welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo, here's a look at some of the stories we're following at this hour. supporters of ousted egyptian president morsi are promising more protest as the number of dead from six days of violence tops 850. senior diplomats from japan and russia are meeting to discuss the future of territory

claimed by both sides. and scientists studying radioactive water leaks at fukushima daiichi warn there could be several sources of contamination other than groundwater. day after day, egyptians are seeing the very real consequences of the political turmoil that's left their country in crisis, clashes between supporters of ousted president mohammed morsi and security forces have killed more than 850 people in six days, some of the latest deaths are only deepening the divisions. interior ministry officials say security forces were transporting 600 supporters of morsi's power base, the muslim brotherhood, to a detention facility. they say some tried to escape and the security forces used tear gas, some died of suffocation in a van. members say they may have been

killed intentionally. violence has been unfolding in part of egypt that has a history of unrest. an armed group ambushed police officers in the sinai peninsula and killed 24. it happened in the town of rafah. islamist militants are believed to be behind the attack. the recent wave of violence started last wednesday after security forces moved in to clear two protest camps in cairo. muslim brotherhood leaders have called for their supporters to continue nationwide protests on monday. united nations inspectors are getting ready to get down to work in syria. they're there to investigate the possible use of chemical weapons. government and opposition forces have accused each other of using such weapons in their civil war. the inspectors are scheduled to visit three locations over the next two weeks, members of the government bashar al assad say they'll cooperate, but the

investigators still face challenges in their work. several months have passed since chemical weapons were reported to be used, and u.n. experts say it is difficult to find clear evidence. the inspectors will try to establish whether chemical weapons, including sarin and other nerve agents, were used. they will not try to determine which side used them. more and more people are crossing syria's borders, hoping things will be safer on the other side. about 20,000 syrian kurds are the latest to flee, taking refuge in neighboring iraq. members of the group fled over the last four days into the autonomous rocky region of kurdistan. they have to track across mountains. daytime highs rose to 40 degrees celsius. many children suffered from heat exhaustion. they were treated after they crossed the border. the refugees are escaping battles in northeastern syria between kurdish groups and opposition militants with suspected links to al qaeda.

u.n. officials are trying to cope with one of the biggest influxes of refugees since fighting between syrian government and opposition forces began in 2011. the deputy foreign ministers of japan and russia are discussing ways to settle a territorial dispute over four small islands off hokkaido. japan claims the islands which have been controlled by moscow since the he had end of world war ii. they began talks in moscow on monday. >> translator: we would like to start discussing timing and negotiations over a peace treaty. >> translator: i will work with mr. morgalov to fulfill the important mission given to us by our respective national leaders earlier this year.

>> japan and russia have yet to sign a peace treaty to formally end hostilities almost 70 years after the second world war came to an end. japanese prime minister and russian president agreed in april to restart negotiations. they also agreed to move toward concluding a peace accord. efforts are underway to arrange talks between abe and putin on the sidelines of the g-20 summit, the gathering will be held in early september in russia. arrangements are also underway for reciprocal visits by the two countries' foreign ministers. a senior u.s. lawmaker has called on japan and south korea to be more open to compromise when dealing with each other. relations between tokyo and seoul have soured over the past year. one of the main points of contention lies in the interpretation of history. japan ruled over the korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945. the chairman of the u.s. senate

committee on foreign relations made his appeal during a speech in seoul on monday. robert menendez called on the japanese government to make concessions towards south korea. >> i do believe that historical issues need to be met and healed. i think nations are liberated when they recognize their past. >> menendez also said south korea should adopt a flexible attitude if japanese officials indicate they're seeking a reproachme reproachment. >> there has to be a willingness to receive efforts to achieve that -- overcoming those historical challenges. and if such an environment can be created, it would be good for all the people. >> analysts say this call for compromise reflects washington's position that unity between the

united states, south korea and japan is essential to stability in east asia. two weeks have passed since the japanese government acknowledged that contaminated groundwater from the fukushima nuclear plant might be leaking into the ocean. the government and the plant's operator are now doing everything they can to stop the leaks with a series of counter measures. experts warn that there are more pressing issues than just focusing on the groundwater. nhk world's yoichiro tateiwa has more. >> reporter: crews at fukushima daiichi have spent days working on the latest stopgap measure. they've been driving long pipes

into the ground at the nuclear plant. they will use the pipes to pump up tons of radioactive groundwater before it reaches the ocean. but they admit they can't capture all of the tainted water. two weeks ago, government officials said that hundreds of tons of groundwater flow from a mountain through the site every day. 400 tons filters into the reactor buildings. the officials estimate that 300 tons makes its way through a contaminated area below, becomes radioactive, then seeps into the ocean. experts from the nuclear regulation authority were firm about resolving the problem quickly. >> translator: we must find a way to stop the groundwater from leaking into the ocean, right away. >> reporter: managers of tokyo

electric power company, tepco, are planning a longer-term measure, considering building a network of pipes around the plant and running coolant through it to freeze the soil. that, they say, would create a dam to block groundwater from reaching the contaminated area, but the project would take one to two years to complete. one expert is questioning the way the government and tepco have been handling the problem. a professor has been studying the effects of radiation on the sea ever since the fukushima accident. he says tepco is slow to respond to the crisis by refusing to admit the leaks were

even happening. >> translator: we should have had discussions based on the fact that radioactive materials had been leaking from the plant. >> reporter: kanda argue that is government statistics don't add up. he says a daily leakage of 300 tons doesn't explain the current levels of radiation in the water. >> translator: according to my research, there are now three gigabecquerels of cesium 137 flowing into the port at fukushima daiichi every day. for the 300 tons of water to contain this much cesium, one liter of groundwater has to contain 10,000 becquerels of the radioactive isotope. >> reporter: kanda's research and monitoring by tepco puts the amount of cesium 137 in the groundwater around the plant at several hundred becquerels per liter at most. he's concluded that the radioactive isotope is finding

another way to get into the ocean and is calling on the government and tepco to identify contamination routes other than groundwater. >> translator: if we focus on groundwater too much without contemplating other causes, the situation won't be resolved. there must be roots other than groundwater that are contaminating the ocean. what we have to do now is consider all possibilities as we figure out a solution to the problem. >> reporter: professor kanda says the volume of radioactive particles released into the ocean is much smaller than the volume released immediately after the accident, but he says there could be other sources. of tainted water stored up inside the plant's infrastructure. he says that water is highly contaminated and if it gets into the ocean, it will again have a

devastating impact. yoichiro tatiewa, nhk world. crews trying to control the plant need to be on guard every day because of the hazards they face. two more workers have been exposed to radiation above the safety limit. it's the second such incident in a week. the workers were waiting for a bus in the front of the plant headquarters when an alarm went off indicating raising radioactive levels in the air. they went through checks as they were leaving the compound. the readings were up to three times the safety limits set by the operator. tepco officials say they're showing no signs of radiation poisoning. a week ago ten workers were exposed to radiation in the same place. at that time, some managers blamed a mist-generating machine

designed to prevent heat stroke, but the machine was not in use in the latest case. hoef vi rains are causing devastation in some countries. in asia, dhra dhirakaosal in bangkok has the details. >> the philippines and pakistan are suffering amid heavier than normal seasonal rains. in both countries, thousands have been forced from their homes. in the philippines, seasonal downpours plus a tropical storm caused a night of heavy rainfall. parts of the capital, manila, were underwater on monday. officials say at least three people are dead and several others are missing. government offices, schools, banks, and most private companies were closed but some still struggled to go to work. >> translator: there are no passenger jeeps because of the floods. it's very hard for commuters as there is basically no transport.

>> in pakistan, monsoon rains and flash floods submerge more than 300 villages in the northeast province. aid workers and displaced people are demanding more help from the government. >> translator: all my crops have been spoiled. all the houses have collapsed. i didn't get any relief goods. government officials visit and take notes, but don't come back with help. >> reporter: pakistan's national disaster management authority says flood-related accidents killed at least 106 people this month alone and more than 100,000 people have been affected. these extreme weather events come as scientists warn economic losses from climate change are

likely to soar unless governments take urgent action. a report published estimates flood damage will cost the global economy at least 1 trillion dollars every year by 2015. the researchers from countries including britain and france say that coastal cities with exploding populations like mumbai will be particularly at risk from flooding. a boy in northwest cambodia has died of bird flu. the number of deaths from the h 5n1 virus has been rising prompting the w.h.o. to sound the alarm. afp reports a 9-year-old boy developed symptoms last month and died at a children's hospital on sunday. the w.h.o. confirmed the boy was infected with the h5n1 strain adding that he came into contact with dead and sick ducks. ten people in cambodia have died this year up from the previous high of eight deaths in 2011.

the country has confirmed 37 human infections since 2003 and 29 deaths. the w.h.o. has warned that frequent movement of live poultry around cambodia risks spreading the virus to new areas of the country. at least 35 people are dead in india after a speeding train plowed into a crowd of hindu pilgrims. some apparently believed the train would stop for them. but a railway official said the train was not scheduled to stop there. it was brought to a halt a few hundred yards down the track. an angry mob set upon the driver. he is said to be in hospital in critical condition. the crowd evicted passengers and

set fire to several coaches. they also reportedly held railway staff hostage. the pilgrims were returning from a nearby temple where they had been offering morning prayers on the last day of a month long religious event. that wraps up our bulletin. i'm dhra dhirakaosal in bangkok. the summer holiday season in europe is in full swing, but vacationers say they still have to tighten their belts as they continue to be affected by the debt crisis. nhk world has more. >> reporter: europeans can take up to five weeks off work in the summer months, but many families find they can vacation like they used to. still, that's not holding them back from getting a taste of

summer. this may look like an island paradise, but it's right by a residential area on the mainland. it took less than an hour for dmitri and his family to get here. he works for the national railroad. his employers slashed his salary by 40% compared to three years ago as the government cut down on spending. he and his family used to go island hopping in the mediterranean, but they can't afford to do that anymore. >> translator: since we can't go very far this year, i would like to bring my family here as often as possible. >> reporter: vacationers in france are using another method to save money on summer travel.

these people are headed south from paris. they are meeting today for the first time. >> translator: how old are you? >> translator: i'm 25. >> translator: what is your occupation? >> reporter: these travelers say driving together costs a fifth of the price of a train ticket and there are lots of others getting on the bandwagon. carpooling is becoming more popular after the credit crunch. almost 3 million people now choose to split the bill. that's six times more than before the crisis. >> translator: we share a ride and divide the cost amongst ourselves. it's the best way to save money. >> reporter: others have figured out a way to save on accommodations. this family has also made south of france their destination.

there's even a pool for the kids. but this isn't a camp site. it's someone's yard. and it only costs eight euros per person per night. >> translator: travel expenses for a family of four can get pretty high, but we can stay here for half the price of a regular campsite. >> reporter: they manage to reduce the cost of their trip and stretch their one-week budget to last two weeks. europeans find they still have to make compromises after the debt crisis, but that's not stopping them from going on vacation. yasushi kudo, nhk world.

>> the collections of japanese museums dedicated to the bombings of hiroshima in nagasaki are making their debut on google's online archive. the google cultural institute website has listed 220 new items related to the atomic bombings. among them are farewell words. in one, a woman regrets being unable to fulfill her dying daughter's last wish for water. an overwhelming thirst was a typical symptom among people exposed to the bomb's radiation. officials took part in a ceremony in hiroshima to mark the launch of the archive. >> translator: i believe this online service will help people around the world share our wish for peace. >> google's visual archive service was launched last year.

it showcases items from 13 countries including the united states and poland. residents of a city in southwestern japan are cleaning up their streets, their homes, everything after a nearby volcano erupted and spewed ash. mount sakurajima blasted a plume of smoke and ash into the air. officials say it's the highest emissions since recordkeeping began in 1955. the city government deployed more than 60 street sweepers and sprinkler trucks to remove the ash. residents used water and brooms to clean their homes and storefronts. >> translator: i've been cleaning around here since last night. it's been a real pain. >> car owners formed long lines outside gas stations waiting for a wash. >> translator: it's terrible. the ash was so thick on the windshield. i couldn't see. i didn't want to go outside, but

i had to. not on the verge of a major eruption. >> translator: this one eruption doesn't drastically change anything. we have to consider that such eruptions will repeat. and then we'll slowly start to affect the state of the volcano. >> it was once ilts its own isla island, but when the volcano erupted 100 years ago, the lava formed a connection with the island of kyushu. a tropical storm is creating havoc in parts of southeast asia. rachel ferguson from the weather team has more. rachel? >> we've been looking at this system for about the last week it's been sitting towards the northeast of the philippines, just rotating here.

it's now a tropical storm and is going to be intensifying into the next couple of days. heading towards the northwest. here it is. trame is moving north-northeast. winds are sustained at 65 kilometers per hour, with gusts up to 90 kilometers per hour. now as it heads toward taiwan and then later, the southeastern coast of china, it is expected as i said to intensify. expecting it to become a severe tropical storm by tuesday. but it has already been producing significant amounts of rain. for places like northern philippines, as well as taiwan. it's helping to enhance the southwest monsoon here across these places. all of this moisture flowing in to the system, across these areas. it's expected to become a severe tropical storm by tuesday and continue developing as it moves further towards the northwest. now, it's already been bringing significant amounts of rain across the philippines and taiwan because it's been enhancing that southwest monsoonal flow, which comes right in towards that system. so we'll be adding to these already very significant totals into the next 72 hours. anywhere you're seeing popping up in the orange across the southern philippines, right across taiwan, more than 200 millimeters is expected. might even have to up those figures flt right now the storm

is beginning to effect taiwan and also the southern japanese islands. we'll be expecting some high waves as those winds strengthen along with the very heavy rain. now, heavy rains also been impacting southern china further out towards the west. this was our other typhoon that came through, utor, last week if you remember. it's now a remnant low, but it has continued to bring a tremendous amount of rain down since becoming a remnant low into guangdong province. a widespread problem here. we'll start to see the rain diminishing into midweek as it continues to dissipate, weaken off there. japan's also been dealing with heavy rain, northern portions across hokuriku as well as tohoku, also saw heavy rain, about 50 millimeters in the space of one hour, more than 50 in fact. and we're going to be expecting to see this conditions moving further down towards central and southern portions into tuesday

as that front line extends along the length of the country. the heat has continued in kyushu. more record breaking temperatures on monday. and into our tuesday still going to be very hot in tokyo, 34 degrees here. finally seeing more comfortable temperatures across eastern and inland china. shanghai and chongqing also getting some very welcomed rain. as we head on into the americas, fairly quiet across the continent, but you will be seeing very unstable weather in the southeastern corner for much of the workweek. up towards the northeast it's going to be warming up. you're already seeing temperatures nearing the 30-degree mark. a quick look into europe is going to tell us that things are looking quiet out west. that's going to change for the northern british isles, into tuesday another atlantic system coming. for the time being the wet weather and storms is going to be concentrated from i up towards the northeast. you could see some large hail with this, short-term heavy rain

as well. a little showery to the west and cool, but that's also going to change. high pressure expanding from the southwest is going to be improving temperatures across much of germany as well as france and the low countries. we've already got 38 in lisbon and 36 in madrid. here's your extended forecast.

and that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.