welcome to u.s. in line. it's 9:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. tuesday marks one month since the fatal high speed collision in china. the chinese government is trying to win back public trust by investigating the cause of the accident and conducting safety inspections to prevent a recurrence. its incident occurred on july 23rd when a high speed train

crashed into another that had stopped on the tracks in the eastern city of wenzhou. 40 people were killed and more than 190 others were injured. investigators say they will publicize the cause of the crash by mid-september. they say the signal lights should have been red but it was green due to a flaw in the software. they also say the worker who was on duty at the time was not fully trained on the system. he failed to notice the error and did not take the appropriate measures. china's railway ministry says it has reached on agreement with the bereaved families of 37 people killed regarding compensation but some of the families say they were pressured into consenting to the agreement. the ministry was apparently hoping for a quick settlement. it offered favors of employment and education in addition to monetary compensation. in the meantime, the ministry is inspecting high speed railway tracks across the country as well as the train manufacturers

for proper safety but the latest accident revealed sloppy safety measures. the inappropriate response from authorities also triggered deep public distrust. north korean leader kim jong-il is expected to arrive in ulan ude east siberia where he's expected to meet with russian president dmitry medvedev. kim arrived in russia saturday on his first trip to the country in nine years. he visited the largest hydroelectric power plant in the russian far east before heading west by train. kim is expected to arrive in ulan ude as early as tuesday morning. ahead of kim's arrival, russian and north korean flags were raised at the train station. security at the station was stepped up with a metal detector installed at the entrance and all vehicles moved from the square in front. sources at russia's presidential office say the meeting between kim and medvedev is scheduled for wednesday. the two leaders are expected to exchange views on the resumption

of the six-party program as well as economic cooperation between the two countries. tension continues in libya rebels are pushing for complete control of the capital tripoli and the capture of leader moammar al gadhafi. many citizens had already gathered in the square in the city center celebrating their freedom from gadhafi's rule. the rebel-led kaunl chief mustafa al jalil spoke on monday and declared that gadhafi's era has ended. >> translator: we will capture gadhafi alive and give him a fair trial. >> jalil said his forces plan to quickly win control of tripoli and set up a provisional government there. however, gadhafi's troops are continuing to resist. troops have gathered at a military facility that also

serves as the leader's residence. gadhafi has not been seen since issuing a statement calling on supporters to fight back. his whereabouts are unknown. the rebel forces announced that they had detained gadhafi's son, the second son and heir apparent seif al islam is wanted by the international criminal court in the hague on charges of crimes against humanity. the court has asked libya's opposition national council to hand him over. united nations se secretary-general ban ki-moon has urged gadhafi to stop fighting immediately and allow a transition of fire. >> it is crucial now for the conflict to end with no further loss of life and retribution. i call on colonel gadhafi's forces to cease violence immediately and make way for a smooth transition. >> speaking to reporters on monday in new york, ban said the u.n. stands ready to extend any

assistance to the libyan people. the u.n. chief added that he will hold a meeting on libya later this week with major organizations including the africaunion, arab league and european union. now mow garr gadhafi has ruled libya for 42 years, he's the longest serving head of state in the arab world. >> reporter: gadhafi took power in 1969 at the age of 27 when he led a bloodless coup against the king. he was initially a fierce opponent of the west. and he's long been accused of repressing any opposition. in 1988, libya was blamed for the bombing of an airliner over the scottish town of lockerbie. the united nations imposed economic sanctions. in 2003, libya accepted responsibility for the lockerbie bombing and said it would abandonts plan to develop

weapons of mass destruction. libya's relations with the west improved in later years, thanks to its oil and gas reserves. gadhafi made his first speech at the u.n. general assembly in 2009 but he was still defiant. he criticized the u.n. and threw a copy of the u.n. charter to the floor. several days after the fall of egyptian president hosni mubarak in february, there were anti-government demonstrations in libya for first time since gadhafi took power. the protests gained momentum with support from senior military officers who had defected from the government. the government deployed foreign mercenaries to crack down on protesters.

in march, the u.n. security council approved a military intervention. multinational forces led by nato launched air raids against libyan government forces. meanwhile, anti-government protesters gained new momentum helped by international economic sanctions on libya. they drove gadhafi into a corner. >> we asked the former japanese ambassador to libya, hirosh hiroshi shigiri about his perspective on the conflict. he said conflict will continue in the days ahead. >> translator: under gadhafi libya did not have an official head of state or parliament but now it will be like a normal country. the national council formed by anti-government forces is now united under the goal of

toppling the gadhafi regime. once the main objective has been achieved there will be a certain amount of confusion because different people have different ideas. time to switch gears now and look at the latest in business news with ai uchida. >> good morning to you, catherine. let's start with a story on two major automakers. toyota a ford will jointly develop new hybrid technology for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. the two auto giants announced in a news conference on monday that they have reached a basic agreement to develop a gas electric system with higher fuel efficiency. toyota has made its hybrid systems available to ford since 2004 but until now the two firms have been working independently to develop this kind of technology. in the united states, standards on fuel efficiency are expected to be tightened. so toyota has decided to develop hybrid pickup trucks and suvs.

the two companies plan to introduce the new hybrid system in their own models independently before the year 2020. toyota and ford also agree to tie up in the development of new information technology for vehicles. and now let's turn to the markets. here in tokyo markets have just opened and we're seeing japanese stocks moving higher on this tuesday morning. the benchmark nikkei average is quoted at 8675, that is up just over half a percent. the index ended at a five-month closing low on monday as worries about the u.s. economy continue to dampen sentiment. overnight on wall street, the dow jones industrial average ended higher for the first time after two days of huge losses. the index closed at 10,854, that's up 0.3% from the previous session. the tech heavy nasdaq finished at 2345, up 0.2%.

large cap tech shares led the gains with hewlett-packard and ibm among the top gainers. investors locked in profits ahead of friday's speech by federal reserve chairman ben bernanke in jackson hole, wyoming. on the tokyo foreign exchange the dollar is trading in the upper 76 yen range. warnings from policymakers including prime minister naoto kan are keeping dealers wary of a bank of japan yen selling intervention. in commodities gold hit a record high in new york on monday, exceeding $1,900 per ounce. investors bought gold futures as concerns mounted over the economic outlook. as japan's ruling democratic party prepares to select a new president, the government is putting off decisions on a temporary tax hike for rebuilding disaster-hit areas. the government's tax commission was due to

options this month for securing at least $130 billion in revenue for reconstruction efforts, but with prime minister naoto kan poised to step down, the commission has decided to shelf the discussions until the dpj selects a new head who will most likely become the next prime minister. the rule party's presidential election will be held as early as monday next week. concerns are mounting the commission's move could delay the compilation of a third extra budget for rebuilding due to opposition within the dpj to raise taxes. supermarket sales in japan grew year on year for a second straight monday in july. the japan chain stores association says sales at more than 8,000 stores across the country totalled $14.6 billion in the month, that's up 2.1% in yen terms from a year earlier. the gain is mainly due to a 5.7% rise in the sales of household goods including furniture and home electric appliances.

sales of energy saving goods increased because of power shortages this summer. those of prepared food also grew as prepared food doesn't require cooking at home and saves electricity. the association says sales in early august weren't good due to bad weather. it's hoping for a rebound in the second half when sales for autumn clothes get under way. now it's time to get your recap of the latest market figures.

all right, that is all for now in business news. back to catherine. >> thanks very much. tokyo electric power company plans to shut down a reactor in niigata prefecture central japan for regular inspections. around three-quarters of japan's nuclear reactors are out of service. the. started taking steps to xwradulely halt power generation at the number 7 reactor at the kashiwazaki power reactor. the suspension is scheduled to last for about three months. with the shutdown, only two of the firm's 17 reactors are in service and 40 of japan's 54 reactors are inactive. to make up for the resulting power loss tepco is generating

thermal and hydropower and calling on consumers to continue saving energy. it's been more than five months since the tsunami and nuclear crisis in march. about 4,600 people are still reported missing. the town of okuma is where the fukushima daiichi power plant is located. because of the high radiation levels the area has been designated a no entry zone. one of the town's residents is among the missing, a 7-year-old girl named una kimura. despite the restrictions, una's father never gave up the search but recently he made a painful decision. >> reporter: desperate for news, one man searches for his family missing in the tsunami. this is norio kimura, 46. he's una's father. he was looking for ace father, wataro and his wife, miyuki, and

his second daughter, yuna. three people of his family of six have not been seen since the disaster. kimura was unable to return to his hometown of okuma since the accident so he put up photos at convenience stores and gas stations hoping for a lead. >> translator: i'll do everything i can to find them as quickly as possible. >> reporter: four months later, kimura lives with his mother at a hotel in fukushima. kimura sent his 10-year-old daughter to live with relatives in western japan to escape the radiation. two members of his family are now confirmed to have died in the disaster. the bodies of his father and wife were identified with a dna test.

but his younger daughter, yuna, is still missing. because of the radioactive leak at the power plant, he's unable to go to the area to search for her. >> translator: i want to go out looking for her but i'm not allowed to. i'm just so sorry that i can't do it. >> reporter: okuma was declared a no entry zone owing to the high levels of radiation and residents are not allowed to return. but on july 12th, kimura was granted permission to enter the area. he was one of the volunteers to organize items pulled from the rubble by the self-defense forces. kimura found his family photo album. there are over 200 pictures

inside. one from his wedding. and others taken when the children were born. milestones in the life of his family. unfortunately, the precious memories were contaminated by radiation. despite wiping many times, he couldn't get rid of all the radioactive dust and had to leave some of the photos behind. this is one he could bring back. it was taken on a family vacation when yuna was 6 years old. seeing his two daughters together, the photo has given kimura some peace. >> translator: everything was washed away. these mementos are reminders, put my heart at ease. >> reporter: finally, kimura had found something connecting him to his daughter. however, the photo is still

slightly radioactive and he started to worry about whether it was safe to keep it. kimura is thinking about leaving fukushima and starting a new life. but he doesn't want to take anything with him that might be contaminated. >> translator: it's said to be safe, but the radiation is still high. i don't want my daughter to touch them. i think i have no choice but to burn them. >> reporter: letting go of the photos, kimura wants to record everything he can about his daughter's life. he started writing down his conversations with yuna and all the things she did. >> translator: all of her friends are just 7 years old so over time they will start to forget her. i want her existence to be recorded in this world in some way.

>> reporter: at the end of july, a joint memorial service was held inside the no-entry zone. kimura has now decided to leave fukushima. he'll be leaving his missing daughter behind but in his eulogy, he makes a promise. >> translator: life is supposed to be the most precious thing for all of us. but some people risk that in order to obtain affluent lifestyles. they put others at risk for money. some don't even realize the risks they are taking. as a result, i was unable to search for you, my beloved family members. i promise to devote my life to protecting the loved ones you left behind. >> kimura plans to write a memorial book about his missing daughter, yuna. is due to be published next spring and proceeds will be used to support earthquake and tsunami victims.

"newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on japan, post march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and nfgts on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis, and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." former thai prime minister thaksin shinawatra is in japan on his first high-profile trip since his sister won elections last month. the visit has triggered criticism from opponents back home. thaksin arrived at tokyo's haneda airport on monday. he is the elder brother of thailand's new program, yingluck shinawatra. thaksin says his trip will

include a visit to areas affected by the march earthquake and tsunami. >> giving some speech and then visiting some sites. i am very happy that i come to japan again. >> after being ousted in a coup in 2006, thaksin went into self-imposed exile. in 2008, thailand's supreme court found him guilty of corruption and sentenced him in absentia to two years in prison. despite that conviction, the japanese government gave thaksin special permission to visit following a request from the new thai administration. in thailand, pro and anti-thaksin groups remain at odds. critics say the new government is supporting thaksin's unofficial diplomacy. thaksin is scheduled to speak to the media on tuesday when observers will be looking for any indication of how he intends to get involved with the new government in thailand. in india, pressure is mounting on the government as a hunger strike by anti-corruption activists enters its seventh day. the protest has resonated with millions of indians fed up with the country's apparently endemic

culture of bribery. 74-year-old anna hazare began his hunger strike last week. his associate says the activist has lost five kilograms since the protest started. it's meant to pressure the government to pass a tougher law to fight corruption. the nonviolent campaign galvanized at least 50,000 people to hold the biggest protest in decades in new delhi on sunday. more demonstrations across the country are reportedly being planned for later this week. india has been rocked by a string of high-profile corruption scandals this year. in febary, a former telecoms minister was arrested on suspicion of causing the national treasury to lose out on income worth $40 billion.

welcome back to your weather update. now, for east asia we're still keeping an eye on an active frontal boundary that ends up in central china. its been active the past few days. it continues to dump plenty of rainfall. it's been focusing its energy along southern japan. but now showers moving in towards south korea as well. it's going to be wet all along this area throughout today. of course, the tail end of that too still impacting central china. china will also see showers start to really spread along the southeast corner of the country. and pockets of heavy rain is going to be possible. some areas could see as much as 100 millimeters in the next 24 hours. in the southeast as well we're seeing lots of activity. tropical showers and thunderstorms widespread across the philippines as well as throughout the indochina peninsula. let's get a look at the temperatures. 31 the high in manila. expecting 32 in hong kong. 31 in chongqing. cooling off just a tad bit, and 28 degrees in shanghai. and 28 in tokyo.

definitely warmer than yesterday, but still not quite that strong heat. now for the americas, we're keeping an eye on the caribbean of course. here are the clouds from hurricane irene. it is now a hurricane just north of the dominican republic. category 1 right now but forecasts are calling for it to strengthen further in the next couple of days, becoming a major hurricane as it enters the northern bahamas, gets close to the florida peninsula as well. we're keeping a close eye on this system over the next few days. right now, though, of course the really heavy stormy weather is impacting hispaniola, looking set to move towards the turks and caicos, bahamas as well over the next couple of days. things are going to be really stormy here. this is the 72-hour forecast. you can see the core of heavy rain moving right through these islands. so you can expect quite a bit of rainfall here. and of course along with that, we will be talking about the strong winds as well as, of course, storm surges too. so flooding of low-lying areas, deadly mudslides, landslides are

also possibly. you do want to keep an eye on that. now, for north america we have this very active, well developed low heading out of eastern canada tonight. things should look a lot more calmer behind it. showers will linger on the gulf coast states and looking to spread along the mississippi valley. out west looking largely dry as showers across the pacific northwest are starting to taper off. here's a look at highs. still hot for the mid-section of the united states. looking at 37 in denver. hitting 39 in oklahoma city, and houston, too, will be steamy at 38. as for europe, activity starting to ease off across the northern tier here at least for the scandinavian peninsula. still looking to ease gradually. things get more active on the northern tier of continental europe. showers and thunderstorms are going to be possible here. then looks like another round of showers are going to be impacting ireland first off as we head through tuesday. still very dry here for the southern tier of continental

europe. and still very hot too. 32 in rome for tuesday. expecting 34 in vienna. and budapest could see temperatures soar to 35 degrees. it's going to be very warm. definitely hotter than average. now here is your three-day outlook.

that's all for this edition of "newsline."

i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.