul. commanders plan to have the building finished in two years. then they'll move troops and equipment there from an old base in central seoul. they say 850 soldiers will work in the new location. a senior officer said they'll be ready for any provocation from north korea and any other

contingency on the peninsula. >> our action today show our continued commitment to ensure a credible deterrence against aggression and to maintain stability and prosperity for the korean people. >> u.s. and south korean forces share command in the event of war. the americans are due to give the south koreans sole command in december 2015. but the south koreans asked them to postpone that plan earlier this month because of tension on the korean peninsula. south korea's military unit of conscripted celebrity soldiers will be abolished amid scandals and public criticism. the singers and actors are known as entertainment soldiers. they serve as publicity and entertainment for the armed forces. defense ministry officials say the system has failed to meet its objective. they say it has eroded people's trust and ruined the military's image. in south korea men are required to serve about two years in the military.

in january, k-pop singer rain was disciplined for going on a date with an actress while on official duty. last month sev celebrity soldiers were caught on video drinking and entering a massage parlor after performing in a concert. officials say the current 15 entertainment soldiers will be assigned to other units on august 1st. they say publicity officers will be chosen from among ordinary soldiers. russian dancers have thrilled audiences the world over with their performances of classical ballet. these days, though, those dancers are in turmoil. some have got caught up in scandals, and now the government is set to intervene.

the world renowned bolshoi theater. for 230 years, it has been the center of russia's ballet. but recently, it has become the focus of scandals and controversy. >> translator: the attack on the bolshoi's artistic director was the result of disputes within the theater. >> translator: in january of this year the bolshoi's theater director was seriously injured when acid was thrown in his face. one of those arrested is a bolshoi dancer. disputes between dancers and directors are not unusual in russia. since the soviet era, performers have enjoyed permanent contracts and they wield considerable influence in their troupes. in some cases young artistic directors have been pressured into resigning.

following the acid attack at the bolshoi theater, the russian government drew up a new policy requiring dancers to undergo regular tests. this will strengthen the government's control over theaters since it will allow dancers to be fired if the test results indicate they lack professional competence. the proposed law is now being considered by russia's parliament. it calls for the competency tests to be carried out every five years. individuals who fail the test or refuse to take part may be fired by the theater. but it does not specify the actual methods of testing or the evaluation standards. >> translator: the ballet company needs to be systematically reformed. now is the time. >> reporter: the government's plans have caused consternation among the performers. the theater in st. petersburg is one of the most famous in all of

russia. for the past two years, this man has been the resident artistic director of ballet. born in spain, he is the first foreigner to hold that position at a russian theater. >> stop, stop, stop. >> reporter: as artistic director, he has total control over productions. he has worked to raise the theater's artistic level by casting based on artistic level rather than experience. this has helped restore the theater to its former popularity. these days performances are always over 90% full. then suddenly the planned competency tests were announced. the dancers are now worried

whether or not they'll keep their jobs. >> translator: i'm really worried about what kind of test and criteria are going to be used. >> reporter: he is also opposed to all government interference in the arts. >> the director should know already who is good and who is not good. the politics too much on an artistic identity, artistic system is no good. >> reporter: the government says the new law will not interfere with content, but many people will be watching its impact on performing arts in russia. it's crunch time for

politicians in japan. they have two days left to sell their platforms before a national election. voters will decide on sunday who should represent them in the upper house of their diet. as they fill out their ballots, they'll also be considering whether to give prime minister shinzo abe and his liberal democratic party more power. the ldp controls the lower house, but the opposition party holds the majority of seats in the upper chamber. that's created a divided diet where passing legislation can be tricky. in the lead-up to when japan decides, we've been look at some of the key campaign issues and hearing from voters about what matters to them. candidates from these nine parties are running in the electi election. the groups qualified for political party status. others that failed to meet the standards are still fielding candidates. in all 433 candidates including independents are running in this election. many voters in japan will be thinking about their pocketbooks when they cast ballots in the

upper house election. the economy has remained stagnant for the past two decades and the country's key stock index the nikkei has stayed almost flat since the global financial crisis five years ago. but things changed when prime minister shinzo abe took over. he vowed his policies, dubbed abe-nomics, would drag the nation out of deflation once and nor all. nhk world explains. >> reporter: prime minister abe rushed to implement what he called the thee arrows of his economic policy as soon as he took office. >> translator: japan's biggest challenge is reviving the economy. >> reporter: abe aimed his first arrow at fiscal spending. his administration allocated $100 billion meaning to fund public works projects. abe called on business leaders to raise wanls so workers could

enjoy the trickle-down effect of the stimulus. the second arrow focused on monetary easing. abe named har u heeko kuroda the new governor of the bank of japan. kuroda quickly fulfilled the prime minister's expectations and implemented easing measures. >> translator: we'll do everything necessary. >> reporter: central bankers announced a plan to double the funds pumped into the economy. they say they can achieve a 2% inflation rate within two years. investors responded immediately. the dollar topped the 100 yen mark for the first time in four years. the key nikkei index exceeded 15,000 points. the first in 5 1/2 years. abe designed his first two

arrows for immediate effect. his third arrow, a growth strategy, is aimed at getting the economy on a full-fledged recovery track. >> translator: the focal point of my growth strategy is using the full potential of the private sector. >> reporter: the strategy encompasses 250 programs. some of the goals include raising corporate capital investment by 10%. acquiring $50 billion worth of share in the overseas health care market, and boosting agricultural exports to $10 billion. prime minister abe threw his weight behind the strategy, traveling abroad to support japanese exports from sushy to inflorida structure. but many said the plan lacked major deregulation and reforms. >> the prime minister is trying to win support heading into election day by highlighting what his administration has achieved with abenomics.

jay tanaka brings us the voters' view. >> reporter: shoppers in japan seem to have more of a spring in their step these days. consumer sentiment is improving. they're encouraging people to spend more. store managers say sales of brand-name items and high-end goods have picked up over the past six months. >> translator: i received a big bonus, so i felt like spending. >> translator: we're hoping this won't be just a temporary boom. we hope customers will buy more. >> reporter: retail isn't the only sector reaping the benefits of abenomics. this man runs a company that makes outdoor power equipment. he says the weaker yen has caused his business to boom. >> translator: we expect our operating profits to rise this

year because of foreign exchange rates. >> reporter: customers all over the world buy the company's chain saws and other products. managers say they're selling goods in 92 countries. the firm had been struggling because of the strong yen. every one yen increase against the dollar added up to over a million dollars in losses. >> translator: the one-yen surge blows off what we had accumulated. abe has taken bold steps. that's something previous prime ministers couldn't do. >> reporter: but the weaker yen means the cost of imports such as fuel and raw materials are surging. trucking firms have been feeling the pinch. >> translator: we have to spend nearly half of the money we make on fuel. we're barely hanging on.

>> reporter: the more trucks she has on the road, the higher her operating costs. and she can't pass those increases on to her customers because competition in her industry is too fierce. >> translator: 99% of the trucking industry consists of small and medium-sized businesses. if we fail, it will have a major impact on the nation's economy. >> reporter: some people are concerned abenomics will have a major impact on their lives. this woman and her husband live on a pension of about $1500 a month. she says with prime minister abe and the boj trying to end deflation she's already noticed prices are gradually rising. her husband's medical bills are adding up too. their expenses are starting to eat into their savings.

>> translator: i can't sleep when i start thinking whether i have enough money to live on. >> reporter: it will be hard to find someone in japan who doesn't want the economy to make a successful turnaround. they're just divided on whether abenomics will do the trick. chie tanaka, nhk world. and our coverage ahead of the upper house election will continue later in the day. we'll look at what prime minister abe has accomplished since he took office in december and highlight his plans for the future. nhk world's special coverage of japan's upper house election is just a click or tap away. we're adding a host of features to our web and mobile sites. you'll find backgrounders and analysis, plus in depth reports on the issues that could define the campaign, from the economy to the constitutional debate.

www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/election. get online and get informed. the discovery of missile parts on a north korean ship is raising questions about the north's relations with cuba. a north korean military delegation went to cuba last month. some expert assist the two countries may have arranged the weapons shipment during the visit. on july 11th, the pain mainian authorities stopped the freighter and found the missile components on board. north korean foreign minister officials say the seized cargo was only aging weapons being sent for repairs. they say these would have been returned to cuba under a legitimate contract. north korea has urged panama to release the freighter and crew without delay, but some experts think north korean military officials arranged the weapons shipment during their recent visit to cuba. the delegation headed by kim kyok sik was in cuba until july

1st. they have ties with raul castro among other delegates. the state-run news agency said that the north focus on other ways to develop military and civilian relation. hitachi has received orders from the british government for over 800 train kaerjs. officials from hitachi say they've won a deal to provide an additional 170 carriages for a high-speed train project in the uk. the company will lease and maintain the cars for 27 years. the budget of the operation is said to reach about 1.8 billion trl. hitachi will build 866 cars in total. it plans to construct a new factory in the uk and build most of the cars at the plant. let's take a look at the latest market figures now.

time now for a check on the weather with meteorologist sayaka mori. good morning. you've been keeping an eye on a storm that made landfall in southeast china. what's the latest there? >> yes, catherine, we've, watching a tropical storm cimaron. it made land fall last night as a tropical storm and it's still lingering near the southeast coast of china as a tropical depression. it has brought quite heavy rain. unfortunately, more heavy rain is on the way.

we're expecting 100 millimeters but locally 200 millimeter, enough to trigger more flooding and landslides. it looks like residents in southern china will have to deal with more heavy rain because we have another tropical depression right here and this one could become a tropical storm within the next few hours or so and will likely it will the island of hainan tomorrow. we'll keep you posted on the storm's progress. more heavy rain can be found from southwestern china up to northeastern china as well as north korea. the heaviest rain will be found across the north. frequent lightning, thunderstorms and large hail are a possibility as well. and as for japan, yesterday quite heavy rain battered the northern parts. yamagata prefecture saw more than -- or actually about 250 millimeters of rain in a span of 24 hours. the heaviest since recordkeeping began. the conditions are looking up. sunny skies have returned to much of the country. heat advisories are in place for

western japan and kumagaya and going up to 30 degrees for a high. and take a look at this video. excessive heat struck kumagaya again yesterday with the mercury hitting 33.9 degrees celsius. they received a cool gift from nagano prefecture, japan's heaviest snow area. some 600 kilograms of snow from the ski slopes were preserved since winter. residents enjoyed the brief respite from the sweltering heat. children couldn't get enough of the treat. residents in north american continent want that present because heat blankets much of the continent. we're expecting hot conditions across most of the u.s. as well as parts of canada. rain -- excuse me hot conditions will continue across the west into the weekend, but some changes are coming into the east. and this front is the key. this is the boundary of cool air

and hot air producing quite severe weather near the border. there is the possibility of thunderstorms, gusty winds and even isolated tornadoes. this is expected to sag towards the south. as it does so, temperatures will cool down quite significantly. chicago at 36 degrees on friday, quite hot, but cooling down to 28 or 27. so some changes are on the way across the east. across europe then heat is building here. but we want to talk about thunderstorms and gusty winds across the front and italy as well as the alpine region. y we have reports of large hail and winds in italy and damaging lightning in france. and windy conditions in the baltic states. and temperatures are quite soaring going up to 37 in madrid on friday, 36 degrees on sunday. paris over 30 degrees and mid-30s on your monday. so dangerous heat is on the way.

here's the extended forecast. ♪

and that is all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us. we'll be back at the top of the hour.