welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. nations divided g-20 talks conclude in russia with leaders still split over a possible military strike against syria. taking no chances. south korea says it will stop imports of marine products from parts of japan over fears they could be contaminated by radioactive water.

sexual violence in india has caused nationwide soul searching, but we ask has anything actually changed for indian women? u.s. president barack obama went to st. petersburg, russia, hoping to gain international support for a military strike against syria. but after two days of talks, leaders of the world's 20 major economies are still divided over what to do. earlier president obama tried but failed to persuade chinese leader xi jinping to support an armed intervention in syria. the crisis dominated the talks. some leaders called for a swift and united action against the syrian government. others emphasize the need for the u.n. security council to approve any military action. russia, which chaired the summit, is strongly opposed to the strike. a senior u.s. navy official says it is prepared to action if and when it's ordered. four missile destroyers are

stationed off syria's coast in the mediterranean sea. >> they were organized, trained and equipped and delivered to the combat commanders fully ready for a vast spectrum of operations. the navy has also dispatched two carrier strike groups to the arabian sea and other areas as backup. russia has also sent vessels to the region. on thursday three russian warships were seen heading for the mediterranean. russia already has four naval vessels stationed in the waters off syria and is planning to send three more. the russian government says they'll be used to help evacuate russian citizens from syria if the u.s. attacks. the fallout from the radioactive water leak at the damaged fukushima nuclear power plant is spreading. south korean officials have announced that all fishery imports from areas in eastern and northeastern japan will be

banned starting monday. they say consumers are becoming increasingly concerned that the marine products could be contaminated. nhk world's masaki otaka has more. >> reporter: south korea has banned imports of japanese products containing certain levels of radioactive substances since the 2011 nuclear accident. but officials say this new ban applies to all products. >> translator: we decided to ban all imports of marine products from eight prefectures in japan including fukushima. >> reporter: south korean officials say they took the step because it's difficult to assess contamination levels using only data provided by japan. but the japanese government says it already has strict safety controls. it says all marine products for export meet international standards. >> translator: shipments are banned when tests uncover

radiation levels above safety standards. so no tainted products are being sold on the market. >> reporter: south korea's ban has left many people in the japanese fishing industry worried about their futures. >> translator: we've been telling south korea that we want to provide consumers with a sense of security by testing a number of fish. so we're let down by this announcement. >> translator: we want the government to provide information appropriately and do all it can to ensure that we don't suffer any reputational damage. >> reporter: officials at japan's nuclear regulation authority admit they did not disclose all the information on radioactive substances leaking into the sea from fukushima daiichi. but they've promised full transparency from now on. >> translator: disclosing accurate information is crucial, but the data we provided was not

sufficient. >> reporter: the agency has uploaded data about water leaks and radioactive materials in the sea onto its website in english. it also plans to send the data to foreign correspondents and embassies in japan. nhk world, tokyo. south korea isn't the only country to express concerns over marine products from japan. nhk world's yoichiro tataewa explains. >> reporter: shortly after the accident in march 2011, radiation levels in more than 50% of fish caught off fukushima exceeded the government's safety limit. this figure has dropped dramatically but still remains at 2%. the japanese government is restricting coastal fishing off fukushima and measuring radiation levels in the fish catches. it is also restricting shipment

of fish caught offshore. nevertheless, safety concerns are growing abroad. following the accident, professor jota kanda has been studying ocean contamination off fukushima. kanda explains the reason for international distrust. >> translator: people around the world see the japanese as trying to understate the impact of the fukushima accident. they think we just keep saying our food is safe without showing them any proof. and i see their point. >> reporter: kanda says it will be difficult to dispel international concern unless the government and tepco reveal not just the radiation data, but also the way it was collected. >> translator: radioactive

substances still remain in the sedimentary soil under the sea. we still don't know how harmful it is. the situation is better than on the land, but the concerns of people in other countries are quite understandable. we need more transparency and research. once we obtain credible data, we must share them with other countries immediately. that's the only way we can regain their trust. >> reporter: kanda says the extent of radioactive contamination in the ocean remains largely unknown. he says the japanese government has a responsibility to research every possible aspect of the situation. kanda believes the only way the japanese government can restore international confidence is to conduct a thorough study and disclose the results to the

world. the latest u.s. jobs report is now out. it shows that u.s. unemployment is slightly improved over last month. the new numbers are considered especially important. the federal reserve is expected to take them into account in deciding when to scale back on its stimulus measures. the central bank will hold a two-day policy board meeting starting on september 17th. u.s. labor department officials say the jobless rate stood at 7.3%. that was down 0.1% from the previous month. u.s. employers added 169,000 more nonfarm jobs in august from the previous month. that's less than the 180,000 jobs that analysts had widely expected for the month. employment opportunities increased in retail, trade and health care. payrolls and the information sector declined. let's see how the markets are reacting to the release of the latest u.s. jobs report. first currencies.

the u.s. dollar is trading lower against the yen. dollar/yen right now at 99.16-21. and the stocks in europe currently trading like this. in london the ftse up by a fraction, .4%. the dax in frankfurt gaining by half a percent. and paris the cac40 up by almost .8%. the new york stock exchange will start trading in a while. scientists at japan's kyoto university say they've identified an enzyme that when deactivated gives male mammals the ability to give birth. the study was led by associate professor from the university's institute for virus research. the research is focused on an enzyme called jmjd1a which is active in the testes of male mice. when it was deactivated, the mice developed wombs and mammary glands, which means they could also produce milk. the findings could help the

dairy industry. >> translator: female cows are important in dairy production. the discovery could help dairy farmers increase milk production in case of a possible food crisis. voters in the maldives will choose a new president this month. dhra dhirakaosal in bangkok has the details. saturday's poll will only be the second multi-party presidential election to take place in the maldives. the first vote in 2008 followed 30 years of autocratic rule. political turmoil in recent months has raised questions about the strength of this island nation's young democracy. candidates from four parties are competing to win support from some 240,000 voters. they include a former president and the incumbent.

nashid resigned as president in february last year following public protests about issues such as rising prices. he was replaced by his vice president, wahid. nashid claims he was forced out in a coup. in march this year police arrested him for illegally ordering the arrest of a judge during his final days in office. he was released and says the arrest was politically motivated. the bitter confrontation between the two men has dominated campaigning. the united nations is calling on the maldives to ensure the election takes place in a credible and peaceful manner. international observers from the commonwealth, india and other regions arrived this week with observers from japan also arriving on friday. >> translator: wnt to make sure the election will be free,

fair and credible. we hope the effort will help democracy take root in the country so the political process can mature. >> the winning candidate needs at least 51% of the vote. if nobody reaches that threshold, the top two will face a runoff election likely to take place in late september. a fatal gang rape in new delhi last descent shockwaves through indian society. but public outrage hasn't translated into action. reported cases of sexual violence show no sign of falling. nhk world's tanaka reports. >> reporter: the world's media descended on the juvenile justice vote on the last day of august. the juvenile justice board was scheduled to hand down its verdict against the youngest

member of the gang charged with the rape and murder of a woman on a bus last december. the board ordered the teenager to be sent to a reform facility for three years. the most severe sentence possible for juvenile crimes. the bereaved family reacted with anger and disappointment. voices calling for stricter punishments are getting louder. >> reporter: even after the shocking incident, sexual crimes in india continue to be reported. just last month, a 22-year-old

journalist was raped while on assignment in the ruins of former factory in mumbai. five attackers were allegedly involved. outraged local journalists marched through mumbai in protest against sexual violence. government statistics show reported cases of crimes against women in india rose every year from 2004 through 2012. the issue has triggered deep soul searching among indian society. sexual violence was a topic of debate in late august. the title of the debate was confronting rape culture. the word culture was deliberately chosen to stress

the depths of the problem. a lawmaker taking part in debates says woman's rights are disregarded in india, especially in rural areas. >> a female lawmaker pointed to the changes taking place in indian society. as a result of the country's economic growth. >> as women coming out on their own, i think there is some kind of a, i don't know, ego problem. we need to go very deep, study this and then propose a solution. >> reporter: but the heated debate ran out of time and ended

without any clear conclusion. >> there are so many incidents happening all over the country, and therefore women's security is a major issue that india definitely will have to address. the government is doing its best, but i think we need to do a little more. >> reporter: india will hold a general election before may 2014. ending sexual violence looks to become a major issue for voters. >> thanks for that. kenichi tanaka, new delhi. >> that wraps up our bulletin. i'm dhra dhirakaosal in bangkok. members of the international olympic committee are in buenos aires to decide on a

venue for the 2020 games. they'll vote on saturday for either tokyo, istanbul or madrid. people are awaiting anxiously to hear the results. our correspondents report on the mood in madrid and istanbul. >> reporter: madrid is the capital of spain and home to more than 3 million people. this is the first time madrid has bid to host the olympics. people here are excited about the competition. >> translator: it's high time we got it. we've been ready for years. >> translator: we have a saying in spain, third time lucky. this is our third and lucky time. >> reporter: the biggest obstacle for the city has been its shrinking economy. the unemployment rate still hovers above 26%.

but the spanish bid community says the economy is finally picking up and more than 80% of the venues are already built. the city's best asset is prince phillippe, an olympian who competed in barcelona 21 years ago. at the presentation, he reportedly spoke passionately to ioc members out how eager the spanish people are to host the games. >> translator: i've gotten positive reactions. the ioc will choose madrid at the end. >> reporter: another strong connection between spain and the ioc is the youngest chair of the committee's former long-time president, the late antonio --

>> -- happy with the delivery. >> reporter: with the slogan, eliminate the future, madrid has gained momentum as a contender in the three-way race. nhk world, madrid. >> reporter: history in the making, it's a theme of istanbul's campaign to bid for the host of 2020 olympics. it will be the first time for the games to be hosted in the country with a population predominantly muslim. istanbul is a part of two continents, europe and asia. it was founded more than 2,600 years ago. it's been celebrated for centuries as a crossroads of civilizations. today, nearly 14 million people live there.

>> istanbul 2020 will bridge together the east and the west for the first time the para olympic games can be both europe and asia. >> reporter: but the road to the olympics hasn't been completely smooth. in may, anti-government protesters took to the streets of istanbul. and the demonstrations spread across the entire country. people voiced their anger at what they see as increasingly authoritarian government of prime minister recep tayyip erdogan. some raise concerns that the progress might hurt istanbul for hosting the olympics. members of the bid committee downplayed any potential problems. >> it was a protest which you

can see around any place in the world. but now everything's okay. and the problems are over we have for the olympic seven years more. >> reporter: members of the ioc evaluation committee pointed to another potential problem, traffic. city offshores are making an effort to ease congestion. they've ordered the construction of a third bridge over the strait. workers in the next month will complete work on a tunnel that runs underneath the waterway. >> translator: the economy's doing great. i think istanbul will win. >> translator: people here are much more excited than in other cities. our chances are excellent.

>> reporter: erdogan is in buenos aires leading a delegation of 600 supporters on a last-minute push. a turkish newspaper has labeled it the great landing operation. residents of istanbul are waiting the outcome with great anticipation. nhk world, istanbul. it's been cloudy in tokyo with temperatures coming down from the summer highs. rachel ferguson is here with the weather forecast for here and abroad. rachel. hi there. well, it's certainly drier across much of japan on friday, today. but there is going to be a return to the wet weather. there's a front forming now across eastern china through the korean peninsula and coming into western japan. now it's not expected to be torrential rain like we saw this last week, but it is still going to be perhaps giving some locally heavy showers and some

widespread rain for western and central japan. so this is going to be unwelcomed rain nevertheless, even if it's not so heavy it's falling on land that's already saturated. so that could pose a problem with further flooding and a concern for landslides to occur as well. heavy rain's been focusing on southern china too. looks like guangdong province will be picking up heavy rain in the next 24 hours. and you can see myanmar's also getting targeted with some very heavy rain up towards the north. scattered thunderstorms through the philippines as well as bangkok and through much of indochina, i should say. bangkok's temperature 34 degrees with thunderstorms on saturday. should be staying mostly dry in manila. meanwhile, temperatures are falling away as we head up towards the north. 21 degrees in chongqing, 25 in shanghai. and 26 up in ulaanbaatar. all right. into the americas. we have a tropical storm to talk about. lorena is making its way towards

the southern tip of the baja, california peninsula. now, it is expected to weaken off, which is certainly good news. but you could still see 50 to 100 millimeters of rain, enough to cause some localized flooding. we also had gabrielle, if you remember, off over puerto rico. it's now a remnant low. but it's still going to be bringing some pretty heavy rain in towards parts of hispaniola as well as puerto rico over the weekend. another front here across portions of florida and in towards mexico and texas. well, most of the heavy rain is still falling off over the water. so that's certainly some good news, but it is going to be unstable here for coastal locations. up towards the northeast, the great lakes seeing some thunderstorms potentially as well after lots of sunshine. we're now seeing some unsettled conditions. and it's quite cool too. you could see some frost on the ground in the early hours of the morning. out towards the northwest another system bringing thunderstorms. some of these could be quite intense with some short periods

of rain that can cause flash flooding, some large hail as well as gusty winds. up to about 90 kilometers an hour. chilly too, just 20 degrees in vancouver as well as seattle. a hot day once again in l.a. and we have the heat as well through the southern and central plains. in fact, all the way into the winnipeg we're in the 30s. 22 in the east, 21 in tron koe, 21 in new york city. onto europe lastly, things looking nice and fine in the center of the continent. but to the west and to the east we have cool and unsettled conditions. temperatures not getting past the mid-teens out towards western russia as well as in the ukraine. and we have thunderstorms making their way through the british isles down in towards spain and portugal too as well as france. and down here it really has been hot recently. so seeing temperatures fall down to the mid to upper 20s is going to be a bit of a relief. 26 in lisbon. meanwhile, 28 on thursday -- or friday, was it, into 18 on saturday in london it's going to be a bit of a dramatic drop.

so you need to wrap up for those temperatures. warming up though in central portions. n berlin and 26 in vienna. here's your extended forecast.

researchers have discovered a new species of shark off waters of indonesia. it's sparked excitement not only because another type has been identified, but also the way it travels. video footage from the conservation international group shows the shark walking across the seabed using its fins. it's the sixth species of walking shark confirmed in indonesian waters. the group says the fish was found off the remote island in eastern indonesia. researchers say it is a species of long-tailed carpet shark. it measures about 80 centimeters long. researchers say the shark eats small fish, shrimp and crabs but poses no threat to humans. that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk

world, thanks for joining us. have a great day wherever you are.

♪ kazakhstan, a country of the central asian steps. huge changes are now sweeping this nation. the capital astana is a planned