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. the nobel prize to physics has been awarded to two scientists. leaders of some asia-pacific nations vow they'll sign a u.s.-led trade pact by the end of the year as china pushes to forge its own agreements in the

region. and the head of the u.n. united nations wants to increase the number of inspectors in syria who are working to eliminate the country's chemical weapons arsenal. two scientists who developed a theory 50 years ago about a tiny particle have won the biggest award in their field, the nobel prize in physics. the higgs boson gives mass to all things. its existence was confirmed last year. >> the nobel prize in physics to professor francois anger, and professor peter higgs. >> they predicted the component of the higgs boson. they said the discovery of the particle was confirmed in july of 2012 by research conducted at

an underground lab in switzerland. about 6,000 scientists from around the world participated in the project using a huge particle accelerator. the nobel committee said the higgs boson theory is a key element to how our society is constructed. they said without it there would be no gravity or universe. here is some background. >> reporter: the universe was created in the big bang, about 13.8 billion years ago. scientists say that in the first moments afterward, partiraced a. but at some point the higgs boson shown in pink filled all the space. when free-flying particles collided with the bosons, they gradually gained mass. scientists believe the process caused particles to stick together leading to the creation

of stars, planets and eventually people. the standard model in physics suggests the universe is made up of 17 basic particles. physicists have confirmed the existence of 16 of these particles. but finding the last one has not been easy. the higgs boson is tiny and can only be found in the presence of other particles. scientists at the european organization for nuclear research, used a particle accelerator to track it down. they accelerated two beams of protons close to light speed, then they fired them in different directions, down 27 kilometer-long circular tunnel. the protons smashed into each other, creating numerous

bi-particles. they found new evidence of a new particle. leaders of a group of pacific rim nations have looked at the calendar and say they're on track to finalize a wide ranging free trade pact by the end of the year. but some analysts say they're being too optimistic about what they need to accomplish before the transpacific partnership becomes a reality. the leaders of 12 member nations released a joint statement after meeting in bali, indonesia. they say negotiators should now proceed to resolve all outstanding issues. japanese prime minister shinzo abe urged other participants to reach an agreement by the end of the year. the leaders' statement says much progress has been made over the last few months. it also points out regulations on government procurement and

investments have been eased. but tpp members wanted to reach a basic agreement by this time, which shows negotiations have been tough. participants will continue to hold working-level talks. ministerial level discussions are scheduled for september. we're told how realistic the leaders can keep the deadline. >> right now, it's unlikely they will sign a tpp pact on time. those from the u.s. and emerging economies are having trouble narrowing their differences. they are stuck on the issues, such as copyright and patent protection, along with fair competition between private sector and state-owned businesses. some officials say negotiations over the elimination of terrorists on farms and other products will likely continue into next year. >> how did the absence of u.s.

president barack obama affect the talks? >> the president obama's decision to skip the meeting to deal with the political standoff in washington fueled a sense of distrust among other leaders. he's the one who's been pushing them to sign a pact by the end of this year. but some government officials in the emerging economies have been critical of the u.s. stance. they say american delegates are pushing their own business rules too hard. >> and at a time when we, all of us, seek strong and sustainable growth, tpp is creating a race to the top, not to the bottom. it's reaching for the highest standards of any trade agreement in history. >> kerry spoke at the ceo summit in bali. he reaffirmed america's commitment to the pact.

business interests back home are driving the u.s. to get the deal done as soon as possible. >> you see a lot of what's done in southeast asia, still today, is done behind closed doors, is done with people they know, and is not so clear. >> reporter: but malaysian officials are wary of moving too fast. one prominent figure opposes the pact all together. the former prime minister said it's an attempt by the u.s. to control small nations. >> translator: if malaysia decides to join the tpp, then what awaits us is u.s. control. >> reporter: a position is growing among malaysians, too.

they say small local businesses will lose out against big american firms. >> translator: the tpp is a u.s. idea. there's no way you can trust america. >> reporter: china is poised to take advantage of the growing skepticism. president xi jinping visited malaysia to visit prime minister najib razak. he appealed to malaysian business leaders for a closer economic ties. >> translator: malaysia is a trustworthy partner. during my visit, the countries have agreed to upgrade their relationship to that of comprehensive strategic

partners. >> i think it's very important for malaysia, because i think this is so demonstrate the already strong relationship with the two countries. >> reporter: china wants to lead a separate free trade agreement. the regional comprehensive economic partnership. it would include malaysia and some other pacific rim countries, but not the u.s. will malaysian leaders look to america or china. they are weighing the costs and benefits of allying themselves with two very different partners. >> what's behind china's active economic diplomacy in the region? >> reporter: chinese leaders seem to be alarmed by the growing u.s. presence in the asia-pacific. they consider the tpp just one

example. so they're trying to counter this move. along with their work to boost their framework, they want to hammer out a series of multilateral and bilateral economic agreement. the u.s. and china will continue their race to gain the upper hand in the asian pacific. nations in this region would benefit from stronger ties with the two largest economies, but they will need to push to make sure their priorities are reflected in any binding agreement. >> while trade negotiators will have to go through protracted negotiations, officials are coming under increasing pressure to open up their country's market. they'll study whether the country can remove tariffs from some of the products they want to protect, even under a

multilateral free trade deal the negotiators are crafting. japan says it is increasing the ratio of non-tariff items to more than 80% in some cases. but some member countries are calling on japan to further expand the free tariff list. the head of the democratic party on tpp will brief his committee on thursday about how the bali talks went when he returns to japan. he said his committee will discuss whether the government can eliminate tariffs from key items, but added he will call for tariffs to be maintained on products necessary to protect japanese agriculture. the panel will discuss 586 items and five key categories, including rice and wheat. heated debate is expected because some party members say protecting all items in those categories is a promise made to the public. tropical storm danas is causing havoc in parts of western japan, and we have meteorologist robert speta closely watching the situation

for us. robert, what's the latest? >> well, at least at this time, it is still racing off here towards the northeast. already bringing gusty winds near coastal areas. but this storm system also is bringing in a big mixed bag of weather across most of japan. upwards about 108 millimeters of rainfall reported in just a three-hour span near the ojika peninsula. and surging in from the south, the counterclockwise winds in the system. that's transporting that warm air all the way from the tropics. we actually have seen record-breaking temperatures off to the north, up to 31.6 degrees today. if you're not familiar with the climate here in japan, that is above average, definitely. now, those winds continue to gust out here. i want to show you with 126 kilometer wind gusts look like in nagasaki. we do have the video coming out of this area, where these waves continue to crash ashore. up to about eight meter high

waves still possible out here. we'll also see the potential of about 107 kilometer per hour wind gusts likely through the next 24 hours. also up to about 180 millimeters of rainfall. bringing that risk of continued flooding in some areas there across much of western japan, steppeding off to the north. through the next 24 hours out here, the storm system is likely going to be weakening as it moved off to the north, and becoming extra tropical, meaning it will be downgraded to a low pressure area. northern japan, watch out for the risk of flooding as it pushes off to northern honshu and southern hokkaido by wednesday evening. i'll be back with more weather around the world.

the spl team is working to eliminate syria's chemical -- the u.n. secretary-general wants to strengthen the team to eliminate syria's chemical weapons arsenal. around 100 personnel are needed to do the job. right now about 30 experts are on the ground. the team is dismantling the ar accept al following a resolution. experts from the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons in the u.n. have been supervising syrian forces as they destroy warheads and bombs. the spokesperson for the secretary-general says the opcw and the u.n. are satisfied with the cooperation they received. so ban submitted a letter to the council saying he wants more experts to join the team from november to june. syrian leaders are required to destroy their production facilities by november 1st. their entire arsenal must be eliminated by the middle of next year. the secretary-general said the process will require technical

and operational assistance from other member states. the analysts say the civil war might make it difficult for inspectors to reach their deadline. they say some weapons are located in areas where government forces are battling opposition fighters. u.s. government officials have agreed to be more transparent when it comes to legal proceedings involving american military personnel or contractors in japan. japanese foreign minister fumio said they pushed to modify the existing arrangement. many american military bases are located in the southern prefecture. currently if the u.s. military puts its personnel or civilian employees on trial for crimes committed in japan, it only releases information on rulings and sentences. starting in january it would regularly brief the japanese government. the prefecture official in charge of base issues says the agreement is a step forward. he says residents have always

been skeptical about whether such cases are handled appropriately. >> translator: we will closely watch how the new arrangement works. for example, whether information is provided in accordance with the victim's feelings. >> the japan-u.s. status of forces agreement has never been revised since it was signed in 1960. but officials from the countries have changed the way they handle criminal cases four times. the first review occurred after a gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by u.s. soldiers. the case caused outrage among residents. the u.s. agreed to hand over suspects in serious criminal cases even if they're not indicted in japan. the foreign and defense ministers visited okinawa to discuss other efforts to ease the burden on the prefecture. they want to convince the governor to support the

relocation of a u.s. air station in okinawa. but the governor says he won't change his mind. the foreign minister and defense minister met with the governor. they said officials from japan and the u.s. have agreed to reduce training flights for osprey aircraft. residents are concerned about its safety record. it's been involved in accidents in the u.s. and elsewhere. the ministers also said the u.s. will start transferring some marines from okinawa to guam in the 2020s. they asked for the governor's approval to move the futenma air station to a coastal location. they welcomed the efforts to make life easier for okinawa residents but rejected the relocation plan for the air station. >> translator: in terms of strategy, politics, finance and operation, i honestly can't understand at all why relocating the air station within the prefecture is the sole option. >> he's demanding the air station be moved outside the

prefecture. tokyo's successful bid to host the 2020 olympics is a boost for tourism in japan. the government aims to attract 10 million visitors to the country this year, and people in the tourism industry are eyeing the fast-growing population of muslim travelers from southeast asia. nhk world has this report. >> reporter: this museum is heaven on earth. visitors can try a wide variety of noodle soups at the popular food emporium. more and more tourists from southeast asia are visiting the museum every day. the museum manager says visitors from indonesia and malaysia have doubled compared to last year.

restaurants at the museum unveiled a muslim family menu in july. customers first pay for their ramen after the ticket machine before they eat. there's a picture of a pig next to it. it lets customers know it's pork-free. this dish is made without pork or alcohol, prohibited substances for observers of the islamic faith. the soup broth is made of bean paste and the toppings are vegetarian. >> translator: six of our nine restaurants offer these noodles. we hope all the restaurants will have options for our muslim guests. >> reporter: officials at the japan national tourism organization say the visitors in august from indonesia and malaysia rose about 30% from last year.

nearly 90% of indonesians are muslims, and 60% of malaysians. this hotel just outside tokyo offers services for muslims. this is their special guest room. the twin bed unit includes prayer mats. when guests open a drawer, they see an arrow pointing in the direction they should pray toward mecca. the hotel also provides a prayer timetable. it has 50 rooms like this catering to muslims. smaller cities in japan are also welcoming visitors. a seminar on hosting muslim tourists attracted restaurants and hotel managers. many of the 120 participants had

no experience with muslim guests. the director of tourism and exchange at the asean center in japan attended the seminar. he spoke about the history of islam, its culture, and lifestyles. >> translator: for how long do muslims pray each time? >> translator: i hope there are many different sects in the islamic religion. do we need to accommodate them in different ways? >> reporter: the asean center in japan will offer the seminar in more than 20 locations across the country this year. it usually attracts about 80 people each time. >> translator: up until now, many japanese didn't know much about islamic culture. it's important that they interact more with muslims. and learn about their food culture.

>> reporter: the japanese government will step up tourism promotion across southeast asia. co nhk world, tokyo. meteorologist robert speta is back with the rest of world weather. robert? >> we're continuing to watch danas pull off to the northeast. but there's also several other areas in southeast asia that are really bringing active weather here on a tuesday. we have the remnants of feto, which has caused at least five casualties out of eastern china. five people still missing there. that's still pulling off to the northeast. all that moisture is getting wrapped up with a stationary boundary extending to the north. and you're seeing heavy rainfall across portions of the korean peninsula as well. the good news is all that moisture is pushing off to the east. we haven't seen the impacts in eastern china. it will start to dry out as a

high pressure starts to work its way in from the northwest. i wish i could say danas is pulling off to the north. we'll see tropical activity start to taper off, but unfortunately, that is not the case. we have three new tropical depressions going to be expected to develop in the next 24 hours. one already has developed actually in the bay of bengal. this is pulling off to the west. then we have two other systems here, one in the philippines and another one just east of guam. we want to keep a close eye on these. this could impact the philippines later on this week. but let's talk about this area over the indochina peninsula. rainfall extending to myanmar, and that will head off to the west. and very well impacting the east coast of india here, going into thursday and friday. as far as temperatures, very warm across the tropics. i do want to point this out, though. take a look at the snow up here.

cloudy skies in tokyo. 29. danas will be pushing off towards the west. temperatures really reflecting that subtly warm air flowing in out ahead of it. as far as the americas goes, we have been watching this one storm system rolling across the eastern seaboard. now jetting off to the northeast. still lingering showers right near coastal areas. for the most part, high pressure is ridging in behind it. it is just making for some absolutely beautiful weather. the one foul weather spot is still going to be out towards the pacific northwest. a few lingering showers, even snow in the higher elevations. take a look at these temperatures. sunny skies dominating the forecast throughout much of central canada, even extending down towards the south. houston expecting 30, with sunny skies here. now, as far as europe goes, we do have several systems in the north. the one low pressure area continuing to spin down towards the mediterranean. that's bringing severe weather. actually, thunderstorm watches and advisories, and also flood watches in effect across much of

italy, extending over towards the balkan peninsula as well. you'll continue to see the heavy rain showers. this front, though, that's going to be ushering in precipitation to the low countries. you're going to enjoy the warm sunny weather. you can see that starting to push down to the south. so for now, we are seeing temperatures in the teens out here. stockholm at 16. they're all going to start to cool down, become at least in the low teens. stockholm you'll see single digits by friday. that's your a look at your world weather. here's your extended forecast.

we're wrapping up this

edition of "newsline" with a story that will inspire treasure hunters around the world. a young boy in western japan is getting credit for discovering an artifact that dates back more than 1,500 years. he found a blue/green object four years ago in a park near his home. the park contains a third-century burial mound. he kept the fragment in a drawer. but in may he noticed it looked like an ancient mirror he learned about in history class. he took it to school. experts identified it as a fragment of a bronze mirror. part of the mirror was found at the burial mounds in 1986 and designated a natural cultural asettle. he was sent a letter of appreciation for preserving the fragment. >> translator: when i found it, i thought it was a serious object. i'm really happy that after it was examined, it turned out to be a historic discovery. >> shogo has donated the

fragment to the city. it will go on to be displayed in a museum later this month. and that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

♪ hey y'all. cities in summertime are so hot. must be that urban heat island business. if only we could work somewhere nice and cool. well, that possibility is just around the corner. look. they are on duty working for an i.t. firm. >> translator: this is the data at the tokyo headquarters. we access it here. >> they work remotely accessing data ir