>> welcome to "newsline," it's thursday, september 4th. i'm catherine kobyoshi in tokyo. president putin spoke over the phone with ukraine president. >> translator: our views, on the way to the conflict, as it seemed to me, were very close. >> putin planned to end a conflict which killed more than 2700 people. he ordered for forces to pull

back. he asked for air strikes out of the air corridors. he suggested damage infrastructure be rebimt and prisoners be released. representatives for security and cooperation in europe will meet in minsk, bellaruse. he insists that before a cease fire, the separatists will have to disarm. putin wants an unconditional cease fire. u.s. president barack obama has condemn ed. . >> it's been the pro-russian sprait i separatists who are encouraged

by russia, financed by russia, supplied by russia and armed by russia. >> the nato leaders will discuss what they can do across syria and iraq. members of the group islamic state have executed its second american journalist. he says justice will be served. >> like people around the world, americans are repulsed by their barbarism. we will not be intimidated. their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists. >> the islamic state militants released a video showing freelance journalist steven

sotloff being executed. he was kidnapped in syria last year. the masked man seems to be the same person in the video released last month showing another american journalist being killed. the man warns that the group will continue killing hostages until president obama stops air strikes against militants in syria and iraq. >> yi, tell us what's on the mind of investors today. >> there's a lot happening around the world. investors see them as geopolitical risks. when they're worried, they tend to sell stocks. when they're not, they tend to buy them. european investors, they were relieved of the possible cease fire in ukraine. the positive move headed over to wall street where the dow jones

industrial average popped higher at the open. the key index only managed to edge up a touch. >> good morning, yi. the main focus are the central bank meetings in japan and in europe. is wednesday's cab gnat reshuffle, known as abenomics, is back on track.

the new labor and welfare ministry. now, in charge of tpublic pensi fund and confirms that more money will be moved out of bonds and into stocks. now, although most econom t economists are not expecting anything new, one analyst i spoke to this morning, expects that he will hold imupbeat on the economy. he also says that the main focus will be what talks about the impact of the sales tax hike that took place in april. >> what can you tell us about currency sns $1 fetched more than 105 yen on thursday. something we haven't seen in eight months. where is the pair trading now? >> the dollar is a little bit rower now. people tracking the market say traders sold the dollar to big profits ahead of the central

bank leaders in europe. now, dollar yen is now at 104 pngt 88-89. and the euro gains some ground against euro/yen right now. analyst players say market measures are expected to have some sort of easing in the upcoming months. for now that's it for me. >> all right, thanks a lot for that update. u.s. central bank officials have taken a snapshot and they like what they see. american business leaders have reported growth in the last few weeks in the economy. the finding is in the so-called beige book. the report divides the united states into 12 regions. it interviews business

executives who give their own take on the economy's performance. this anecdotal snapshot says overall, expanding mod ratly in some district r trikts. tourism activity was up in a number of districts with more hotel bookings. reports on manufacturing were mixed, although the out look generally remained upbeat. trends in employment and wages were relatively unchanged. though the executives report greater wage pressures and energy and other sectors where shortages in labor persisted. >> blue fin tuna were once common throughout the pacific ocean. but stocks have dropped by two-thirds because of over-fishing.

now, drastic measurings are being considered to help protect the fish. they reached a brought agreement to cult the number of tuna by halve. officials from japan, south kor korea, the u.s. and other countries are meeting in south weltz terng japan. japanese officials proposed a 0 50% cut from the average caught between 2002 and 22004. sources say there were no major objections to the japanese proposal. other issues are how to implement the plan. a swiss-based research institute has ranked the country as the world's sixth most come pettive -- it's ranked the country as the world's sixth most competitive economy.

that is up three places from last year. switzerland remains 234 the top spot. japan was given a high rating. the country's huge economic debt is a drag on its standing. the world economic foruchl is well-known for holding the dabos meetings where political and business leaders from around the

world gather to discuss global issues. and that's the latest in business. i'll leave you with a check on markets. the prime minister of japan says he wants to take a bold and fresh approach to tackling major policy issues both at home and abroad. shinzo abe has reshuffled his cabinet, creating new positions and opportunities for women. he says his main focus will continue to be on improving the economy.

>> abe created a new post of minister in charge of security legislation. he says he wants to continue to explain his security policies to the public to gain their approval. people in tokyo have had their say about the new cabinet. >> translator: i think they should focus on economic measures. declining and aging population, we will tackle the issues and focus our attention on rural areas so we can make these places attractive, make them places where young people can realize their hopes and dreams for the future.

>> abe says he will actively promote diplomacy based opened his policy of making a pro-active contribution to peace. >> translator: we will make an even greater contribution to peace and prosperity in the world. we will be decisive in protecting our citizens and their livelihoods regardless of the circumstances. we will remain determined and we will continue to promote the preparation of security legislation. >> abe created a new post of minister in charge of security legislation. he says he wants to continue to explain his security policies to the public to gain their approval.

people in tokyo have had their say about the new cabinet. >> translator: i think they should focus on economic measures. >> translator: i hope their policies reflect the views of women. >> translator: i hope the new cabinet will support people raising small children by creating more nursery schools. >> translator: they don't look convincing. i don't think they're going to be very powerful. >> evacuees from the crippled power plant want more help. >> translator: i hope they will get us out of temporary housing as soon as possible. >> translator: i'm not sure if they will be able to speed up reconstruction. it has been more than three years since the disaster. very little has been changed. >> tens of thousands of people from affected areas remain in temporary housing await from their hometowns. the prime minister weighed a number of factors before he reshuffled his cabinet and party executives. >> there are three main points to this shakeup. security, rural revitalization

and the empowerment of women. security, abe is focusing more resources on implementing his plan to allow japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. this means coming to the defense of allies under attack. but members of the operation say this policy will increase the risk of japan getting involved in a military conflict. abe has created a new cabinet post responsible for security legislation. this minister will need to oversee the amendment to allow for this self-defense change. rural revitalization is another new cabinet position. it could cause hundreds of municipalities to disappear in the coming decades. abe said lifting up rural areas is key to japan's survival. he has said women need to play a bigger role in the country is going to prosper in the future.

that's why he brought more women into his cabinet. >> you mentioned something about the rural areas having problems. what did abe say about the state of the economy? >> the prime minister said he will continue to put the economy first and work to fend off deflation and achieve growth. he noted things improving from employment to salaries. but he said the recovery has not reached places outside the major cities. abe says his mission for every corner of japan to feel the

economic recovery. but he needs to strike a balance here. abe has to decide on further raising the consumption tax which could drive down consumer spending. >> he's the longest serving prime minister in nearly a decade. what's his secret to staying in power? >> his focus on the economy has won people's support. but his emphasis on collective self-defense has undermined his popularity to a certain extent. he says he created the new post to handle security legislation to better explain why the change is necessary. the prime minister has reshuffled his cabinet to keep his ruling party united. many have been waiting for an opportunity to take on posts. abe needed to give some a chance to maintain wider support. his mindful that he faces party leadership election in a year. before that, abe needs to focus on the local elections. he wants to make sure that his ruling part wins because it will help raise his popularity and increase his influence nationwide. some japanese business leaders are expressing optimism on the new cabinet. they think the new lineup is strong and made up of heavyweights. the head of the japan business federation has called on the cabinet to implement economic

policies without delay. >> translator: prime minister abe said he formed the new cabinet to strengthen the team as a way to get out of deflation. i think i can pin my hopes on the cabinet to shift japan's economy to a new stage of growth. >> he said he wants a new cabinet to tackle problems such as speeding up the recovery from the 2011 disaster, cutting the corporate tax rate and securing stable energy supplies. leaders in china have gathered to look back. they attended what they called a victory ceremony to mark japan's surrender in 1945. ♪ state run media broadcast the event live. all members of the committee including the president took part. authorities announced that they decided to designate september 3rd victory day. one day earlier in 1945, japanese leaders officially

surrenders to allied forces. the president later delivered a speech. he said that with utmost resolution and effort, china will safeguard the victory. he said china won't allow any denial or distortion of history or any return to militaryism. leaders have criticized japan for what they see as a shift to the right, that includes abe's visit to a shrine in tokyo. it honors the war dead. those remember include leaders convicted of war crimes. at wednesday's speech, he said the friendship benefits both nations. he said the government and people of china will make further efforts in this direction. it was quite unusual for the president to mention friendship with japan in public

announcements. chinese business leaders in shanghai say they want to strengthen ties with japan. they took part in a japan china trade fair. 550 companies are taking part. company officials hope to promote their products and services. representatives from chinese companies are showing interest. >> translator: we should differentiate between politics and business. >> translator: japanese companies can provide us not only with good quality but also new ideas. >> organizers expect 7,000 business people to come to the the two-day fair. >> finally, these magical life forms have revealed some clues. >> lake akan sits in the center

of a vast national park in hokydo, northern japan. visits to the north site of the lake are restricted. that's because a unique life form is growing in these shallow waters. . >> the big ones are 30 centimeters in diameter and takes about seven years to grow to this size. this patch, the biggest in the world, is a special natural monument. these plants are not always spherical.

they grow into giant round balls and why it only happens in this lake had been a mystery. looking for answers, nhk teamed up with local scientists for an investigation. our crew was giveren permission to film under water using a remote controlled-camera. the balls sway gently. when you watch it at high speed, you see the balls spin in a circle. this is the first time a camera has captured this rotation. during the summer, the south wind picks up through the bay at a speed between 20 and 35 kilometers per hour. the winds stir up the lake surface creating movements which

gently spin it. the rotation bathes the entire plant in sunlight and helps it to photosynthesizing all over. that's why they grow evenly into a beautiful, round shape. if the wind is too weak, they will not spin. if it's too strong, they will be washed ashore. the environment surrounding the lake nurtures these precious formations. the crystal clear water forms a river and flows into the bay. the clear, clean water is critical for growth expoing the balls to live-giving sun light. >> it's possible for colonies to grow here because the particular

environment is in perfect harmony with the algae's unique requirement. wind, water and sunlight. forces of nature come together in perfect balance. sign tast scientists hope they can help protect the magical spheres. >> time now for a check of the weather. weather. good morning. people in western japan are dealing with torrential rain. officials are warning residents of possible landslides and floods. what's the latest? >> the heavy rain warning is in place in western japan as they are being battered with torrents of rainfall. we will show you a picture coming out from there. it has been raining for quite some time. 225 millimeters fell over the course of 24 hours and 191 in just a day elsewhere. search operations for two people missing in hiroshima following the landslides two weeks ago were suspended thursday morning due to this rainfall. unfortunately, more rain will be coming in.

this is due to the system that has battered the korean peninsula. it is tagging a cold front into northern taiwan. the surge kept continuing because of the slow moving system. that's why we have -- have been seeing extensive amounts of rainfall, topping 187 millimeters. that's in a three-hour span, which is a record for september already here in tokoshima and other parts have seen 120 or 80 or 90 in a three-hour span. that will continue. 80 will be falling in an hour span in some locations. it's going to be accompanied ready numerous thunderstorms. as for the look into friday morning, about 200 millimeters of additional rainfall will be hitting the area. any saturated land could trigger further flooding and landslides. as you can see, it's a very slow moving system. the region will not see the thunderstorm chances until late friday evening or into the weekend.

clear and fine in the korean peninsula. a large high pressure system dominates china. down below we have a low pressure system that could be developing into a tropical depression. we are looking at lots of that surge of moisture pounding the western coast of the philippines. flooding could happen again. 32 in bangkok. 28 here in tokyo on thursday. to mexico we go. we have been monitoring it a couple of systems. this is a low, but the moisture is surging that developing rain clouds because norbert is here. it could become a hurricane as it approaches the southern tip

of california. the wind speed is 110 kilometers. not only the rip currents and the storm surges, low lying areas could see flooding and the flash floods could also be possible all the way up in the north due to the combination of these moistures. out towards the north we have a system that is making things active in the florida panhandle and towards the mid-atlantic. this system is bringing large hail, damaging gusts as well as tornado activity. we are likely to see clear skies here across these regions. due to the cold front, denver that's a drop from 36. wichita from mid 30s down into low 20s. also single digits in the mountains.

we are seeing snow already. i will leave you now for the extended forecast. that's all for this edition of "newsline." that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us.

kesennuma, miyagi prefecture. reporter jason hancock will never forget the scenes he saw on television three years ago. in the wake of the greatest japan earthquake, a sea of flames stretched as far as the eye could see. >> in addition to the tsunami and earthquake, here there were fires that burned for almost two weeks. the images of the disaster that i saw on the news were shocking.