rt.com/usa. and you can follow me on twitter. we will see you back here at 8:00 p.m. thanks for watching. . . hello there and welcome to nhk. it's friday, september 27th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. japan's prime minister has stepped into the spotlight at the u.n. general assembly to weigh in on some of the world's most pressing foreign policy challenges. shinzo abe gave his take on the situation in syria and the threat posed by north korea. we have details. >> reporter: like many leaders, prime minister abe took up the

prolonged turmoil in syria. he started his speech condemning the chemical weapons attack against civilians in the country. he said the japanese government strongly supports efforts of the international community to destroy the stockpiles of these weapons. abe also promised more humanitarian support for syrians inside and outside of the country. >> translator: i would like to announce that the government of japan will newly provide additional humanitarian assistance to syria and surrounding countries of approximately 60 million u.s. dollars and implemented right away. >> reporter: abe also brought up japan's neighbor, north korea which he said remains as a threat to the region. he expressed strong resentment over north korea's nuclear program.

he also condemned the country's stance on the unsettled issue of the north abductions of japanese citizens. >> translator: north korea's nuclear and missile development cannot be condoned. japan also maintains serious concerns with regard to other weapons of mass destruction that north korea is likely to possess. we demand that north korea return every japanese national it abducted without exception. while in office, i am determined to resolve this issue completely. >> reporter: abe also devoted a lot of time to showing his commitment to empowering women. he said women's participation in society is crucial to ensure economic growth.

he has drawn criticism for a speech he gave in new york and highlights the larger scale of chinese defense spending and denied being a right wing militaryist. he contrasted that with defense spending in japan. >> my government has increased its defense budget only by 0.8%. so call they if you want, a right-wing militaryist. >> chinese foreign ministry spokesperson cite sized abe and urged him to focus on the words that team in china and other countries have about japan. >> translator: japanese leaders should sincerely address concerns of the international community, face up to their

country's history and take meaningful action to earn the trust of other countries. >> hong also criticized abe for saying that he wants to make japan a proactive contributor to peace. he said japanese leaders should not create tension or confrontation as an excuse to build up their defense forces and change their policies. china is showcasing more tsds they're responding to a comment by japan's minister of northern territories affairs. ichita yamamoto recently returned from a five-day visa-free visit to two of the islands. yamamoto was the first serving minister to visit the islands in eight years. he told reporters the trip renewed his resolve to have the islands returned to japan. russia's foreign ministry released a statement criticizing the remark.

it said the comment runs counter to an agreement between leaders to engage in calm dialogue on the subject. the ministry suggests that if japanese politicians continue to make such comments it'll reserve the right to restrict their visits. emergency teams in southern pakistan have run into trouble. they've come under attack. the magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook the province on tuesday. and authorities say it killed more than 350 people and injured about 600. military officials have outlined the dangers of the rescue operation. the head of the national disaster management authority and a high-ranking military official were on board. later in the day, soldiers helping with rescue operations were shot at. no one was wounded. separatists in the province are believed to be behind both

attacks. careers at the time damaged plant are facing a new challenge as they work to keep contaminated water from seeping into the sea. they say an underwater barrier to prevent the spread of radioactive materials from fukushima daiichi has developed a tear. nhk world's kunihiro yamamoto takes a closer look at the damage. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe visited fukushima daiichi last week. an official with operator tokyo electric power company offered assurances. >> translator: the orange barrier over there is called a silt fence. we think it's effective in containing radioactive water. >> reporter: this is what tepco says now. >> translator: damage was found in the silt fence near reactors five and six.

>> reporter: the silt fences are made of polyester. they are installed near intake canals and other areas in the plant's port. they're suspended like curtains and held down with weights at the bottom of the sea. tepco officials say the barriers are effective to a certain extent in preventing radioactive water from escaping the port. the fences also keep silt from clogging water intake systems. in all, crews have installed seven of them. >> translator: the silt fence has torn, but we don't think the situation will have any immediate effect on contamination within the port. >> reporter: the same barrier

ripped in april. engineers blamed high waves. they haven't said what caused this recent tear, but this week a severe tropical storm has been picking up waves along the coast. tepco officials say workers found no abnormalities in other silt fences, but this latest development shows the barriers are vulnerable and require constant monitoring. kunihiro yamamoto, nhk world, tokyo. conspiracies to fix prices? the firms and two executives agreed to pay $740 million in fines. >> although these cartels operated totally independently they all had one thing in common. they targeted u.s. manufacturing, u.s. businesses and united states consumers. >> attorney general eric holder says the cartels inflated prices of more than 30 different auto

parts. the parts were sold to u.s. automakers and installed in cars put on the market in the country and elsewhere. the nine japanese manufacturers include mitsubishi electric and others. holder said the ongoing criminal investigation is the largest ever undertaken by u.s. antitrust regulators. the president of swiss based pharmaceutical company fnovarti phrma has apologized. they produce a drug for treats high blood pressure. a former novartis employee was involved in studies on the effects of the drug at two japanese universities. on thursday, the company's president, david epstein, visited the firm's tokyo unit. health minister said the studies havety reason confusion among patients

suffering from high blood pressure. he and epstein discussed the issue in a closed-door meeting. epstein said the company mayed no part in the data may 'nip laces and the president said the management was unaware of the actions of the former employee. a health ministry panel is due to issue an interim report about the allegations on september 30th. showcasing more than 30 types of unmanned aircraft as an aviation expo in beijing. the event underscores the country's advanced aviation technology. about 200 about 200 businesses from china and other countries have put their latest products and technology on display. chinese drones were developed by the military and airline-affiliated companies. an aerospace research institute featured a cutting-edge drone that it claims can fly for 40 consecutive hours. the plane has an 18-meter wingspan and is capable of carrying a 350-kilogram payload.

>> translator: an aircraft with such high-performance characteristics will sell well overseas. >> also on display is a scale model of a drone claimed to have stealth capabilities. and this month a chinese military drone was seen flying over the east china sea near japanese airspace for the first time. that incident, along with china's active development of drones and their military use, is expected to raise concerns in japan and other neighboring nations. south korea's incheon airport has started building a second terminal to boost air traffic capacity. the move comes as competition is intensifying among hub airports in asia. a groundbreaking ceremony was held on thursday. the new terminal will be completed in late 2017. it will increase the airport's capacity by 40% to 62 million passengers per year.

>> translator: we want to raise the status of incheon as a central hub, not only for northeast asia but also for the world. >> incheon airport opened in a suburb of seoul in 2001. the number of flights and passenger traffic has been growing steadily, thanks to government efforts to attract foreign airlines. at the current pace of growth, the airport would reach maximum capacity in only four years. a second terminal and expanded hangar space will help to ease the expected congestion in the years ahead. time for a look at your market figures.

many beer drinkers count german ales and lagers among their favorites. those from smaller companies have got something new bubbling up. nhk world reports from berlin. >> reporter: german people love beer. they drink over 100 liters of beer a year on average. at beer gardens, many guests relish the sharp taste in summer.

>> translator: i can't imagine it. life without beer? >> reporter: for about five centuries, germany has had a law that stipulates how to brew beer which is designed to protect its tradition of beer making. but in recent years, major beer makers have seen their shipments declining. that's in part because their beers all taste more or less alike. now, a number of small breweries have sprung up trying to make beers with distinct tastes while still embracing the traditional beer making techniques. the number of small breweries with an annual output of 500,000 liters or less has surged by 140 over the past 10 years. >> translator: consumers are

looking for beer is with a variety of tastes. microbreweries are filling this niche and turning out original products. >> reporter: this is one of berlin's microbreweries. every three weeks you can enjoy another beer that fits the season. this brewery in berlin opened 12 years ago. the beers produced here go stale in just about ten days. literally they are local specialty brewed only for local consumption. a summer brew, for example, is light and refreshing. it's just the right stuff on a hot summer's day. an extra whiff of orange comes from a special hop imported from

the united states. >> translator: here you can enjoy different kinds of beer. >> reporter: some say beer is falling out of favor among younger germans, but the trend didn't discourage this 23-year-old. he has built a microbrewery in the southern state of bavaria. he uses local hop. he'll have to wait seven more weeks to find out if he has made the kind of beer local people love. on this day he has a beer-tasting event at his brewery for people in town. the guests tried five types of brew. they included the traditional malt beer and one with a lemon

flavor. >> translator: it may be impossible to produce a perfect beer, but for me, doing a perfect job means offering the most suitable brew for different occasions. >> reporter: with their thirst for something unique. they are breathing a new life into the country's traditional industry. nhk world, berlin. the language of japan's indigenous inu. originally from the island of

hokkaido and they took over in the late 19th century and banned them from practicing traditional rituals and speaking their language but they fought to keep their heritage alive. they've had to work especially hard to preserve their language. in the communities, some have turned to people overseas for help. we have this report. # ♪ >> reporter: this is an ethnic inu from hokkaido. she teaches basic inu words and expresses to children in her community but still, she feels she's not doing enough to preserve her culture. >> translator: when i was a little girl, my grandmother would speak to me in inu. she took me to traditional ceremonies and taught me the

songs and dances. i realize now that she wanted to pass on those things to me. i was so stupid not to have realized it at the time. >> reporter: she and others visited new zealand this year to learn from the people. an ethnic minority with a similar history. british colonizers developed in new zealand in the 19th century and they forced them to live like westerners and the language almost disappeared but the indigenous leaders came out with a message of preserving it. like inu, they have a home and the method involving immersing students in the language. instead of books or papers or pens, teachers use colored rods. students learn words by forming

shapes with the rods or describing their properties. the method was really a breakthrough for me. >> translator: i realize that i have to do everything i can to keep the inu language alive. >> back in japan, she is hosting an expert in the preservation of the mallory language. members of two ethnic minorities with each other's world as a show of respect. >> we came to work together to help each other. what else can we do in this room? >> reporter: they decided to set up a series of workshops.

students listen to and speaking words over and over until they can form simple phrases. on this day, colors and researchers join in. >> translator: it's an easy way to remember. >> translator: i tried studying inu before but didn't quite get it. this method helped me finally enjoy learning. >> reporter: participants also join a class for children. she speaks about the challenges shared by the inu in mallory. she says it's important to keep the language alive within the community, to pass it on to future generations. >> we understand what it is to be a priest.

we understand what it is not to be able to speak one's own language. it's so important to be able to name one's world. >> translator: we inu must take the lead in restoring our language so that one day when my daughter becomes a mother she can speak it to her children. and then her children to their children and on and on. >> reporter: she seize she's committed to protecting her language and she considers it her purpose in life. nhk world, hokkaido. time for our check on your weather conditions around the globe. good morning. it is a sunny and cool morning in tokyo. i see more people wearing long sleeves today. what can we expect up ahead?

good morning, catherine. skies are clear and winds are calm and that's ideal conditions for overnight cooling and many areas are experiencing the coolest morning of the season so far minus one degree for the hokkaido. crisp and sunny weather was caused by this big high pressure system which is also affecting the korean peninsula in northern parts of china. if you're living in southwestern china you would be jealous of the nice weather in the north. thick clouds and lingering showers once again mainly across the province. and parts of the indo china peninsula and the philippines will face another wet day. we have a tropical depression over the south china see which could become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. and will linger across the same area for the next several days. it's actually enhampbsing the southwest monsoon so drenching rain of about 200 millimeters or more are possible across the western parts of the philippiness into the next three days or so and the counterclockwise circulation is also affecting the eastern parts

of the indochina peninsula in vietnam, more than 100 millimeters is likely into the next few days. so flooding, lands slides, all of them are going to be a very big concern. temperatures are going to be a little bit chill you're sign across the area at 22 degrees with rainy weather. but seasonal temperatures across the noort north including beijing, seoul and tokyo. across the americas a low pressure system moves across the northwest dropping heavy rainfall and a cold front after affecting manitoba and nevada. heavy rain and damaging winds with possible into tonight. back behind there, there's still cold air enough to cause snowfall for the mountains and wyoming, colorado and utah. about 8 sent mers of snow on friday into the. a new system in british colombia, the pacific north wrn parts of the u.s. and northern parts of california into

saturday. and ahead of the system, we're seeing very clear conditions, mainly across the northeast, lots of sunshine and we can say finally good-bye to the rainy weather across the florida peninsula, so some sunshine will return in miami with a high of 31 degrees, and pleasant in the northeast. but chilly across the northwest, only 14 in seattle and 15 degrees in vancouver. in europe, two swirling clouds. one over the atlantic and the other is over eastern russia and western russia providing wet and windy conditions for the next few days. and this one is actually more substantial enough to cause heavy drirh heavy drenching rains so stay on the alert. rainfall from the alpine region down toward the bull can peninsula, only 70 degrees in

stockholm. moscow at 60 with a low of 1. kiev up. and 29 degrees for you in madrid. and 27 in rome and in between, mild weather including munich, where octoberfest is taking place. a few degrees higher than seasonal with cloudy conditions into the weekend. so, enjoy the festival and beer. here's your extended forecast.

that's all for this degrees of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> welcome. this is a place where