welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here are some of the stories we're following this hour. the u.s. president is said to clarify his stance on syria in a primetime address. the japanese government takes a concrete step to deal with the radioactive water that has leaked at fukushima daiichi. u.s. president barack obama

is preparing a direct appeal to the american people. he's scheduled to lay out his case for a military strike on syria in a nationwide televised address on tuesday night. obama is expected to clarify his position that the action would be limited and the u.s. would not go to war. but russian proposal might help stop the u.s. from using any force at all. russia's foreign minister has urged the syrian government to put its chemical weapons stockpile under international control. he said syria could avoid u.s. military strikes if it does so. syria's foreign minister walid al mousalem said his government welcome the proposal but they're concerned about the security of the syrian people. obama said he considers this modestly positive development and sees potential in the russian plan. >> i want to make sure that norm against use of chemical weapons

is maintained. that is overwhelmingly my preference. >> obama said the u.s. will remain ready to take military action since syria has made no moves to surrender its stockpile of chemical weapons in the past. the latest opinion poll suggests the majority of americans oppose using force in syria. officials from france are adding their weight to the proposal. they'll submit a draft resolution to the united nations urging syria to accept the offer or face the consequences. foreign minister says he'll press the u.n. security council to discuss the resolution immediately. the draft calls on the government of syrian president bashar al assad to give up all chemical weapons. it says the regime must allow international inspectors to verify the handover. the draft warns that a failure to do so will have extremely serious consequences.

it also says whoever was behind last month's chemical weapons attack should be charged in the international criminal court. the japanese government is stepping up efforts to deal with radioactive water that leaked from a storage tank at fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. a panel of cabinet ministers held their first meeting on tuesday to discuss ways of dealing with the problem. >> translator: we are using all the available knowledge from experts both at home and abroad to create an effective solution to the contaminated water issue. >> the panel has decided to identify potential risk factors and compile necessary

countermeasures before the end of this year. the government has already decided to spend about $470 million to address the contaminated water at fukushima daiichi. government officials are also struggling with decontamination work in areas near the plant. the environment ministry says it will take longer than expected in seven out of 11 municipalities. the minister said the work will continue after the initial deadline at the end of next march. officials say they're having trouble locating residents who have left the area. they need to get their approval before they can decontaminate their properties. the ministry plans to draw up a new timetable by the end of the year after consulting local municipalities. the timetable will influence when residents can return home. there's excitement in the air with tokyo's winning olympic

bid. but the fukushima issue will be one of the main challenges toward the 2020 games. here is more. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe appeared on tuesday, returning to his office for the first time since he helped tokyo win the 2020 games. but he knows japan will have to follow through on a key pledge he made to the ioc. >> translator: from now on, we'll focus on making the olympics in 2020 a success. and we'll play a responsible role in tackling the radioactive water at fukushima, as we promised in buenos aires. >> reporter: abe is planning on the olympics to april tract more tourists to the country. the number of visitors dropped nearly 30% in the aftermath of the 2011 disasters.

tourism now is on the mend. that's in part to a weaker yen. july saw a record 1 million foreign visitors come to japan. this is one of the most popular areas for tourists in tokyo. many welcome the ioc's decision to award the city the 2020 olympics. >> we still have seven more years, so i think the japanese government will do good work. so everything's going to be like good for the future. >> i'm just hoping that from a historical point, we can look back on it after it's all said and done and say japan did do the right thing by hosting it, and they did an excellent job in balancing that with the needs of the japanese people during this time of crisis. >> reporter: a professor heads the school of sports sciences.

he said the government needs to ensure the olympics will benefit the people affected by the march 2011 disasters. >> translator: if the olympics were to contribute to the reconstruction efforts, then there needs to be a solid plan that outlines how tokyo will work with the disaster-hit areas and what the games will achieve. >> reporter: and he points out that providing credible information on the fukushima daiichi situation is crucial. >> translator: scientific evidence should be disclosed, to show whether fukushima is really safe. information needs to be provided in realtime. japan should not be seen to be hiding or manipulating information. >> reporter: so while the country celebrates winning the right to host the 2020 games, japan is aware the whole world

is watching how it will handle the nuclear crisis. though the olympics are still seven years away, the government needs to act now and speed up efforts to resolve the issues at fukushima daiichi. nhk world, tokyo. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has instructed his cabinet ministers to work out a package of strong measures to ensure the country's continued economic recovery. he issued the instructions before making a final decision on whether to go ahead with the planned consumption tax hike next april. abe confirmed informally with ministers in charge of economic affairs after a cabinet meeting on tuesday. he asked them to put a package together by the end of this month. he said it should include a strategy to keep the economy

going, even after the consumption tax goes up. abe's expected to make the decision early next month. he said he has said he will first determine whether the key policies of economic revitalization and fiscal reconstruction as well as steps to fight deflation are working. he said the government needs new measures to make sure that the tax hike would not derail economic growth. minutes from the bank of japan's last minute show many board members are hoping the government will remain on course with efforts to improve the nation's fiscal health. the minutes cover the boj's two-day policy meeting which ended on august 8th. many members indicated that it was important to have faith in the government's fiscal reforms. one policymaker said backtracking on the policies would lead to a loss of trust in japanese government bonds, and higher long-term interest rates. boj governor last week expressed

support for the consumption tax hike. he said postponing it could lead to lower state bond prices, making it difficult for the bank to stabilize interest rates. an international conference producers and consumers of liquefied natural gas has been held in tokyo. japan's trade minister has said lng is too expensive. he has called on importer nations to join hands to seek lower prices. about 1,000 government and company officials from 50 countries attended the conference. >> avoiding high energy costs and secure iing rights of more reasonably priced energy are priority issues for us. >> he said the rising costs of lng and other fuels were behind japan's trade deficit of over $80 billion last year. he urged consumer nations to set

up a group to study joint purchases to bring down lng prices. he also said other ways should be considered to address this situation. in turn, a representative from the largest lng exporter says it costs a great deal to develop natural resources. he said consumer nations should share that cost to maintain a stable long-term supply. toyota motors is recalling about 870,000 cars for a second time in north america. of the automaker suspects not all of the vehicles were fixed properly when they were first recalled in august last year. the latest to recall applies to about 850,000 units of the rav4 utility vehicle from 2006 to 2011. it also applies to nearly 20,000 units of the 2010 lexus hs. the affected cars were sold in the u.s. and canada. toyota had to recall these vehicles last year, saying there was a problem with their suspension systems.

it says the same models sold outside of north america have no problems. here are the latest market figures. a court in india has a verdict in a closely watched trial of four men accused of rape and murder. >> the case relates to the brutal gang rape of a woman on a bus in new delhi last december. the woman later died from her

injuries. the court on tuesday convicted four of the six men involved in the incident which became a tragic symbol of the status of women in indian society. >> reporter: i'm standing outside the court, and media is waiting for the verdict to come. the district court convicted four of the six men involved in the gang rape and charges that included rape and murder. the court said they committed a murder of a helpless person. they may be sentenced as soon as wednesday. >> translator: they should be given only the death sentence, so that it sends a strong message among people, and nobody dares to commit such a barbaric crime. >> reporter: the sixth man was a

minor at the time the crime was committed. the juvenile justice court last month ordered the teenager to be sent to a reform facility for three years. the shocking incident happened in the indian capital last december. a 23-year-old woman was assaulted with an iron rod and gang raped on a bus. she was thrown off the bus, naked, and unconscious, and died two weeks later in a hospital. the tragedy highlighted widespread violence. they demanded the society to do more to protect indian women. but their hopes were to be dashed. just last month, a 22-year-old female journalist was gang raped

by five men in mumbai. the indian government has responded to public pressure, bby updating laws against sexual violence. rape causing death can now be the death penalty. the four men found guilty on rape are likely to face heavier penalties. this trial is about to end, but india still seems far from the goal of creating a society in which all its women can feel safe. nhk world, new delhi. >> the violence in the southern philippines enters a second day. about 170 civilians are held hostage, and thousands more have fled. gunshots rang out at dawn on

tuesday in the city. rebels from the national liberation front want independence from the predominantly catholic country. they've taken hundreds of people hostage after the group was prevented from marching into the city to raise its flag. on monday, they were reportedly holding 20 hostages. but the number has since jumped to 170. the news agency said 1,500 elite troops backed by police have blocked off the area to prevent the arrival of rebel reinforcements. at least 3,000 people have fled the violence and are living in temporary shelters. >> translator: we would like to see another day, thanks to the grace of god. >> the philippines has been negotiating another insurgent group with a similar name. the two sides last year agreed to set up an autonomous government. but the deal was rejected. more than 60,000 people have

been killed since the conflict began in the 1970s. safe drinking water can be hard to come by for many of india's 1.2 billion people. one innovative company sees that as a business opportunity and has launched a new service providing clean water at low prices. >> reporter: in an indian shanty town like this, water comes not from a tap, but on the back of a truck. local residents rush to fill their water tanks. only 35% of indian communities are connected to water infrastructure. the problem is even worse in rural areas, where 70% of the population lives. women shuttle back and forth, getting water for their families. a typical home of five uses some 20 liters each day.

but the water they collect isn't always safe to drink. the world has organizations 530,000 people die each year in india. from dehydration caused by diarrhea. unclean water is most often to blame. one indian country has launched a water business to improve the situation. this is a water atm. and it works similar to a bank atm. instead of dispensing cash, this dispenses clean drinking water. instead of cash, out comes water. people with pre-paid cards can access clean water around the clock.

the company has installed machines at 28 locations serving 5,000 people. >> translator: a liter costs only 1.5 cents. a tenth the price of the market. >> translator: i can get clean water 24 hours a day. i've become healthier since i started drinking it. >> reporter: each water atm is equipped with a tank that holds 1,000 liters of water. trucks make daily deliveries of ground water treated at nearby purification plants. online management systems mean just three people can monitor 200 pieces of equipment, including water atms and treatment facilities. holding down labor costs allows the company to offer safe water at reasonable prices.

this man is a farmer. ever since he was a child, he has been drawing ground water from a well like this. water in this area is high in salt and fluoride, unsuitable for human consumption. the water has caused pain in his joints. he's often unable to work in the fields. if he doesn't stop drinking well water, his condition will get worse. but one liter of safe water normally is about 30 cents. gunga has a family of ten. he simply can't afford it. the arrival of a water atm in his village solved the problem.

he uses the machine every morning and evening, buying 40 liters a day. >> translator: i feel healthier after starting drinking this water. i'm happy with the price. the water is also safe for my children. >> reporter: india lacks the infrastructure needed to provide safe water to its entire population. but water atms are delivering a solution to the problem. not only quenching people's thirst for water, but also saving lives. nhk world, india. that wraps up our bulletin. chinese state-run television has been broadcasting from a rather unusual location. a newscast on tuesday showed a

cctv journalist reporting live from an operation room at the country's state oceanic administration. the reports show how officials are monitoring ships near the senkaku islands in the east china sea. japan controls the islands, china and taiwan claim them. coast guard vessels were sailing in what is termed their waters. it also showed video of the chinese ships in japanese coast guard vessels. an official in the operation room showed a chart indicating the ship's location. >> translator: our vessels will carry out the patrol near the islands over the following four hours. >> chinese media increased reporting of the senkakus. they said china is trying to emphasize its claim to the islands. both history and international law show that the islands are

part of the japanese territories. >> translator: i think that it could be one of the possibilities. we should think about this from a strategic perspective. >> wednesday marks one year since japan nationalized the senkakus from purchasing them from a private owner. a tropical storm is heading up to bermuda. we have robert speta for more. >> this is our next tropical system. it's tropical storm gabrielle, pushing out towards the island of bermuda. actually, impacting down toward puerto rico over the weekend. and late last week. but started to fall apart and dissipate, now you can see the cloud cover reorganizing here. tropical storm warnings are in effect for the island of bermuda. winds about 65 kilometers per hour. you could see one-meter high storms at high tide here. that is really the main impacts out of this. you'll also see the risk of

heavy rainfall for the island here, about 50 to 150 millimeters, very well possible as this pushes overhead. right across the island. the good news is bermuda to withstand hurricanes. this is not expected to become a hurricane. don't really expect so much of these significant impacts out here. just wait for the storm to pass and improving weather behind it. farther to the west overlooking at the risk of flooding there to the southwest. the four corners region. we have the deep monsoonal moisture surging in from the pacific ocean. already seeing flash flooding reported here. it still looks like throughout the rest of the week, about 100 millimeters could be falling into new mexico, out towards colorado here, as that flow continues to push in. remember, this is very dry soil. so that heavy rainfall on that is going to go straight into the dry river beds, that creates that risk of flash flooding. not just the risk there, also looking off towards the north. we have the low pressure area pushing across the great lakes now.

strong thunderstorms across portions of ontario. what this is doing is bringing the weather here even farther towards the west. see this warm air flowing in from the south around the high pressure area here, that is making for extremely warm temperatures. that is also fueling up the rough weather there into the great lakes. but behind it, we have even colder air diving in behind our next cold front. what we have here is a pretty big change in temperatures throughout the rest of the week. chicago, 37 here expected on tuesday. record for tuesday is actually 35. so this is going to be record-breaking temperatures. toronto at 33. new york at 29. then we look ahead into wednesday. the low pushing through, temperatures drop right off. it gets colder. we have another low coming through. that cold front, that high pressure coming in from northern canada, 20 only expected here on friday. actually a little closer than normal for this time. but feeling much, much more fall-like. same thing goes there across much of the eastern seaboard. eastern asia, japan, fair

weather moved in here early part of this week. it does look like while some more rain is going to be expected across northern japan specifically, we'll have a front push through bringing showers there. also looking at showers across the basin. about 100 millimeters still expected here into next 24 hours. pretty decent risk of flooding across much of that area. that's going to drift off to the east, move into the korean peninsula. also want to take a quick look at the tropics. this low pressure could next be the named storm system. later on into the work week. by the weekend, still long-range, but we could have our next typhoon with that. we want to watch this area very closely. the rest of the tropics, afternoon pop-up thunderstorms really in the forecast. same thing in bangkok. low 30s on your wednesday. that's a look at the world weather. here's the extended forecast.

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

♪ on a rainy day i'm sure a lot of you eat a packed lunch at the office. this man seems to be one such person. he keeps his eyes on the monitor as he eats. and this gentleman keeps looking out the window. well, that's because they're up