hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. u.s. forces have launched an air strike on sunni militants in northern iraq. the attack was the first direct american military action in the country since combat troops withdrew in 2011. pentagon press secretary john kirby said two fa-18 jets dropped laser-guided bombs on mobile artillery near the city of erbil. militants with the islamist group isil were using that weapon to shell kurdish forces in their main stronghold. u.s. officials say they'll launch more air strikes if militants threaten american citizens and facilities. the united states has diplomats

in erbil. secretary of state john kerry justified the attack on isil. >> isil's campaign of terror against the innocent, including the izidi and christian minorities, and its grotesque targeted acts of violence show all the warning signs of genocide. >> kerry said president obama approved the air strike to save innocent lives, and he said the world should join the u.s. in condemning isil's actions. security in iraq has been worsening since june when sunni militants seized the second largest city of mosul. hope has faded for an extension on a temporary cease-fire between israeli forces and hamas fighters. the truce expired friday morning. and soon after, both parties resumed fire. israeli and palestinian

delegates held talks in cairo through egyptian mediators during the 72-hour cease-fire. a palestinian negotiator told nhk that talks broke down after israel rejected their demands. the negotiators said delegates from both sides will leave cairo by the end of friday. more than ten rockets were fired toward israel as soon as the truce expired, and the israeli military resumed air strikes on central gaza. egypt has been serving as a go-between for israeli and palestinian delegates, including those from the islamist group hamas. israel wants hamas to disarm. hamas says israel should first lift its economic blockade of gaza. residents of gaza returned to united nations shelters after the temporary truce expired. >> translator: we don't want coupons. we don't want money. we want to go back to our homes. >> translator: our conditions were not met.

the ministers did not reach a conclusion. but they decided to continue their talks. >> translator: most countries support the philippines' idea, but the details need to be discussed. >> reporter: the philippines made the proposal with china in mind. the country also called for setting a legally binding code of conduct after the moratorium is implemented. asean has been urging china to draw up such guidelines. nhk world's thi ha thwe joins us. now, what's behind the proposal made by the philippines at friday's meeting of foreign ministers? the country is calling for ceasing destabling activities that could influence territorial disputes in the south china sea. >> the philippines want china to halt their moves in the disputed waters. these can be seen as attempts to take territorial claims to

established facts. the philippine government has condemned china, saying the country are reclaiming five shoals including a reef and the spratly islands. these islands are claimed by both countries. philippine officials say china may be trying to turn the area into a military base by building an airstrip and a regional facility. in may, china installed a huge oil rig off another disputed group of islands, the paracels. this has led to clash between chinese and vietnamese vessels. >> reporter: in recent years, asean and china have taken up territorial disputes in the south china sea. they've discussed setting a legally binding code of conduct to resolve this peacefully. but observers say asean nations have frequently failed to take a unified stance on what kind of ties the region should build with china, which is becoming more important to the region both economically and politically. >> yes, but some asean nations oppose any attempts for china to

compete in the moratorium. cambodia and some other members have relatively close ties with china. it's believed they have responded cautiously to the proposal. asean will hold talks with china on saturday. japan and the u.s. are to attend a meeting of the asean region. the u.s. says all parties involved should exercise restraint. china has indicated its disapproval of any discussions over territorial issues at asean meetings. building a consensus is going to be tough. >> reporter: thank you, thi ha. his analysis shows asean is struggling to find an answer to the question of how it should build ties with its giant neighbor china. the resource-rich south china sea has become a flash point in asia. major nations cannot overlook the issue as they view southeast asia as a growth engine for the world's economy. we'll keep you updated throughout the weekend. roselyn debhavalya, nhk world.

chinese leaders are making plans that could cause more friction. they've acknowledged they're getting ready to build lighthouses on the paracel islands. officials had chosen construction site s isle eats ad reefs. the territory is claimed by vietnam as well. he said his country must improve living kbs on his islands and reefs. other countries have built on theirs. people in the u.s. state of hawaii are getting ready to take part in a political power play. democratic party members there will vote this weekend to choose who will fight for one of the state's senate seats. the incumbent is facing a challenge from someone in his own party, and ethnicity could sway the outcome.

colleen hanabusa is bringing the challenge. she's a member of congress with roots in japan. the japanese-american senator daniel inouye picked her as his successor before he died in 2012. >> no one can take away from me the fact that i always have my heart that the senator thought so highly of me that he asked that i be the one to succeed him. >> this is campaign 2014. >> brian schatz is the incumbent. the state governor appointed him in spite of governor inouye's dying wish. >> that's what i think this senate race should be about, who's most effective in getting things done for the state of hawaii. >> schatz has support from president barack obama and former vice president al gore. about 17% of hawaii's residents are ethnic japanese. still, experts say race is not a

decisive factor for all generations. >> even japanese-american voters don't necessarily vote along ethnic lines anymore, particularly younger voters. >> opinion polls put the candidates neck and neck. analysts say the race is too close to call. police in thailand say a japanese man at the center of a mysterious surrogacy scandal has left the country. they're investigating whether he's been involved in child trafficking. the 24-year-old man drew media attention after police found nine infants on tuesday in his apartment near bangkok. baby-sitters were taking care of the children aged between a few months and about 2 years. police say the man flew early thursday to macau. they say he made more than 40 trips to and from thailand over the past five years. on at least two of them, he was reportedly with a child. >> translator: the man has registered himself as the father

of several children. >> the man's lawyer says his client fathered all the children with surrogate mothers and he has three more children in japan. authorities are interviewing the hospital staff reportedly involved in the delivery of the infants. international health experts have held an emergency meeting to try to stop the spread of ebola. officials with the world health organization have declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. they say the disease has killed 961 people in west africa. experts with the w.h.o. emergency committee reached the conclusion after a two-day meeting. >> this is the largest, most severe, and most complex outbreak in the nearly four-decade history of this disease. the emergency committee reached the conclusion that the outbreak of ebola virus disease in west

africa meets the criteria under the international health regulations for a public health emergency of international concern. >> w.h.o. officials say a coordinated international response is essential to stop and reverse the spread of ebola. they recommend countries with disease transmission declare national emergencies and provide adequate information to the public. they say everyone in those countries with suspected symptoms should be screened before leaving airports, seaports, and major land crossings. they advise all nations reinforce inspections at airports and border crossings as well as screen travelers from ebola-infected areas. w.h.o. experts have only declared an emergency twice, for a swine flu pandemic in 2009 and for polio earlier this year.

china has reported a record trade surplus in july. due to an economic recovery in industrialized nations. officials at the chinese customs authorities say exports brought in more than $212 billion in july. that's up 14.5% from a year ago and marks a fourth straight month of increases. analysts say the surge is because of growing demand for smartphones, computers and electronics components in the u.s., germany and other advanced countries. imports to china declined 1.6% last month to $165.5 billion. as a result, the trade surplus for the month stood at a record high of $47.3 billion. chinese government officials forecast that the country's overall trade will continue to grow in the second half of the year. but some economists point to uncertainties stemming from rising tensions over the crisis in ukraine.

argentina has now taken a move in the long-running debt dispute with its creditors following its default last week. the country has filed a lawsuit against the u.s. with the world court in the hague. this is over an alleged violation of argentina's sovereignty. argentina asked the international court of justice on thursday to act, but court officials say no action will be taken in the proceedings unless the u.s. accepts the court's jurisdiction. the u.s. supreme court ruled in june argentina cannot pay investors who agreed to reduce debt obligations from the country's 2001 default. that is, unless argentina first pays off a group of u.s. hedge funds who are demanding full repayment. argentine government officials and u.s. hedge fund operators failed to reach a deal by the july 30th deadline. of. >> now let's check on the markets.

investors were concerned about the instability in the middle east and ukraine. but new york stocks rebounded on friday after the u.s. air strike in northern iraq. people in nagasaki are marking the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing. many will gather for a ceremony in the city's peace pashrk. they'll offer prayers at 11:02 a.m., the exact moment of

the explosion. many survivors of the bombing share their stories with the hope no other nation will be hit by nuclear weapons. for the past 45 years, a woman in nagasaki has been recounting her experiences to people who visit the city. her efforts have inspired one young person to spread her message. nhk world's mikiko suzuki reports. >> reporter: sakue shimohira has been doing this for more than half her life, meeting young people and telling her stories. the 74-year-old was was 10 when a war plane dropped an atomic bomb on her home in nagasaki. she lost a mother, a brother, and two sisters. >> translator: i still remember people with burned skin and people whose organs had come out

of their bodies. i still hear people screaming. they'd rather be killed. >> reporter: shimohira has been campaigning for the global abolition of nuclear weapons at home and abroad. she he's traveled to more than 20 countries, including the u.s., france, and russia. >> no more war! >> no more war! >> reporter: shimohira has dealt with the after-effects of radiation for decades, and now she visits the hospital a few times a week. doctors believe she'll lose her sight within five years. >> translator: i don't know what i'd do if i couldn't see. i'm worried. i don't have much time left.

>> reporter: but she's found someone to follow in her footsteps. yuna aihara is a university student from a city near tokyo. three years ago, she heard shimohira speak at this church in nagasaki. she was inspired. she started collecting signatures for a petition calling for a nuclear abolition. aihara considers it her duty to pass on what shimohira has told her. but she's not sure she has what it takes. >> translator: can you give me some advice in continuing my activities? >> translator: i think everybody wonders what peace is. if everyone had kindness and compassion to understand the

pain of others, there would be no more war and conflict. i think that's most important. >> reporter: soon after, aihara had a chance to put what she learned into practice. teachers at an elementary school northeast of nagasaki invited her to speak to students on the anniversary of the hiroshima bombing. >> translator: we are the last generations that are able to directly listen to those who have experienced war and the atomic bombings and so i want more people to think about what we can do to not have war and act. >> translator: i want to start doing what i can now. >> translator: japan is the only country that experienced the atomic bomb so we should think and convey a message of peace.

>> translator: i would like to carry the torch that shimohira has handed to the next generations. although i need to study more, i hope to become a torch bearer. >> translator: aihara has realized anyone can pass on the stories of survivors, even if they didn't live through the bombings. now she feels confident that she can go out and convey shimohira's experience and message to others. mikiko suzuki, nhk world, nagasaki. >> and we'll have special live coverage of the peace ceremony in nagasaki. it starts at 10:30 a.m. japan time right here on nhk world.

many children in northeastern japan are still suffering from the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. more and more are refusing to go to school. so workers with local ngos are developing programs to help with the healing process. one girl shares the story of how the programs are helping her find hope. >> reporter: three years have passed, but, in the disaster area, many children are finding it hard to move forward. the problem is there are very few opportunities to share with others what they've been through. >> translator: i want to speak, but i just can't. >> translator: our experiences are all different. it's so hard to share. >> reporter: children have had

to keep their grief locked up, and, over the months and years, many have become deeply isolated. hinako kimura lives in ishinomaki city. she was 10 years old when the quake hit. the tsunami swept away her house, and she lost her grandparents. for her, too, there was nowhere she could share her feelings. but she's been able to take some steps forward, thanks to a program she joined. she became a reporter for the ishinomaki children's newspaper. set up by a local ngo, this paper is published every three months, and it's distributed throughout the local area. the reporters are all children. they interview people to hear about their experiences in the quake and how they see the recovery process. >> translator: i'm going to speak to members of a local jazz orchestra. it was from a year after the earthquake. i want to find out about their activities.

♪ >> reporter: the children who play in the ishinomaki junior jazz orchestra all come from the local area. there are 25 members now, ranging in age from elementary school up to high schoolers. the band's goal is to bring some cheer to the many people whose lives have been shattered by the disaster. every two months they play a concert in ishinomaki or other places in the disaster area. this is the first time hinako has interviewed other children who have been affected by the disaster like she was. she says that, as a reporter, she can ask questions about the earthquake that are usually hard to voice. >> translator: you went through so much after the earthquake, and now you're playing in this band. tell me a bit about how you feel. >> translator: i wanted to help my community, but i didn't know how.

then when i read about this jazz band in the newspaper, i thought this was something i might be able to do. >> reporter: as a reporter, hinako has spoken with dozens of local people now to hear their stories. she says this has helped her see she's not the only one who's been through hard times. >> translator: they're just like me. there are people who feel the same way i do. i found that even people who smile are also hurting inside. it's a good lesson for me. >> reporter: after a year as a reporter, hinako finally felt ready to write about her own experiences for the newspaper. >> translator: my grandparents lived a long way from the coast. they probably didn't think the tsunami would reach them so they didn't evacuate. their house was swallowed up by the tsunami.

>> reporter: professor akemi morita is the head of a network of ngos set up to support the children. she says that each child has a different experience, but, if they can hear what others have been through, this will help them to heal. >> translator: we need to create more situations for them where they feel safe to talk among themselves so they can start to reconnect with other children. this will give them the energy to carry on with their lives. >> translator: recently, i've been able to share what i've been through with my friends. it's been a huge relief. >> reporter: for hinako, the opportunity to listen to others and to share what she herself has been been through is helping her to take a step forward in her own life.

here is the weather outlook for the next three days.

some traditional japanese clothing is being adopted abroad. yukata, or casual summer kimono, are catching on in shanghai. chinese and japanese students dressed in yukata for the opening gala of a department store. the group of china-based companies organized the event to promote cultural exchange. the japanese consul general in shanghai said wearing the traditional robes is a fad among young japanese, and he encouraged chinese people to try on the lightweight garments. >> translator: it's very fresh to me. they're beautiful. >> translator: i hope china and japan adopt each other's good points through such cultural events. >> the event is running for three days. some restaurants are offering discounts to people who wear yukata. that's all this hour on "newsline." thank you for watching, and have

a good day.

this week on moyers & company: the battle over women's health and reproductive rights. >> it's better to be a corporation today than to be a woman in front of the supreme court. there has to be, in this country, a public health care system that will insure that women can get access to the care that they need regardless of religion. >> announcer: funding is provided by -- anne gumowitz, encouraging the renewal of democracy. carnegie corporation of new york, supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security at carnegie.org. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. the herb alpert foundation, supporting organizations whose mission is to promote compassion and creativity in our society.