recapture ground held by the free syrian army. the rebels have taken up positions in aleppo and in the central city of homs. the government has deployed dozens of tanks in and around aleppo. an opposition activist there says the rebels destroyed seven of them. the activist says the free syrian army is using guerrilla tactics in the fight. government forces have retaliated with repeated attacks on opposition positions. state television reports the government side has pushed the opposition side back close to the border with turkey. government pilots have dropped bombs on densely populated areas where opposition forces have fled. civilian casualties are expected to rise. united nations officials have withdrawn half of their observers from syria. about 140 monitor also remain on the ground. >> we have to hope that the whole process gains traction, that the vicious circle of

violence can cease. >> he cited syria's deteriorating security as the key factor in the decision. still he said those who remain will continue with their work. u.n. security council members voted last week to extend the mission by 30 days, but the monitors have been forced to suspend most of their patrols since mid-june after syria entered a state of civil war. turkey's government has met to discuss neighboring syria, following the disclosure that the war-torn country has chemical weapons. turkish prime minister chaired a meeting wednesday. details have been kept confidential but the meeting likely discussed border security and how to deal with it should it use the weapons. syrian foreign ministry spoekdsperson made the claim monday, said the weapons will

not be used against civilians but will be used if syria is attacked. prime minister erdogan discussed special battalion troops. turkey decided to close its border off with syria wednesday, following fighting with government troops and rebels around aleppo. western economic sanctions against iran are pushing up commodity prices in the country, sparking rare protests. the sanctions designed to pressure iran over its nuclear program have sent the cost of living rocketing. the price of chicken alone has doubled over the past four months. >> translator: chicken and other dairy food is getting more and more costly. it's getting difficult to eat. >> translator: the government keeps repeating that everything is okay but it doesn't understand how hard things are. >> local media say a rare protest erupted monday prompting

security to disperse the crowd. iran's parliament on wednesday summoned its economic ministers to discuss how to fight the inflation. the country's leadership appears to be on heightened alert. the authorities have also called on the local media to stop reporting the rising prices. more surprising news out of north korea. the country's state-run television has announced that recently installed leader kim jong-un is married. korean central television made the announcement after kim attended the opening of an amusement park in pyongyang on wednesday. it identified his companion as his wife. the broadcaster carried a photograph that showed a young woman with short hair standing next to kim. she was identified as ri sol ju.

ere has never been any official announcement that kim was married nor did the report mention when they exchanged vows. ri sol ju has previously been seen with kim at several state functions. south korean media have reported that the north's first lady was probably once a performing artist. yonhap news agency says a singer with the same name performed with the group in february of last year. the media has noted the singer's strong resemblance to kim's wife. north korea has urged the united states to officially end hostilities between the two sides. pyongyang wants its old enemy to convert the 1953 armistice that ended the korean war into a full peace accord. the north's foreign ministry issued a statement on wednesday two days ahead of the 59th anniversary of the truce. the north repeats its claim that possession of nuclear weapons is justified. it says the nuclear deterrent will stay as long as the u.s.,

the world's biggest nuclear arms state, remains hostile. but the statement then urges the u.s. to make what it calls a bold decision by replacing the korean armistice agreement with a peace deal. it says the deal should come without preconditions. in april, washington suspended food aid to the isolated state after pyongyang launched a long range missile. the aid was pledged in return for a moratorium on missile and nuclear programs. the country's young leader, kim jong-un, was named marshal of the republic this month. he is to meet representatives of war veterans from around the country in pyongyang for friday's anniversary. our beijing reporter speculates that kim may press the u.s. to sign a peace treaty at a public speech. people who work in many industries across many countries are getting battered by the slowdown in europe. ai uchida joins us now from the business desk. ai, what is the latest you're hearing about this ongoing crisis? >> indeed we're seeing it pop up everywhere, japanese exporters for example, they've had

significantly less business with their european counterparts, we just learned in the trade balance yesterday. now we are hearing specifically from people in the car industry. first let me tell you about u.s. automaker ford. their earnings were down by half in the second quarter this year, and that is due to poor business in europe. ford said on wednesday that its net profit for the april to june period stood at a little more than $1 billion. that's down 57% from a year earlier. the major factor behind this was a loss of $404 million in the european division due to the ongoing debt crisis. loss was also seen in the asian division which includes china, a huge decrease in profits was also posted in south america. ford sold about 1.4 million vehicles worldwide in the quarter and that's down 5% from a year earlier. in europe, the firm's unit sales fell 15% to 359,000.

the automaker expects a loss of more than $1 billion in the european market this year. now the auto industry in france is also facing tough times. the french government unveiled on wednesday an aid package for the ailing sector to help workers keep their jobs. the government's rescue measures include a plan to double subsidies for buyers of eco-friendly cars from current levels. the government will also set aside $400 million to provide loans that will help automakers in their research and development. the steps come after the peugeot-citroen group announced a restructuring plan earlier this month, it would mean a reduction of 6,500 jobs. the automaker said it is losing sales as the european debt worries dafrenned demand. it posted a loss of about $990 million in the first six months of this year.

france apparently regards the revitalization of the auto industry a key to improving the job market. the country's jobless rate now exceeds 10%. now it is time to get a check on the markets. the dow jones industrial average snapped the days of losses but the nasdaq traded lower, weighed down by reaction to apple's ergz. let's see how stocks are trading this thursday. we'll go to ramin mellegard who ist the tokyo stock exchange. so ramin, good morning. earnings results seems to be a guiding market sentiment. what kind of moves are you seeing this morning? >> yeah, very good morning to you, ai. earnings out of the u.s., of course, have been a guide. you mentioned apple there, that had a big effect on stocks yesterday, but really we're getting into full swing here in japan as well with earnings, and yesterday after the bell we had results from canon and nintendo. before i come to that, look at the opening levels for this thursday morning here in japan. the nikkei and the topix both trading higher, almost a quarter

for the nikkei at 8,386 and the topic up to 707, up 0.2%. canon cut its full-year profit because of the impact and eurozone debt issues. canon came out and said the yen's strength on the assumption of 80 yen to the dollar for the rest of this fiscal year which ends in march 2013 will reduce sales by 5%, and also operating profits by 10% for this full year. now, nintendo, the kyo no based console maker and owner of the seattle mariners had a little bit of good news. it said it trimmed its losses for the april to june period and also left its earnings forecasts unchanged. nintendo is also looking to introduce this new games console, successor to the wii and also it is estimating the dollar/yen at 80 so we're going

to keep track of both those stocks today and other stocks within those sectors. now, having a look at currency levels as well of course, that's been playing a major part in earnings and stock plays. 78.12-15 dollar/yen, euro/yen at 94.80-85, so we're seeing a little strength there. the euro gained a little bit of a touch after falling to the lower 94 yen levels earlier in the week on renewed concerns about greece and also a spike in the bond yields in spain and italy. ai? >> all right, ramin, and also a couple of earnings still out today, auto and brokerage sector. what can you tell us about that? >> big focus there, of course, nissan, you did mention ford earlier on, so auto sectors is going to be a big focus. nissan will be kicking off the japanese auto industry earnings reports later today, and it has made strong progress in overseas sales, although domestic sales fell just by 2.5%, down for the first time in nine months for

june, so that's going to be a focus, also nomura holdings, japan's biggest brokerage will be coming out with earnings reports after the bell today. two very big names in two different sectors. ai back to you. >> keeping you busy, ramin. thank you for the update, ramin mellegard from the tokyo stock exchange. we're seeing gains in tokyo markets. let's look at how other asian markets are performing. driving around london is

difficult at the best of times, but with the olympics about to start, getting from point a to b is going to take a lot longer. the city just opened its games lanes which are designed to help ferry athletes and officials to and from venues and events. lon denners fear they'll spend much of the olympics is it you can in traffic. nhk world's erica stephenson reports. >> reporter: the olympic rings seem to be everywhere in london. decorating flags, posters, and the landmark tower bridge. they're also a prominent sight on the city streets. this is an olympics games lane, and if you drive in it without permission, expect a hefty fine. the lanes snake through the city, stretching for 48 kilometers through eastern and central london, where many olympic venues are concentrated. vehicles with permits will use

them to take athletes and officials to and from their destinations. everyone else will have to contend with the congestion. taxi drivers aren't happy. >> this is the most difficult i've ever known in 45 years. i was alive when the last olympics was on in 1948. >> reporter: and john blackburn's driven during some of london's biggest events. >> but this is the worst it's ever been, from the diamond jubilee, charles and diana's wedding, the last wedding, this is the worst i've ever known. >> reporter: other cabbies say the games lanes are changing how they navigate the english capital's complicated network of streets. >> the way that we get around london is obviously the knowledge, and with the knowledge, it's knowing the lefts and rights and turns that we can make. but with the restrictions we've got at the moment, a lot of those left and right-hand turns are not available to us, so it becomes extremely confusing. >> reporter: the olympic

committee's mailed thousands of manuals to taxi drivers to help them deal with that confusion. they say that's little help. they argue these road restrictions will only end up costing them time and money. many londoners wouldn't disagree. the games lanes will be in operation until mid-august. erica stephenson, nhk world, london. last year's accident in fukushima exposed the vulnerability of japan's nuclear plants to natural disasters. operates are under pressure to reassess the safety of their facilities. one utility is checking what lies beneath a plant on the sea of japan coast, trying to figure out in a fault running below a reactor could trigger an earthquake.

the operator of the shika plant launched the investigation. the facility is located in ishikawa prefecture. the fault runs over a length of 300 meters, some 250 meters below reactor number 1. experts say it's very likely to be active. workers will dig a tunnel under the reactor to check for traces of seismic activity. analysts will compile a rert by january. all units at the shika plant are currently off line, but residents say they're concerned. >> translator: i don't want the reactors to be restarted. because we don't know what can happen. >> translator: they should have investigated the fault much earlier, before we even had this kind of debate. >> officials in japan are working out a final plan to dispose of the tons of debris generated by last year's tsunami. in the meantime, a tiny fraction of that waste is getting a second life. children who lived through the disaster are using it to create

craftwork. nhk world's michelle yamamoto shows us what they've made and how it's helped them. >> reporter: this is an exhibition of craftwork by children who survived last year's march disaster. they're unique. every item on display has a face. and it's very charming. all of these one-of-a-kind items are made of wreckage from the disaster that's been dug out piece by piece, washed away driftwood, kitchen tools, buckets, have all been given new life. look over there. another funny face. but in fact, it used to be a sandal. these are all the work of children who survived the disaster. they're full of humor, which makes visitors smile. >> translator: it's amazing that every work has a smiling face.

>> reporter: ishinomaki city, miyagi prefecture, is the home of the children who created the craftwork. local people are still tackling the debris. these children took part in the project to create the work that's now on display. on the first day of their summer holiday, the children got together for the project. although the large mounds of debris had been cleared, small items still remained. artist tomo inugai encourages the children to put their thoughts into what they create. he's known for his talent for turning driftwood and waste materials into art. >> translator: i just gave them a hint. then they started making their artwork on their own. they really enjoyed what they were doing and their work was surprisingly interesting.

>> reporter: 11-year-old suzune imai lost her grandmother in the tsunami, but she's held on in the hard-hit town, for the past year. suzune has come to the beach with her friends to find wreckages for their craftwork, but she stays in the car. now the work begins.

this piece was a surprise. all of suzune's work in past exhibitions had smiling faces, but recently, after taking a break for a few months, she's been creating faces that look angry or upset. suzune says that she tried to think only happy thoughts shortly after the disaster, but now, she wants to let all her feelings burst out as they come to her. >> translator: i think it's good to record your feelings when you're getting back on your feet, not right after a disaster. that's why i think it's important for them to put their current feelings into their work.

>> reporter: tomo, the project's organizer, plans to continue his efforts to encourage the children's creativity. he also wants to set up a studio where they can exhibit their work. it could become a place where these children bring their own children one day to explain what happened in march, 2011. nhk world, michelle yamamoto. as august approaches, people across japan gear up for different events commemorating atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. the residents of tsukuba of tokyo were treated to a concert featuring a very special instrument. ♪ the centerpiece of tuesday's concert in tsukuba was a piano that survived the bombing of

hiroshima in 1945. the instrument stood only 1.8 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion. the performance featured poems by the pia no he's owner, who was 17 years old when she experienced the bombing. can during the intermission, members of the audience approached the instrument to feel its keys and observe shards of glass embedded in the lacquer. >> translator: everything sounded so deeply. atomic bombings are an unforgivable act. >> i hope listening to the sound of this piano that survived the bomb, people were reminded of the precious value of peace. nasa warns that the surface of the huge ice sheet covering greenland is melting at an unprecedented rate.

the u.s. space agency said melting was shown across 40% of greenland and four days later they had shot up to 97%. about half of the ice sheet melts every summer, but scientists say that in 30 years of observation, they have never seen anything like these new images. ice near the summit of a 3,200 meter high mountain in the center of the island has also begun to melt for the first time in 120 years. nasa blames a stationary mass of warm air over greenland. scientists are continuing to monitor the phenomena for a possible rise in sea levels. tokyo residents are feeling the heat as they commute to work this morning. we go to sayaka mori now for a look at the weather forecast.

>> yes, catherine, we're expecting another sweltering day across the country. tokyo is expecting a high of over 33 degrees. tokyo and nagawa may be getting up to over 35 degrees, so a very hot day. with humidity, high humidity, we would feel much, much hotter than the actual numbers. now, the same situation can be found across eastern china across the korean peninsula. lots of heat warnings and advisories are posted. up towards the north, a low pressure system is bringing lots of heavy rain, gusting winds, and thunderstorms in northeastern china. if you remember over the weekend, record amounts of rain battered the beijing area, however, an additional 100 millimeters is likely over the next 24 hours, so additional flooding is highly likely. down towards the south, remnants of typhoon vicente is still bringing moisture to the northern areas of vietnam and laos. as for the philippines, showers are expected across the whole of the country and intensifying showers as we head into

tomorrow. all right, temperature wise, again, heat is building across eastern china, the korean peninsula and southern half of japan. 34 degrees expected in seoul and the same goes for shanghai. down towards the south, 32 degrees expected in manila on thursday. all right, heading into the americas, mostly dry out towards the west, but a storm is still ripping through the areas from ontario down towards the central plains. lots of thunderstorms, damaging winds, and even hail are occurring here. but we're going to see some changes as we head into friday. this frontal line will sag southward and bring in lots of heavy rain across the areas from the northeastern states, the lower great lakes region, and the southern plains. as the rain comes in, temperatures will drop dramatically on your friday. still a little bit on the hotter side in chicago. 32 degrees expected on your thursday, but it will get back to normal as we head into

friday. heat advisories and warnings are still in place to the south of the front. 37 in oklahoma city and getting up to 36 degrees on your thursday across washington, d.c. all right, finally, let's go over to europe. ongoing thundershowers and gusty winds are starting to ease across the northern balkan peninsula and southern poland, but unstable weather here will likely continue throughout the day. out towards the west, scattered showers are expected across the northern and western portions of the iberian peninsula. however, the rainfall will not be enough to put out the fires. up towards the north, some showers are expected in the central and northern locations of the british isles today. all right, temperatures are shaping up like this. many areas are running above average temperatures. 32 degrees in paris and 31 degrees expected in berlin. down towards the south, the hottest temperatures can be

found in the balkans, getting up to 38 in athens and 37 degrees in bucharest. here's your extended forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us. yowy

>> california's gold is produced in association with kcet los angeles and is seen statewide on california public television. this series is endorsed by-- well, here we are in san diego harbor. we are looking across the bay at the uss nimitz, the big old aircraft carrier, which is docked there over on coronado island. of course, there's a huge navy presence here in san diego. you never know what k