the stories we covered today and a few we do not have time to get to. rt.com/usa. see you back here at 8:00 p.m. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- hello, welcome to nhk. it's august, october 1st. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. japan's prime minister is pressing ahead with a plan to chip away at his ice country's mountain of debt. shinzo abe announced hiel raise the consumption tax from 8% to 5. he's pairing it with a stimulus

package to lessen the impact, growth. he will inject $50 billion into the economy to help corporations, small and medium-sized manufacturers and low cash income residents among others. lawmakers with his ruling liberal democratic party, and coalition partner have endorsed his plan. it includes a proposal to scrap a corporate tax imposed after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami to help fund the rebuilding effort. the levy was scheduled to expire in march of 2015 but prime minister shinzo abe wants to end it a year earlier. they are forced to look at other sources of revenue. they'll also start discussions on setting new corporate tax rates. in addition, they were all proposing a two-year extension of a tax break for companies

that increase their employee's salaries. people in the united states are bracing for what could be the first government shutdown in almost 18 years. members of congress have just hours to agree on a budget bill before the next fiscal year begins. the democrat-led senate voted down a version of the bill that would have delayed implementing president barack obama's health care policies. the bill was amended by members of the republican-led house of representatives. both houses of congress need to agree on the spending plan. if they can't compromise by midnight, many government employees will have to stay home. many offices will remain open, but many passport offices will stop operating. museums and national parks across the country are likely to stay closed. chinese premier lee ku chung has focused on the domestic agenda on the eve of the country's national day.

he pledged to speed up reforms but he avoided mentioning china's territorial conflicts with its neighbors. about 1,600 officials made up the audience at beijing's great hall of the people. japanese ambassador masato kitera attended, along with other foreign dignitaries. >> translator: development is our highest priority. we must speed up changes in the country's growth model and promote economic restructuring. >> li promised to create more jobs, and he said he would boost efforts to ensure safe food and clean air. he said leaders will promote equal opportunities for education, employment and new businesses, and he vowed everyone will have the chance to succeed if they follow the rules and work hard. li made little reference to foreign policy, but he said china will continue the path of peaceful development.

a senior chinese diplomat is dismissing the possibility of a one-on-one meeting between the leaders of china and japan. president joining ping and prime minister shinzo abe will both be attending the upcoming apec summit in bali. the vice foreign minister says the government is arranging for a meeting individually with other leaders, but he says prime minister abe isn't on the list. lee argued japanese leaders have taken no meaningful actions to improve conditions. lee stressed that china's pre-condition for a summit is for japan to acknowledge that a territorial issue exists over islands in the waters between the countries. japan controls the seeing cue islands in the east china sea. china and taiwan both claim them. the japanese government maintains no such issue exists and says the islands are an inherent part of its territory in terms of history and international law. president xi and prime minister abe briefly exchanged words in september at the g-20 summit in russia. it was the first time they had spoken since they both took

office over the last year. the south korea i don't know president says she's not ready to meet with j.p. japan's prime minister in the near future. she says japan should first take steps to improve bilateral relations. pak met u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel in seoul. she said south korea and japan had been unable to build trust because of unwelcome remarks by japanese leaders over historical and territorial issues. pak and shinzo abe have not held talks since taking office. they exchanged simple greetings at the g-20 summit in russia in september. south korea and japan are at odds over disputed islands and the legacy of japan's colonial rule over the korean peninsula. air pollution in china has gotten worse. hazy skies were a seasonal phenomenon more common in winter, but these days pollution has become a problem in autumn as well.

beijing >> reporter: skies over beijing are usually clean and blue this time of year, but not in autumn. a cloud of pollution has hung over the city for several days. this is central beijing. the air around here is so hazy that some cars have their headlights on, even though it's still daytime. emissions and cars include tiny household particles known as pm-2.5. levels of the pollutant on monday were from three to nine times higher than the world health organization guidelines. >> translator: i am covered with dust after a one-day walk. i have a throat ache. >> translator: we cannot buy air. it is not only for individuals, but for all people. i want the government to take

the initiative to promote effective controls. >> reporter: this video was taken sunday in eastern china. visibility was so limited that some expressways were closed. chinese people begin a week-long national holiday on tuesday, but government officials are urging vacationers to refrain from driving. experts attribute the serious air pollution at this time of year to unusual atmospheric conditions. they say weaker winds and higher than normal humidity prevent pollutants from spreading. these conditions are usually worse in winter, because most people heat their homes with charcoal. an increasing number of people in china are voicing the fear of possibility health effects of living in a toxic haze. the chinese government announced plans in september to limit the number of vehicles. they want to reduce the density of air pollutants by more than 10% by 2017.

will this plan produce results? people are watching closely to see what the government will do to help clear things up. nhk world, beijing. cash-strapped japanese semiconductor maker renesas electronics has a little breathing room. it has received about a $1.5 billion capital injection. renesas executives say the government-backed innovation network corporation of japan and eight companies provided the funds. the firms include toyota motor and panasonic. the innovation network corporation now holds 69% of renesas and becomes its largest shareholder. the company has been struggling ever since its establishment through a merger of the semiconductor units of hitachi, nec and mitsubishi electric. renesas has posted net losses

for eight straight years. in october company officials plan to draw up a turnaround plan. competition in china's apparel market is heating up. the operator of japan's uniqlo clothing chain has opened its largest ever store in shanghai. >> congratulations. >> thousands crowded the opening of fast retail companies flagship store in central shanghai on monday. the six-story building covers about 8,000 square meters. that's far bigger than the company's next largest store in tokyo. about 1,000 mannequins showcased the brand's lineup. >> translator: middle-aged people are getting more fashionable. i'm looking forward to a broader lineup for our generation. >> there are 225 uniqlo outlets in china. in the coming years the company plans to open between 80 and 100 new stores annually in the country. publishing executives in

tokyo have announced a plan to capitalize on a booming interest in japanese pop culture across southeast asia. they've set up a subsidiary in singapore to market comics and animation. shogakukan is the first major japanese publisher to launch a wholly owned subsidiary in the region. the company plans to sell educational books for children and market its manga characters. the cartoon cat doraemon is already a hit in singapore. japanese content providers see southeast asia as a way to overcome sluggish domestic sales. japanese pop producer yasushi akimoto has found success in indonesia with a spinoff of his idol group akb48. and a cable tv channel in singapore is dedicated to japanese videos. here are the latest market figures.

blue fin tie that. a team of american scientists reported last year that they detected low levels of radioactive cesium in 33 of 50 bluefin caught off the coast of california. team members said the damaged nuclear plants with a source of the contamination. they made their conclusion based on levels of cesium 134 which

has a half-life of about two years and only produced by nuclear reactors. the japanese and u.s. researchers are trying to start a joint study to determine how the toxins got into the tuna. nhk explains in japan in depth. >> reporter: this professor has been did you did mass reen creatures in the waters. marine creatures in the waters. >> translator: we estimated concentration levels to be so low they wouldn't be detectible in the u.s. but the fact that they found contaminated fish off the coast of the u.s. really shocked us. even if the figures are extremely low. they say the level of contamination doesn't pose a threat to human health. >> reporter: but he says he wants to share his data with the

u.s. researchers to figure out how the tuna pick up the radioactive material. he says it takes time for tuna to accumulate radioactive substances. since they're at the top of the marine food chain. tiny creatures such as plankton and small fish then eat the plankton. and big fish like tuna, eat the smaller ones. recent studies show bluefin tuna spend their juvenile period in japan's coastal waters. the fish then take one to four months to migrate across the pacific to the u.s. west coast. he says that he thinks that he can figure out how and what the bluefin tuna accumulate radioactivity by studying fish on both sides of the ocean and

asks the us researchers to corroborate with his team. >> translatoapan needs to work with people from different sides to gather and assess the same set of data and need to provide the public with reliable information. >> reporter: researchers at stanford university in april, sent 20 30 gram slices of tuna to japan. custom agents at the international airport stopped them. they said proper documentation was missing and customs tough for bluefin tuna because of the stock conservation requirements. they said a document that proves that samples are not from the ocean is needed to start deport procedures. but the u.s. government does not issue such paperwork for research purposes. so the samples are still at the

airport, frozen six months on. >> translator: this is an urgent situation. we need custom's officials to understand just how critical this is. and facilitate the timely transportation of materials that need to be studied. >> scientists in the u.s. and japan are calling for international cooperation and flexibility so they can better study the effects of the nuclear accident. nhk world, back to you. a japanese government official told nhk world a request for the release of the samples by scientists is being considered. australia's new prime tony abbott has advised indonesia to work on his key campaign pledge. he's met with president susilio bambang yudhoyono to discuss the

issue of asylum seekers. abbott showed his focus on emerging asia by visiting indonesia before traditional allies like the united states and britain. 20 business people went along to seek opportunities in the growing economy, but abbott says bilateral relations are strained by asylum seekers. thousands of people each year cross the sea in rickety boats risking their lives. on friday, a boat carrying middle eastern asylum seekers en route to australia sank off the indonesian coast. at least 33 people are reported dead, and dozens missing. abbott campaigned for election on his so-called stop the boats policy. he promised authorities would intercept and send back seaworthy vessels, but officials in jakarta said that could breach indonesian sovereignty. the foreign minister last week raised concerns with his australian counterpart julie bishop. he said the policy could affect bilateral cooperation over

immigration, but indonesian leaders place a high priority on the relationship. australian agricultural producers can provide a nearby source of food as indonesian demand rises. abbott said his talks with yudhoyono were very warm and constructive. the indonesian leader said the two countries needed to work together to tackle the issue of asylum seekers. people in pakistan are protesting after the u.s. military launched a second drone attack in less than 24 hours. the unmanned aircraft struck a militant compound in a tribal area. the strike took place on monday more in datta khel town. that's in north waziristan. the area near the afghan border is known to be a stronghold for militants with links to the taliban and al qaeda. a.p. quotes unnamed pakistani officials as saying the dead are believed to be militants. there was another drone strike on sunday in the same area. america's use of drones is unpopular in pakistan.

the government has repeatedly protest that had they violate pakistani sovereignty. washington considers them a vital tool in the fight against militants in pakistan's lawless tribal areas. gunmen in afghanistan attacked a checkpoint in the western province of herat. at least nine people died. violence in the area appears to be increasing since afghan forces took over security responsibility from international troops. a.p. quotes police who said taliban insurgents on monday killed two officers and three civilians. afghan authorities added that four insurgents were also killed in the ensues gun battle. attacks against the afghan army and police are on the rise as most international troops prepare to least war-torn country by the end of 2014. concerns are mounting that afghanistan's own security forces are ill-prepared to counter the taliban on their own. myanmar's leaders are showing signs of a more flexible

foreign policy after years of reliance on china. they have welcomed ships from japan's self-defense forces to the country for the first time. japanese commanders are taking three vessels on a worldwide training tour. they have docked at a port near myanmar's largest city as the 17-9-of 18 stops. rear admiral kitagawa suggested a joint drill could happened in myanmar commanders are interested. >> translator: this port call marks the start of a new level of defense exchange between japan and myanmar. >> myanmar's former regime maintains strong economic and military links with china. leaders have pursued other relationships since the 2011 transition toward civilian rule. myanmar forces in february observed for the first time the u.s. and thai-hosted annual

military exercises, code named cobra gold. leaders have also worked to strengthen security links with europe and other asean members. the operators of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have resumed the use of radioactive materials from the water. it says human error caused the suspension last week. workers at tokyo electric power company on monday resumed the test run of the advanced liquid processing system or a.l.p.s. it's designed to eliminate materials from the water.

they suspended operations on friday. they had just resumed it for the first time in a month and a half. the workers detected a reduction in the flow of contaminated water in a pipe that sends water to a storage tank. tepco officials said a loose rubber mat clogged the drain. they say workers forgot to remove it after inspecting the inside of the tank. they had used the mat under a ladder during the inspection. the plant's officials have been plagued with problems using the a.l.p.s. they found a water leak in june caused by corrosion. japan's prime minister shinzo abe and britain prince andrew have launched a bilateral security conference in tokyo. delegates are working on coordinating responses to issues like terrorism and cyber security. about 200 people took part in the first of two days on monday. they discussed how to deal with terrorism in the middle east and africa. they talked about coordinating security to meet china's military buildup.

>> but we need to look forward as to how the relationship can be nurtured, built, and become more relevant, i would suggest, to the needs and the requirements of the 21st century. >> translator: we will continu to promote cooperation wh britain by sharing knowledge, views and experience to enhance world peace and stability. >> some attendees mentioned terrorist attacks on companies operating abad. they suggested sharing intelligence resources with britain could be a possible solution. a typhoon has hit. it seems people in vietnam are cleaning up. what's the latest situation? >> good morning, catherine and, yes, you're right. we have strong typhoon that hit

central vietnam on monday afternoon. as strong tie on the status which is now weak ng but look at the video coming from the district to show you the situation here. strong typhoon made landfall in season tral vietnam on monday afternoon, the most powerful typhoon to hit the country since 2006. three chinese fishing boats sank before landfall and many are missing. the winds have uprooted trees and damaged billboards and blown house roofs off. the authorities closed schools in five provinces and 61,000 fishing boats have taken shelt and the storm is moving away from vietnam but the stormy weather will be continuing across the indochina peninsula as the system weakness into a remnant but for now the tropical storm storm status is remaining at the speed of 30 kilometers per hour so it won't accumulate

in enough ter over the path of the system. however, it is surging a lot of moisture, again, and enhancing the southwestern monsoon flow in the western seaboards so 100 millimeters or more could be found in localized areas on top of well saturated and loose ground which will then up the risk of floods, landslides and mud sliends over the indochina peninsula especially in the coastal regions. another storm system to talk about moving away from the islands here but will be making its way towards the implt zo islands. it will likely see gusts of up to 100 kilometers per hour and then moving to the eastern coast of japan as a remnant low by that time through the midweek but it will be bringing a lot of coastal waves as much as three meters high along the coast. and so the low-lying areas will possibly find some flooding to

be at high risk. this is now a tropical storm status moving over toward the pacific coast. you see another storm system chasing after this and this is fito, another tropical storm. so it is a busy week for us here in the weather desk. moving slowly over the east of the philippines. not really affecting the land masses as of now was good news but toward the end of the week it will to southwestern islands of japan if it does move in this predicted path. so into the weekend, we have to be monitoring this system as it becomes a strong typhoon status. it will be developing over the warm water. we need to still keep a close eye on this system. and northeastern china, we have a system that's bringing a lot of rain toward beijing which could be a good thing for the serious air pollution occurring in this district. 20 degrees with rain and 10 degrees over here in the north despite the sunshine and 25 here

and a rainy tokyo day. here across the european continent the balkans will see nasty weatherly is including thunderstorms, gusts as well as heavy and bursts of showers and the atlantic system will provide some southern burst of showers in france. look at the temperatures. a warming trend and stockholm at 7 will be in the double digits by tomorrow. stay tuned for your extended forecast.

that is all for this edition of nhk. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. >> welcome to the new wilson center. i think this is the first time we have used this furniture. i hope you agree that it is beautiful. banks particularly to our director of communications for making this place -- thanjks in particular to our director of communications for making this forsnappy. -- this place