hello there and welcome to "newsline." it's a tuesday, september 16th i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo.

japanese officials are trying to get international support for whaling in the antarctic. whaling for scientific research purposes is exempt from an international ban. but the international court of justice ruled in march t japan's program is not scientific. members of the international whaling commission meet every two years. they've gathered in slovenia. those from new zealand are proposing a change of rules. they want whalers to submit their plans at the meeting at the annual gath scientific committee. the regulars would cause an unnecessary delay for japanese whalers. they're urging delegates from 20 member countries to consider their position. but the delegates are divided. those from australia say the ruling in march was significant. they say research in whales are killed is unnecessary. delegates from laos strongly support research whaling. analysts say the japanese may have difficulty getting the support they're hoping for. residents of eastern ukraine were hoping a cease-fire would end months of war in their hometowns. but government forces and pro-russian separatists are still fighting. people in the city of donetsk got caught in another battle on sunday. six residents were killed, another 15 wounded. monitors with the organization for security and cooperation in europe saw their vehicles come under attack. still president petro poroshenko

is following through with another part of the peace plan, a leading ukrainian newspaper says he's proposing limited self-rule in some areas for three years. tanks in armored vehicles. the nato secretary general says russia used economic pressure and military action to diminish their dependence. members of the alliance must stand united as a force for freedom. the head of the international atomic agency says iranian officials are not following through on promises. they have to stick to the schedule for reviewing their nuclear program.

he spoke at a quarterly meeting in vienna. the iranians agreed to complete five steps by august 25th to gone dmon strait they were being transparent. they failed to carry out two of the measures. >> that resolve on issues, past and present. it is very important that iran continue implement in a timely manner and all agreed under the frame corporation. >> i.e. officials say they did not provide in addition on experimes f explosives that could be used for an atomic device. studies related to nuclear explosive yields. delegates from around the world have discussed how to confront the islamic state. they say they are a threat to the world and must deal with it together. representatives of 30 nations

and organizations attended a meeting in paris including john kerry and russian foreign minister, sergey lavrov. the international community must remove the threat immediately. >> translator: the threat by islamic state is global. there must be a global answer. >> islamic state is gaining ground in iraq and syria. the u.s. central intelligence agency announced last friday more than 31,000 fighters have joined the group. participants in the meeting are believed to have discussed issues including responses if the u.s. expands air strikes in syria. police in indonesia arrested seven people they suspect were planning to leave the country and join islamic state. members of an anti-terror unit detained the men at a check point. they say the suspects tried to speed away in their vehicle, but officers chased them down. they say three of the men are

indonesian. the four others were carrying turkish passports. one is a member of an extremist group. that is an islamist extremist group. all seven have deep ties with them. indonesian report they have left for iraq and syria. the government banned involvement in islamic state or expressing support for it. german chancellor, angela merkel has a condemned abuse against jews in europe. it's widely believed israel's military operations in the gaza strip has sparked the attacks. >> translator: in the name of the german government, icon democrat antiseminichl in germany and in europe. >> merkel spoke in front of

thousands of people in a rally organized by a german-jewish group. she described the growing number of antisemimettic speeches. germany's wartime leaders ins kated the holocaust. today, they take a hard line on discrimination against jews. investors in tokyo are coming back from a three day weekend. let's see what is on their minds. good morning. >> good morning. investers have a busy week ahead. they will hear from the -- that's china's online retailer and could be the biggest ipo in u.s. history. investors on wall street were cautious and markets ended mixed. many sold stocks in internet companies listed on the nasdaq

to raise money in shares. they had the worst day in more than a month. we have all the details for us and is standing by at the tokyo stock change. good morning. what do you have for us? >> good morning. tokyo markets are actually closed for holiday on monday. we are playing a bit of catch up here. let's look at the opening levels. the nikkei is trading in the negative, not too surprising given the cautious tone we saw in the u.s. markets you just mentioned. last week, the nikkei hit an eight month high advancing every single trading day. they bought the dollar against the yen. the nikkei is actually shy of what many investors see as a breakthrough level of 16,000. as you noted, there is a little bit of caution ahead of the federal reserve meet thag starts on tuesday. investors have taken in data on

china that suggested slower growth in the world's second biggest economy factory. outputs grew at the slowest pace since december of 2008. now, slowing growth in china softened the commodity prices in shares and sectors. the index such as sydney's asx 200 fell on monday and it's been down for trading days on concern of slowing growth and the biggest trading partner, china. >> last week, we were focusing a lot on the dollar's gains. where is it trading against the yen this morning? >> it hit key levels. it did rise above 107 yen. have been a look at it now, investors may be taking a bit of a breather ahead of the federal reserve. 107.16-17. analysts say this week could be very significant.

firstly, they want to hear what janet yellen may say regarding the timing of a rise in interest rates and there could be volatility in the british pound as investors brace themselves for the vote on scottish independence on thursday. two big events there. it has fallen against the dollar. now, turning to asian indexs, there's a typhoon approaching hong kong, so there's not going to be trading there this morning and perhaps for the rest of the day. i'll monitor that, of course. for now, the nikkei trading in the negative. we'll see how that develops. for now, that's all from me. >> thanks for that. he was at the tokyo stock exchange. government officials in japan want to take more money from struggling companies to help others. they are considering scaling back a benefit from unprofitable firms to pay for cuts. the officials are aiming to

reduce the rate from about 35% to below 30. they say it will make businesses more competitive and drive growth. analysts calculate reducing the rate by 1 percentage point will cost $4.4 billion. the officials are trying to find a way to cover the costs and they are looking directly at big companies they say aren't lifting their weight. executives at firms with large capital are exempt from paying tax on 80% of income if their firms make net losses. government officials want to lower the tax threshold to 50%. they estimate it will bring in billions of dollars in extra revenue. the officials will urge struggling firms to lift their gain. business leaders say, if the government makes the change, companies should be allowed to enjoy the tax break for longer. let's take a look at what's ahead this week in the world of business. the federal reserve will wrap up their policy meeting on

wednesday. investors are waiting to hear what janet yellen will say. they want hints on when u.s. interest rates may be raised. officials at the finance ministry will publish the latest report on imports and exports. economists want to see if they continue to grow in august. later today, we'll find out if new home prices continue to go down in major cities. the trend is closely watched as an indicator across the economy. people in scotland go to the polls to vote on independence. the outcome could have a significant effect on the financial markets and economy. over the weekend, finance ministers and bank governors from 20 countries will be meets in australia. they will discuss how to support global economic growth. i'll be back next hour with more business headlines. i'll leave you with a check on markets.

authorities in northeastern japan open add road most drivers

haven't been on in years. crews have completed decontamination and repair work in the area, so over the weekend, authorities reopened the road. the 14 kilometers stretch connects the towns and cuts through a no entry zone. before only vehicles with special permission were allowed through. now it's open to all cars and trucks. local merchants are happy to see more traffic. >> translator: i'm seeing more cars coming from other prefectures already. i hope they are helping the area recover. >> drivers who take the road are not allowed to get out of their vehicles. pedestrians, cyclists and people on motorcycles are still barred from traveling along this stretch. an artist in fukushima has

been painting pictures of her devastated hometown. it was heavily damaged three years ago. she wants to tell the story of her city returning to life. >> reporter: this solo exhibition is taking place at a fine arts university. the paintings depict roads. some lead to the sea, others to the setting sun. the artist was inspired by scenery in areas affected by the great east japan earthquake. >> translator: these paintings spoke to me because the colors are vivid and they have a clear strong message. >> reporter: she comes from the city. she left home after graduating from high school and has been studying abstract painting at university. >> translator: i don't want anyone to forget about the disaster. that's my main motivation from

painting scenes from my hometown. >> reporter: three years ago, she was reeling from the effects of a triple disaster. an earthquake, a tsunami and the nuclear accident. access to part of the region is still restricted due to radioactive contamination. when the earthquake and tsunami struck, she was at her parent's home, the tsunami almost reached the house. >> translator: there was a very dark wave coming toward us, carrying all kinds of rubble. it seemed to be approaching quietly. that made it even scarier. >> reporter: she survived. after the nuclear disaster, she watched residents evacuate from her hometown. what can you do for a hometown that's been completely transformed? for her, the answer was to paint after the disaster.

>> translator: i don't know whether it's my calling, but painting is the only thing i can do. i hope to preserve an image of the town as it is now and blend it with the scenery i have in my memory. >> reporter: she painted this picture two summers after the disaster. she combined her memory of a boat that the tsunami had thrown on to the land with an image of resilience, weeds sprouting from under rubble. as a symbol of the reconstruction efforts under way, she painted concrete blocks newly installed on the shoreline. they are designed to break up waves. with this picture, she aims to convey her hopes for a bright future. >> translator: why do i paint is the big question. i'll always turn to my hometown as the on set of that question. i think it will always be my

theme. >> reporter: on this day, she visits a hillside shrine to draw every day life in her hometown while it's being rebuilt. from this spot, the whole shoreline is visible. as time passes, the view changes. >> translator: there's more color here than there was three years ago. a lot of weeds are growing here. >> reporter: she hopes to document the recovery of her hometown through art. she believes her paintings project an image of a bright future. >> i think the town will be rebuilt and eventually return to normal. i would like to watch that unfold in the years to come. >> reporter: she hopes to continue showing her works and pass on the story of her hometown's rebirth. >> people across northeastern japan are worried about a lingering danger. the earthquake and tsunami

ruptured thousands of gas lines and many haven't been replaced. officials with the ministry and utility companies are encouraging building owners to upgrade. half the cost of replacing cast-iron pipes with ones made from plastic. it's resistant to corrosion. owners of more than 7,000 condominiums and other buildings reported ruptured gas pipes. many said the costs prevented them from replacing their systems. >> many people travel to france to sample the cuisine and the wine. farmers and wine producers in one region have been hit by a stretch of harsh weather. now they are turning to science to protect what they grow. we explain.

>> reporter: if there is one thing the french know, it's wine. french soil and climate is ideal for cultivating grapes. the french take advantage of this to produce some of the world's best quality wine. the vineyards stretch four miles. if you look very closely, you will see that many grapes couldn't be harvested. these are the culprits. in june, the region was pounded by hail. it caused serious damage at about 400 farms. the total losses reached about $120 million. this damage was the result of three years of sustained hail.

but now, a new weapon has arrived. a gas containing silver iodide is released into the air. it stops hail from forming in the upper atmosphere and turns it into rain. local wineries and other organizations share the cost of the $124,000 project. they have set up 33 devices. the farmers receive information from the french at the meet logical agency. it keeps a 24-hour watch on the sky over burgundy. they spot even the smallest weather changes.

>> translator: within the next 24-hour period, we can predict where the hail might fall and for how long. we give the information to grape farmers in each area. >> reporter: when the hailstorms struck in june, the weather office warned burgundy and residents put the antihail machines to work. >> translator: we have a 50% chance of protecting ourselves from the hail. this equipment is our only means of defending our industry. >> reporter: it's not just vineyard owners who pin their hopes on this new weapon. escargot farmers have a stake in it, too. the snails are ber gandy's specialty are sensitive to changes in their surroundings and difficult to farm. as france produces a small amount, their valuable commodity.

frederick, an escargot farmer lost 40,0 snas to theai o years o. he hope that is the anti-hail devices will prevent further losses. >> translator: working together, that is the only way we can fight all the abnormal weather we have been having. >> reporter: soon, it will be harvest time. if the anti-hail measures work, people can enjoy even more of the region's delicious wine and escarg escargot. >> it's time tr a check of the weather. a powerful typhoon is heading toward southern china. it slammed into the philippines.

>> good morning. well, we have a strong typhoon that means seagull in korean. let me show you a picture to show the situation and what they are dealing with right now. it slammed monday forcing thousands of people to flee to higher grounds. the storm is being blamed for causing eight deaths south of where the storm made land fall after a ferry sunk in seas. the typhoon made land fall sunday evening forcing thousands to evacuation centers. most schools were shut down on monday. the storm continues to track northwest and southern china. it is now over the south china sea. it has done damage around hong kong. the good news, it is pulling away from where the video came

out. more dishes to some of the locations. gusts are reaching 180 kilometers per hour. we'll talk about the accumulation of rainfall. around hong kong, report of 285 millimeters and in and around haiku it will increase in the next 72 hours. we are looking at 150 to 300 millimeters and it could make a secondary land fall around vietnam/china border by tuesday. the southwestern monsoonal flow. very heavy rainfall. we'll continue to track the system. another thing we have to keep an eye on is this low pressure system over the water that is likely to become a tropical depression by tonight. it could pass toward japan over the weekend. we'll keep a close eye on this

one. unstable conditions are battering japan bringing numerous thunderstorms. the conditions will continue throughout the day. meanwhile, looking nice in northeastern china, 27 degrees is for your forecast in seoul. osaka, 30 degrees. now across north america and mexico, this is the system that we have been tracking. hurricane odile has done its damage and brought chaos. it smashed up windows across baja, california. this is the resort area for cabo san lucas. we have hurricane warnings in locations. it slammed this area on monday as a category 3. now, it is an awakening trend, it is a category one hurricane. it will pass over the peninsula as a tropical storm and be on a

weakening trend by wednesday. however, about 150 millimeters to 300 millimeters is passable anywhere in its path and also 450 millimeters in isolated locations. certainly, this is continuing to pose threats, especially with life threatening flooding. across northern america, nothing much to talk about. thunderstorms in the gulf of mexico and showers across new york and boston. the temperatures, however, will still be reaching near 40s in the southwest with critical fire weather in place. i'll leave you now for the extended forecast.

>> that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm in tokyo, thanks for joining us. s/ /s

steves: for a more lively way to enjoy paris and cap an exciting day, steve and i have hired a car and a driver for a blitz of the city's best nighttime views. and this isn't just any car and driver. this company employs a fleet of historic deux chevaux cars, and they're driven by local students. man: the different districts are like a snail, going around the island, the city. steves: the french raise flood lighting to an art form. and with a city as beautiful as paris, it's no wonder.

les invalides, with its golden dome marking napoleon's tomb, is magnifique. the naughty blades of the moulin rouge keep turning, and its red lights tempt lost souls in pigalle. just to be out and about at this hour, the energy of the city is palpable. notre dame is particularly stately after dark. sightseeing boats enliven the river and its sparkling bridges. the pyramid at the louvre glows from within. and the eiffel tower provides a fitting finale for this victory lap through the city of light.

>> here is your host. >> welcome to our highlights addition. to get into the groove, here is a quick look at our top picks from last week. on the rocks. artist olafur eliasson and his rivers bed exhibit. photographer erdal inci and his animated gif file. lush lausanne garden architects turn a swiss city into a green oasis. olafur eliasson is one of europe's most successful contemporary artist.