nhk world tv from japan. hello and welcome to "newsline" it's thursday september 25th. a militant group in algeria has released a video showing the beheading of a frenchman they claim to be affiliated with islamic state and they are demanding the air strikes in syria stop. the footage shows a man being forced to kneel in front of four masked men and he's held down and murdered. group members had warned that they would kill the man unless french forces stopped attacking islamic state militants. the country's president said he acknowledges the murder.

>> translator: a french citizen was unfairly killed by a militant group that is allied with the islamic state. the international community must come together and must fight against terrorism. >> hollande has condemned the group and he's pledged to continue fighting extremists including carrying out air strikes in iraq. world leaders at the u.n. general assembly in new york have turned their focus to the situation in syria. u.s. president barack obama led a major debate at the security council. he's rallying support for the campaign against islamic state. nkh world joins us from the new york studio. what is going on there? >> reporter: the so-called general debate by heads of states and governments kicked off on wednesday. each speaker has 15 minutes to tell the world about his or her country's most pressing diplomatic issues.

u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon opened the debate. he set the tone by condemning extremist groups like islamic state. >> there is nothing islamic about the terrorist organizatioorganizatio organizations wreaking havoc in the region. these extremist groups are a clear threat to international peace and security. that requires a multifaceted international response. >> reporter: u.s. president barack obama explained why the u.s. resorted to military power to counter islamic state militants in iraq and syria. >> the terrorist group known as isil must be degraded and ultimately destroyed. this group has terrorized all who they come across in iraq and syria. there can be no reasoning, no negotiation with this brand of evil.

the only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. so, the united states of america will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death. >> reporter: the hard line islamic state has seized a third of iraq and a large swath of territory across syria. its spokesmen used social media to call on muslims to attack citizens of all nations of the u.s.-led coalition. the u.s. received permission from officials in baghdad to launch air strikes against the islamic state in northern iraq. but in syria the u.s. military has struck targets without consulting president bashar al assad. critics say obama lacks a legal justification for the attack. european countries such as britain and france have ruled air strikes -- ruled out air strikes against syria. president obama chaired the security council on wednesday afternoon. he managed to get the council to adopt a resolution unanimously

by the 15 members including russia and china. it calls for a global crackdown on so-called foreign fighters who leave their homes to join extremist groups. this is the resolution. what could be a problem is that this resolution which condemns violent extremism is not limited to the islamic state so who are considered terrorists in one country can be different in another. in debate following the vote, russian foreign minister sergey lavrov blamed foreign fighters who opposed the syrian regime that include all anti-government groups. and the chinese foreign minister described recent terrorist incidents in his own country. he suggests china strengthen counterterrorism measures especially on information control on the internet. so, by adopting the resolution

the security council may appear to have forged a united front against extremism, but the reality is that sharp divisions remain within powerful nations on how to counter threats posed by islamic state in syria. >> thanks. well, relations between japan and china have been strained in recent years but in the business context, we're seeing a bit of a thaw. we are joined by the business desk with the details. good morning. >> good morning. yes, indeed, ties have been rocky. the two sides aren't seeing eye to eye in the east china sea and that has spilled over into the business world. japan's direct investment in china, for example, has declined sharply. however, a chinese government official has just given a positive signal, the head of a japanese business delegation to china says beijing is hopeful of taking a step toward better ties. he said he plans to take home this message to prime minister abe.

the head of the delegation from the japan/china economic association met with the vice premier and other senior officials. he chairs japan's largest business organization. he mentioned the japan/china high-level economic dialogues that have been suspended for four years. he expressed his hope that the talks be resumed at an early occasion. >> translator: i would like to see the comment as a message from china that the country wants to make a first step toward improving ties between the two nations. >> he also revealed that wang told him that he expects japan to show appropriate sincerity over territorial and historical issues if it hopes to hold a summit between abe and chinese president ping. now, let's check on what's

happening in the markets. investors on wall street went back to buying stocks on wednesday. ending a two-day losing streak. the blue chip dow index notched up its best one-day gain in over a month. it was up almost 1% and the nasdaq jumped higher, too, by about 1%. let's go to the tokyo stock exchange and we've got an update on what's going on in the market this morning. hi, how are japanese shares opening? >> yes, very good morning indeed. we're seeing a rebound after the nikkei fell back a touch on wednesday. let's have a look at the opening levels for the nikkei and the broader topics this thursday morning september 25th. nikkei up almost 1% here just in the first fuf minuew minutes of trading. the broader topics up over 0.75 of a percent and resuming the upward trend after two days of declines. analysts say the strength of the

dollar against the yen has attracted global investors back into the nikkei. just last week you remember the index hit its highest level in six years and ten months and we're resuming that upward trend right now. some head winds, however, may be coming from euro zone economies. according to analysts weak business confidence in germany is seen as a further indication of the european central bank will need to take further measures to stimulate the euro zone economy. that's a big focus for global investors. >> okay, and what effect is that having on where the euro is trading this morning? >> exactly that's a very big focus how the euro is trading not only against the dollar but the other basket of currencies including the yen. have a look at the euro/dollar to 1.275-to 2776. the survey that i mentioned came in at its lowest in more than a year. and traders saw that as a signal to sell the single currency.

they are anticipating further moves by the ecb that will put even more selling pressure on the euro. on the flip side according to an fx analyst i spoke to the opposite is happening in the u.s. looking at the dollar/yen 109.28-30. he said investors are rushing in to buy the dollar on the prospect of rising interest rates and generally supportive economic data in the u.s. as opposed to the euro zone which is going the other way. the dollar is at multiyear highs against other currencies including the yen. we'll monitor asian indexes and we saw the shanghai index rising 1.5% on wednesday the highest close in more than a year and a half. so, we'll continue to track those markets as well. but for now, that's all for me. back to you. >> all right, thanks a lot for that update. ministers from japan and the u.s. could not narrow their differences for a free trade deal under the trans-pacific partnership. they just finished their second day of talks in washington.

the japanese minister in charge and u.s. trade representative michael froman met for about an hour. this came after failing to reach common ground in four hours of negotiations on the first day. treatment of tariffs on five agricultural categories was at the top of the agenda. the two ministers also talked about easing vehicle safety standards. on beef and pork, the two officials focussed on conditions that would let japan restore tariffs temporarily if meat imports surge. dairy products were also reported to be a topic of discussion. more for you next hour. here's another check on markets.

japanese government officials have announced new sanctions on russia over the unrest in ukraine. the new measures include restrictions on arms exports. there's also a ban on russian banks from issuing securities in japan. chief cabinet secretary said the government made the decision to show its cooperation with other g7 countries. he explained japan won't tolerate any attempt to change the status quo by force. russia's foreign ministry said it was disappointed with the news. it says japan is unable to carry out its own foreign policies and is moving in a hostile direction. a senior government official close to president vladimir putin has visited one of four russian-held islands claimed by japan. it's the first visit in two years by a senior kremlin official. russia's interfax news agency

reports that chief of staff of the presidential executive office arrived at etoruf island. the airport opened on monday. he inspected the facility and other infrastructure projects. he told reporters that his visit is not politically motivated. he added thatwill visit the isl. japan calls the four islands the northern territories. the government maintains the islands were illegally occupied after world war ii. >> translator: the four islands are an inherent part of japan's territory. the japanese government will never accept a visit to the territory by russian government leaders. >> japan launched a protest through diplomatic channels but sugga said that the visit would not affect dialogue between the two countries. a plan to remove the

radioactive water from tunnels at fukushima daiichi is facing new challenges. officials are hoping to use ice to stop the flow of contaminated water but they've been told they may have to switch to cement. tokyo electric power company officials believe highly radioactive water flowing into underground tunnels is mixing with ground water and heeking into the ocean. they're attempting to block the tunnels with ice barriers and then workers would remove the contaminated water. but the acting chief of the nuclear regulation authority said the efforts have been ineffective. he says they'll now have to solidify the contaminated water with concrete. he says that's not the most desirable option because radioactive substances would remain. but he says it's better than tainted water leaking into the ocean. >> translator: we should at least solidify the contaminated water considering the risk of

leakage in the event of a huge tsunami or other disaster. >> crews have been working since april installing pipes under the facility. they're trying to build a massive ice wall around the reactor buildings. but if workers fail to stop the flow of contaminated water, it would prevent the project from going ahead. families of people abducted to north korea decades ago are still trying to find out what happened to their relatives. many of the abductions occurred outside of asia. a u.n. commission of inquiry has established that 14 people were taken from europe and the middle east. nhk world has the story of one abductee from romania. >> reporter: earlier this month the japanese government hosted a symposium in geneva on human rights issues in north korea.

the abductees urged the international community for their support in putting pressure on north korea. not all of the attendees were japanese. gabriel bumbea is from romania. his sister doina is thought to be have been abducted to north korea. >> we no longer have time, now, not tomorrow, and not some other time, something must be made first specifically immediately. >> reporter: gabriel remembers doina as always kind and gentle. she moved away to italy to work as a painter. and in 1978, she vanished. her last contact with her family was a phone call to her mother to tell her she was going to japan to sign a contract with an art gallery.

for almost 30 years, they heard nothing about her. then out of the blue, news arrived from an american called charles jenkins who had married a japanese abductee in north korea. >> my friend's wife was romanian. although she lived in italy. >> reporter: there were also clues in the book that jenkins wrote. >> there was a romanian woman named donna. whenever she picked up her paintbrush, she made wonderful paintings. >> reporter: gabriel was convinced this must have been his long lost sister doina. the romanian media also took up the story that doina might have been abducted by north korea.

in 2007, gabriel visited japan and met with jenkins and his wife. jenkins spoke to him about the woman he knew as donna. he confirmed she had died in 1997 and she had two sons. >> translator: it was such a shock. when i heard it from him directly. my whole body started shaking. and i began to cry. my deepest wish is to see my nephews. >> reporter: gabriel pleaded with his government to investigate. but the romanian foreign ministries just sent him a letter saying it was beyond their authority to investigate. doina's mother had been hoping to see her grandchildren, but she died in august.

>> translator: my mother's biggest wish was to see her two grandchildren. now she's no longer here. i feel i don't have the energy to carry on. >> reporter: in may, north korea agreed to reopen its investigation in to the fate of the japanese abductees. the news gave gabriel reason not to give up. >> romania is urging you to do something to take the most determined and the most energetic measures to urgently solve the dramatic situation of kidnapped refugees from north korea. >> reporter: gabriel is clinging to the hope that talks between japan and north korea may lead to fresh news about doina and her sons. and about the abductees from other countries around the world. nhk world.

india's space program has put a probe into orbit around mars. previously only the u.s., the former soviet union and europe's space program had made missions to the red planet. india's the first asian country to reach the milestone and did it on a small budget. we have the report from new delhi. >> reporter: went up on wednesday morning in the indian space and research organization in bangalore, southern india. scientists sent signals to the probe to fire thrusters which adjusted its speed and direction. the later received signals from the probe which had traveled more than 650 million kilometers indicating it had entered martian orbit. the mars orbiter mission was launched in november last year. it is informally known as mars

craft in san cryskritanskrit. it took nearly four months for the craft to reach the vicinity of mars. it's a feat that neither japan or china has achieved. india has succeeded at its first attempt. the prime minister was at the command center to witness the event. he said that india has become a leading nation in space development with technology it has developed itself. >> history has been created today. we have reached out into the unknown and have achieved the near impossible. >> reporter: the mars orbiter mission marks a new era in the country's five decades of space development. the project is sure to boost india's national prestige. >> it is a very big achievement

for india, i mean, we are feeling very proud to be indian, proud to be born in a country who can do anything. >> reporter: the mission cost only $74 million. nasa's martian probe which entered the martian orbit on sunday cost ten times more. the government of prime minister modi has got an extra boost from the access to accelerate the space program and with low cost on its side indian wants to be a competitive player in the space technology market worth over $300 billion. nkh world new delhi. it's time for a check of the weather. people in tokyo are dealing with rainy and windy weather conditions this morning. we learn how it's looking elsewhere. >> yes, exactly. speaking of umbrellas on my way into work considering the wind i actually saw a few of those floating down the streets out

here, it's all due to the leftovers which was fungwong an extra tropical storm but it is definitely bringing the gusty winds and heavy rains. take a look at this wakayama 106 kilometer winds reported out there. towards the east we've also been seeing upwards about 209 meters of precipitation but what i want to show you is farth to the east because we've been seeing heavy rainfall around the nagoya area and let's look at a video here because if you are traveling through the city this morning especially taking the subway it probably is going to -- well, not happen or at least it's going to be a slow go because we've already been being flooding out here. about 70 millimeters reported in three hours in the same area actually not in nagoya but 98 millimeters reported in a one-hour period and the firefighters out there trying to clean up this mess but commuters definitely having a slow go and this is likely impacting your rush hour. let's take a look at the forecast, though, because this storm system still pulling off

towards the northeast. if you are in tokyo expect more rainfall here on your thursday morning. some areas as much as 150 millimeters could fall around the plains and then this is going to continue to track northeast. so by thursday afternoon into friday morning. improving conditions across japan. but i know that this storm system still ongoing. a lot of you, though, are turning your attention down here towards the southeast because we have a new tropical storm. this is kamuri. the thing with this forecast, though, it looks rather grim. it looks like it's making a straight line towards japan but the thing that's going to be happening this is going to be impacting the islands about 4,000 people that live out here and what we'll see is a trough coming in from the west so this should turn toward the northeast and miss mainland japan. still a long-range forecast on that. a lot of time to watch this and we'll definitely keep a very close eye on that. still showers across southeastern china at this time as well. actually taipei you'll see rain showers and afternoon storms blowing up across the tropics

but at least staying relatively dry from shanghai to seoul. moving to the americas this is the big topic out here. look at this storm system an autumn low spinning off the coast of british columbia and the cold front attached to it it's been bringing rainfall and gusty winds up and down the northwestern coastline. you see all the lines really close together. that's indicating the high winds but the big problem has been in the southwest. you've been seeing the gusty winds and it's also been very dry so fire weather there. but all that heat has been transporting towards the northeast. you remember a few weeks ago we were talking snow around calgary and central portions of canada and north dakota and wisconsin and montana. the thing that's happening now it feels like it's back to summer. look at this, winnipeg, 31 there for your high on your thursday, nearly 10 degrees -- over 10 degrees above your average. rapid city up to 32. billings at 33. all due to those southwesterly winds that ridge of high pressure keeping things warm out there. but on the flip side of that, that troughing, the other side

of the jet stream, dips down so if you are traveling to washington, d.c., and over through new york, be ready for the possibility of some delays or at least have an umbrella ready because it will be wet out there and even that threat of flash flooding. leave you now with your extended forecast.

we have breaking news at this hour. japan's foreign minister says japanese officials will meet with north korean counterparts later this month. we spoke to reporters in new york, and he says officials from pyongyang are expected to update the status of their investigation into the fates of japanese nationals abducted by the north decades ago and other missing japanese. the talks are to be held in china on september 29th. now, once again japan's foreign minister said japanese officials will meet with north korean counterpart later this month, pyongyang, they are expected to update the status of their investigation in to the fates of japanese nationals abducted by the north decades ago and other japanese. we will be updating you with more details on this story as they come in. thanks for joining us. we'll be back at the top of the hour.

♪ ♪ a movement against the chinese movement is growing in hong kong. in july, 510,000 people took to the streets, demanding that beijing respect hong kong's free society. hong kong returned to chinese rule in 1997, under the one country two system policy, residents received a high degree of autonomy.