hello there. welcome to "newsline." it's wednesday, june 5th, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. french leaders say they have proof that leaders in syria used a deadly nerve agent. french scientists tested samples from syria. he said results point to serin gas. >> there is no doubt of the use of the regime and its accomplices. >> he said a line has been crossed and french leaders will talk with their allies what to

do next. all options are on the table including military action. he said they should not block an international peace conference trying to bring together representatives of the a sesean government and opposition forces and likely chemical weapons were used in syria. they cited four attacks between march and april. they did not specify whether it side used them. chemical weapons are banned under international law. vladimir putin met to hash out opposing views. russian leaders are going ahead with a plan to export the s 300 surface to air missile system to syria. they want to support the forces.

allowing it to expire, it would allow them to provide help. >> translator: it probably is the best one, a serious weapon, of course. we do not want to tip the balance in the region. the contract was signed a few years ago. it has not yet been fulfilled. >> member states have committed publicly not to supply any weapons at all for the time being. the aim is precisely to give negotiations a real chance to move forward. >> he said eu leaders will continue to work toward a democratic and united syria. protesters in turkey show little sign of letting up in their fight. they've been on the streets for five days demonstrating mistrust

of they took to the streets and accus accuseder d erdogan of imposing islamic values on them. one person was killed and many wounded. >> he apologized for excessive violence and said they failed to explain a redevelopment plan for istanbul. protesters came out to protest against that plan. it sparked protests across the country. >> translator: apology is not enough. they've done awful things. co comprehensive reform is needed? we will not give up. our protests won't end that

easily. >> the deputy prime minister said government leaders are willing to meet with protest leaders. that's done little to calm what's become a national out-pouring of anger. tens of thousands of people have crowded into a park in hong kong. their faces lit up by cancel. they mark the 24th anniversary of the crackdown in beijing's ta tanny tanny -- tiananmen square. what happened was a political disturbance by some students. the group's members want them to change that view and they're calling on the chinese government to release pro democracy activists. >> translator: we don't know anything about the incident. the government should tell the people exactly what happened without distortion. >> chinese authorities refused to allow memorial ceremonies on

the mainland and bar some people from traveling to hong kong to attend the group there. troops stormed tiananmen square in 1989 after weeks of student led demonstrations. chinese officials say 319 people were killed. but the families of the victims dispute that figure. they're demanding a full investigation. environmental lists hail solar panels as a bright spot in clean energy. but they aren't feeling too sunny how chinese manufacturers are selling them in europe. they say chinese are selling their goods below costs and decided to impose a tariff. reporting from brussels. >> the european union has decided to impose a tariff on chinese made solar panels.

it is to protect industries in the u. they will issue a final report in december. >> the dumpage of these panels is severely harming the european panel industry. >> reporter: the average rate of the tariffs will be about 12% for the time being, this will be raised to 47% by august if chinese do not take corrective measures. chinese panels have a 80% share of the market. sales of these panels and related parts to eu countries amount to 21 billion euros. this is the largest ever anti-dumping investigation by the eu. china had been urging eu member chinese premier met angela merkle, german chancellor.

he persuaded her that it should be resolved through negotiations. >> translator: germany doesn't want permanent import taxes. we will hold intensive talks with china to resolve the issue as soon as possible. >> translator: we hope to resolve the trade dispute between china and the eu through dialog and each other's efforts. >> reporter: britain and germany have openly criticized adopting tariffs proposed. they fear their overall the trade relations with china could be damaged. the european commission denied chinese pressure saying fair trade is in the eu's own interest. >> this is not protectionism. rather it is about ensuring

international trade rules apply to chinese companies just like they apply to us. i hope today's decision will now provide the space for such discussions to move forward in a formal manner. >> reporter: the eu has been investigating a suspected dumping case involving chinese mobile telecommunications networks. the dispute is likely to intensify as china threatens to retaliate. the trade friction is entering between the largest economic lock and economy is entering a new phase. nhk world, brussels. people in japan are waiting for their prime minister to speak. they want to know his vision for leading the country to stronger growth. ai joins us now with more on that. good morning. >> good morning. we have already heard his take on monetary easing and fiscal stimulus. everyone is waiting to hear about growth.

prime minister shinzo abe will unveil details to revitalize the japanese economy, the growth plan one of the three pillars of the economic efforts. he repeated his determination. >> translator: i have often been asked how our economic growth plan is different from ones of past governments. in a word, execution. i will take aim and hit all three targets. >> he is calling to fully support procedures to verify the safety and effectiveness of advance technologies. at the moment, hospitals must carry out procedures on their own. he'll also unveil a plan to lift a ban on principle of online sales of over the counter drugs to insure safety. and a plan to create national strategic zones where

regulations will be eased drastically, the aim to create cities to promote a business environment like that of new york and london and attract technologies, talent and funds. the government plans to present the draft growth plan to a panel on competitiveness wednesday and hopes to win cabinet approval on june 14th. u.s. markets ended lower tuesday, as investors were concerned about the timing and scale of any federal reserve cutbacks in its asset buying program. the dow jones industry average shed half a percent to end the day at 15,177. for more on how stocks may be affected, let's go to ramin mel lagarde at the tokyo stock exchange. we've been covering it since last month when they said they would look at cutting down on their buying program but markets are getting a bit uneasy. what's the bottom line? >> a lot of focus on that.

the key focus is u.s. jobs numbers friday. the global markets will really be glued to that. if the economy is growing and jobs numbers positive, that should be good. at the same time, it would mean that the fed would need to actually not prop up the economy anymore. investors are just thinking that maybe that should not be taken away just yet. there's a little bit of concern there between the positives and negatives. let's have a look at how the nikkei and topix are opening up here wednesday june 5th. a little bit of negligent opati. both indexes were in the positive. just coming in for a little bit of selling here right now. both indexes in the negative. in japan, the big focus is a speech given by prime minister shinzo abe and his growth strategy or one part of

abenomics, that rolls off the tongue easily but investors finding it hard to follow and why we've seen a correction in the nikkei recently and we'll see how the markets react later after the speech. the nikkei did manage to rebound yesterday. having a glance at the dollar trading above 100, it should be supportive of exporters compared to it dipping to 98.96 in new york on monday. look where the dollar/yen is trading, 100.26-27, gaining momentum against the yen, due to growing expectations the fed will scale back its easing program. and euro/yen, 131.03 to 08. and there might be more direction to the euro but a lot

of focus on the prime minister abe's speech later today. >> thanks for that update. from the tokyo stock exchange. fans of luxury train travel have something to look forward to. officials from the east japan railway company are planning to offer special sightseeing services in spring of 2016. they say they'll create package tours modeled after cruises to introduce travelers to various destinations over a few days. the luxury trains will be designed for about 35 passengers. 6 of the 10 cars will be outfitted with compartments like hotel suites. there will be a lounge and dining car where passengers can enjoy drinks and music. >> translator: we will be providing various travel packages throughout japan. passengers will be able to enjoy a brand new experience. it will be a relaxing ride on

the train. >> the officials say they have quote to set a price for the tours but travelers can expect to budget several,0 thousand dollars. that's all for now on business news. i'll leave you with a check on markets. south africa's president has asked japan to help build an int inter-african network to help the continent's economy.

jacob zuma attended the tokyo international conference on african development and said african countries have historically failed to connect with each other. he said they've had closer ties with their european colonizers. >> we have taken a very clear view that we need to grow the intertrade within the african countries. >> japan's prime minister shinzo abe has pledged about $32 billion in aid over 5 years. this includes investment from the private sector. african leaders are returning home after winning pledges of aid and investment from japan at ticad. but some officials have unfinished business. one of them is the u.n. chief overseeing drought and deserts. he spoke to nhk world susumu kojima. >> reporter: luc gnacadja is executive secretary of the u.n. convention to combat

desertification. he's appealing for global help. he says a creeping menace is threatening many africans. >> please help me. is drying up the future we want. >> reporter: desertification is particularly severe in africa. dry lands account for two-thirds of the african continent. more and more of this land is becoming degraded. climate change is one reason. but unsustainable farming practices and overpopulation are compounding the problem. in 2011, the whole of africa experienced its worst drought in 60 years, affecting 13 million people in somalia and neighboring countries. u.n. experts estimate more than 50,000 people died. half of them children under 5. >> thank you for your time

today, sir. >> thank you for yours. yours is precious. >> reporter: the poorest people are the most vulnerable to land degradation. >> the poorest of the poor, those who are marginalized and those who live in rural areas, on degradated land, we know it. the maps are quite clear. if you want to take them out of poverty and at the same time to ensure for them food, energy and water security, then we must ensure that we help them to improve the condition and productivity of their land. >> reporter: he stresses solutions for restoring land exists, but he says africa needs help to put these measures into action. the exploding population is adding to the urgency. >> if we want to make sure that we have enough productive land to match the demand in a way that will be sustainable, that will not deplete the forest,

that will not deplete water resources and that will not bring more vulnerability to climatic shocks, then we must go land degradation neutral. >> reporter: his calling for s target for reclaiming land. he wants them to commit to 2030 as a deadline for turning the tide on creeping deserts. >> the issue will be affecting more and more areas. that's why it is important to have a much more holistic approach to the issue. you know, enhancing soil anywhere enhances life everywhere. >> reporter: he says desertification is not confined to africa. it causes a global challenge requiring a global response. susumu kojima, nhk world, tokyo.

lifestyle diseases are related to lifestyle choices. the food we eat and the exercise we do or don't do can have an impact. but not always. japanese researchers have found people's health is often connected to jobs they do. >> a busy day at the beauty parlor. most of the hairdressers are in their 20s. but their average blood glucose levels are surprisingly high. the same as someone in their 50s. how could that be? a peek in the staff room offers a clue. the hairdressers eat fast, grabbing lunch between customers. eating too quickly, especially simple carbohydrates causes their blood sugar levels to spike, that puts them at high risk of developing diabetes.

this doctor is studying the relationship between lifestyle-related diseases and the workplace. working with a team from the university of tokyo, he analyzed health data on about 1.3 million people. the team found a link between high blood pressure and eating habits. but that's not all. take i.t. workers, for example. they often spend hours at a time staring at computers. the doctor says the light coming from the monitors stimulates the nervous system keeping blood pressure at high levels. >> translator: it will soon be possible to take preventive measures depending on the risks associated with the job. >> reporter: this consumer products maker is already taking action. three years ago, it asked the doctor to do a study at its main office. one finding of their study -- workers doing a lot of overtime were more likely to be overweight.

one possible reason is that these people are eating late at night when their metabolism is low. managers decided to open the cafeteria early in the morning, that way staff can start the day with a solid breakfast and establish healthy eating habits. staff were also encouraged to use the stairs. the result -- a 3% reduction in cases of suspected metabolic syndrome. the company expanded the program. managers found that nearly 40% of the employees at the factory were carrying too much body fat. they asked the affected workers to get together and brainstorm the problem in group sessions. their first finding -- employees who go home at the regular time were more likely to drink alcohol with their meals.

>> translator: i might be gaining weight because i fall asleep after drinking. >> reporter: then there's the lack of exercise. many staff drive to the factory and do almost no walking. the workers found that sharing problems helped to motivate them. >> translator: when we go out for a drink, we can tell each other we shouldn't drink too much. metabolic syndrome friend. >> translator: i don't want to be. >> reporter: they keep an eye on each other's drinking habits and they exercise together. cases of suspected metabolic syndrome have fallen 10% in a year. >> translator: if more workers are unable to do their job because of disease, that poses a major problem. therefore, this is an investment. money spent will come back later. >> reporter: health insurance payments are a major cost for japanese companies.

if they want to improve mare bottom lines, say the scientists, manager wills need to do more work on waistlines. people in japan are watch ing their health and getting trim under sunny skies. it's a hot morning in tokyo. our meteorologist tells us what we can expect to have in world weather. >> exactly. it's going to be another hot and sunny day in tokyo. the high could rise to 27 degrees. a bit lower than yesterday but with the high humidity, it could become oppressively hot. a spell of sunshine expected in japan the next several days but not the case for the southwestern islands of japan seeing heavy rain due to this low pressure and frontal system. 50 millimeters of rain in just one hour and a big concern.

it's affecting taiwan and south korea as well. and for the indochina peninsula, rain is heavy across the west coast and already had 85 millimeters of rain in north thailand and rain and thunderstorms in northwestern china. temperatures on the high side. 26 degrees despite the rainy weather and over 30 degrees in kyoto on wednesday. north america, nothing like last week's storm, but a strong low pressure system hitting areas of the midwest. this red area, isolated tornados likely and thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds are possible into the next several hours. as we go into wednesday, the worse area is going to be found from new mexico into arkansas. tornados are not likely, but a

risk of severe weather remains here. now, we have seen some strong low pressure systems over the gulf of mexico. it may become a tropical storm over the next 48 hours and it will stay over the same area. so heavy rain will continue for florida and the yucatan peninsula for the next several days. on the other hand, looking dry for the west. wildfires are reported in many areas. no relief is in sight due to a spell of sunshine and much warmer than average temperatures than normal. could go up to 44 degrees on saturday. meanwhile, 21 in winnipeg and nice and warm in the u.s. capital, 27 degrees with abundance of sunshine. finally in europe, days of heavy rain since the first part of last week are causing serious inundation for much of central europe. take a look at this footage. several thousand people have been evacuated in the czech

republic because of a flood that has already claimed several lives. transport has been disrupted. and thousands of households are left without power. the flood warning is still in effect in eastern austria. meanwhile, people are starting to clean up in the western regions. the flood water has completely destroyed people's belongings. now the good news is that rain is easing in central europe, but the risk of flooding will remain for the next several days. instead, eastern europe and the balkan peninsula are seeing some intensified rain and thundershowers over the course of the day. out west, due to this high pressure system, looking dry for the british isles and the western continent. and temperatures on the rise. 20 in london and 23 degrees in paris for wednesday. here's the extended forecast.

that is all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in

tokyo. do stay with us.

huell: california's gold is produced in association with kcet los angeles and is seen statewide on california public television. this series is endorsed by the california teachers association, the california school boards association and the california library association. huell: it was a historic day: january 31, 1971, the launch of apollo 14 on what was to be america's third trip to the lunar surface. three astronauts made the trip. alan shephard and edgar mitchell actually walked on the moon, while stuart roosa orbited above in the command module. and here's where the story gets