hello there and welcome to "newsline." it is thursday, may 28th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. islamic state militants have been locked in a bloody battle with government forces and executed several people in a syrian city of palmyra in an effort to control the region. iraqi troops launched an offensive on tuesday. they are pushing toward ramadi in an effort to retake the western province of anbar. but islamic state militants

exploded cars outside fallujah killing 17 soldiers. the city is 60 kilometers east of ramadi. in palmyra the militants have executed people in an unesco world heritage site. they executed the men in front of a crowd of people they gathered. syria's state-n tv reported the insurgents have killed more than 400 residents including women and children. american authorities have indicted nine officials from football's world governing body in a massive corruption probe. they suspect the fifa members accepted bribes totaling $150 million. swiss police arrested seven of them in zurich at the request of u.s. judicial authorities. they were to attend a fifa meeting in the city. u.s. justice department officials say the indicted two fifa vice presidents, jeffrey

webb of the cayman islands, and eugenio figueredo of uruguay. the nine members are suspected of taking kickbacks from sports media and advertising firms from the early 1990s to the present day. in return, the officials are suspected of having given favors in connection with broadcasting sponsorship and other rights for matches held in latin america. the payments were reportedly made through u.s. banks. u.s. attorney general loretta lynch says those indicted have tainted the sport. >> they were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest and to protect the integrity of the game. instead, they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves. >> five executives from american and argentine sports marketing firms who allegedly paid bribes have also been indicted. a fifa spokesperson says the organization filed complaints last november with swiss judicial authorities. they say it was in connection with suspected wrongdoing in the selection processes for the

world cup in russia in 2018 and in qatar in 2022. officials with the european union could face stiff opposition for their plan to resettle refugees from syria and eritrea. they've proposed member countries accept 40,000 of them. that's as more migrants cross the mediterranean sea for europe. the commission wants them to take in more asylum seekers over the next two years much the quotas would be based on population and economic levels. eu officials say they have prioritized refugees from syria and eritrea because many of them need to be protected from nflict, opprsionr vert to win appr f the proposal at a summit next mo but it may be difficult as many member countries are opposed to forced acceptance of refugees. u.n. secretary ban ki-moon has welcomed the eu plan. he says it's a step in the right

direction. >> their priority should be giving to life saving and strengthening search and rescue. >> but ban is less enthusiastic for a european proposal to deroy smuggler's boats. it would be part of a crackdown on human traffickers targeting migrants. it might take away one of the only means that migrants have to escape. britain's queen elizabeth ii says that the public should be asked if they would like to stay part of the eu. she laid out her plans to the parliament. she delivered a speech written by david cameron's government. one of the main focuses is how to deal with their current eu membership. >> early legislation will be introduced to provide for an referendum on membership of the european union behave the end of

2017. >> the queen also said more autonomy will be granted to scotland as promised before last year's scottish independence referendum. >> my government will also bring forward legislation to secure a long and lasting constitutional settlement. >> cameron addressed the house of commons after her speech. he says the timing is ripe for a vote on their status with the eu. currency traders were exchanging one dollar for 124 yen overnight. that is the most the dollar was worth since before the financial crisis. ai uchida has more background on this. >> we have seen the dollar have momentum behind it. we saw it last week go from 119 to 121 yen. but on friday that's when we saw

the buying kick in. the dollar shot up overnight to 124 yen. that's a level we haven't seen since 2007. right now, the dollar has backed off a bit. trading at 123.70-75. what did yellen have to say? hiking the central bank's key interest rate by the end of the year might be the right thing to do. higher interest rates make a currency more attractive because investors get more bang for their buck. but yellen said that policymakers will make their move should the u.s. economy continue to improve. but if the economy does indeed get stronger that is another reason for investors to park their money there. to see how the weak yen is affecting the japanese stock markets, mayu yoshida joins us from the tokyo took exchange. >> now we're seeing less

correlation between the weak yen and share prices. but the weak yen will definitely boost export-related shares. and we're seeing a very strong start in tokyo right now. shares are on their way to extend their rally into a tenth day. the nikkei is opening at $20,588 and the topix is at 1,669. let's see how wall street ended on wednesday. the dow jones rose .7% and the tech-heavy nasdaq closed at 5,106 thanks to a big rally in tech stocks. stocks recovered tuesday's losses after sentiments that greece and international creditors are in progress to draft a staff-level agreement. this probably helped tokyo markets. i'll keep track of tech shares

especially sony since it announced it will cut about $720 million in costs over two years in its smartphone business. and other stocks i will track is yamada holdings after announcing a new online service. >> the dollar hit 124 yen and backed off a big. give us an update where it is now. >> it is losing that momentum because now the dollar is around 123.74. but given that it was 119 yen just a few weeks ago, you can tell that it is still pretty strong. and a senior currency dealer i talked to said that the dollar could reach 130 yen by year end because the u.s. will probably raise rates while japan may launch easing measures. moving on to the euro. it's at 1.0890 against the dollar overnight. but it is inching up as greece's

debt situation prompted some to buy back the euro. the shanghai composite rose to a seven-year high extending its gains to seven days. but other markets closed lower and some investors are concerned that a possible rate hike in the u.s. could trigger an outflow of money from asian markets. but i'll be back in a few hours. >> we'll check in with you then. finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the group of seven nations are gathering in germany. one of the top items on the agenda is the greek debt crisis. japan has sent taro aso. greece is struggling to get more bailout funding from eurozone member nations to avoid default. the participants are expected to discuss the crisis in ukraine which has divided russia and western nations.

aso plans to tell his colleagues that japan's economy is continuing a path of moderate recovery. he will stress the government is aiming to get its economy growing. the china proposed asian infrastructure investment bank will also be on the agenda. the founding members in the g 7 are germany, britain, france and italy. they are expected to exchange views with japan, the u.s. and canada which have not applied to join the aiib. before the meeting. >> translator: i want to refrain from commenting about foreign exchange rate levels and their movements. but i think it is most desirable that currency rates move stably. >> kuroda says that the exchange rates may be discussed at the meet bug he doesn't think it

will be high on the agenda. chief negotiators in the transpacific partnership free trade talks have wrapped up their latest round of talks. the officials are reportling some progress but they failed to narrow their differences over intellectual property rights. the meeting took place for 12 days through wednesday. they concluded talks on preventing standards for industrial products to become trade barriers. eight of 21 negotiation categories have been settled. some progress was made on correcting preferential treatment for state-owned businesses and rules for treating tariffs on individual sigh tells. but japan and u.s. negotiators failed to narrow differences over intellectual property rights including the period of protecting development data of pharmaceutical products. they decided to continue working level talks and hope it leads to

a meeting that aims to conclude the tpp pact. more for you next hour in business. you'll leave you with a check on markets. senior officials from the u.s., japan, and south korea are weighing a tough response to the latest provocation from pyongyang. they say they're considering fresh sanctions against north korea following reports it test fired a ballistic missile from a submarine. the u.s. special envoy for north korea policy, sung kim, said pyongyang's intention is clear. he warned against more military provocations. >> we agreed on the importance of enhancing pressure and

sanctions on north korea even as we keep all diplomatic options on the table and open. >> kim indicated he wants chinese leaders to pressure the north to abandon its nuclear and missile programs. kim will discuss the matter in beijing in a meeting with chinese envoy wu dawei. wu is the chair of the six-party talks on north korea's nuclear program. japanese lawmakers are debating bills that could bring a significant change to the nation's security policy. one focus is on the right to collective self-defense, the right to defend a closely related country under attack. previous governments maintain that japan has the right but its current constitution does not allow its use. prime minister shinzo abe's cabinet has reinterpreted the constitution to allow japan to use it under certain conditions. the government says there are three criteria. one, the attack on a foreign country threatens japan's survival. two, there is no other appropriate means available to

repel the attack. and three, the use of force should be limited to the minimum extent necessary. abe says the legislation is necessary to enhance deterrence in the increasingly tense security environment surrounding japan. political observers suggest he made a vague reference to china's activities in the south and east china seas. the acting opposition president of the largest opposition democratic party of japan asked abe if he's trying to change the country's exclusively defense-oriented policy. >> translator: if you are to include attacks on closely related countries, not only on japan, wouldn't it change the definition of the policy? >> translator: the exclusively defense-oriented policy will not change at all through the legislation. the use of force that would be allowed under the three new criteria is exclusively for self-defense.

>> abe said it is an exclusively defensive act to guard the nation when an armed attack on a closely related country threatens japan's survival and people's rights. the leader of another opposition party, japan innovation party, said the government seems to be hastily trying to pass the bills by the summer. >> translator: are we facing situations that require changing our traditional notion about the right of collective self-defense? >> translator: i won't name a particular country again and again, but there is a country in the asia-pacific region building up its military power. take what's happening in the south china sea or in the east china sea. it is important to preserve peace and stability by maintaining the military balance and deterrence. we should not show any seam in our defense. >> abe said he is committed to the legislation to prevent crises.

the u.s. and japan are ready to implement guidelines for defense cooperation agreed to last month. the incoming head of the u.s. pacific command has met with the chief of japan's self-defense forces to discuss specific steps. harry harris met with katsutoshi kawano. he is set to assume the post of head of the u.s. pacific command in hawaii this week. he is expected to face challenges in his new post, including dealing with china's activities in the south china sea. kawano says china's reclamation projects are drawing attention around the world. he says he looks forward to discussing the issue with harris in depth. harris is the first american with japanese ancestry to be chosen as the leader of the u.s. military in the asia-pacific region. the people who run some ngos in palau are working to clear some dangerous remnants of fierce fighting between japan and the u.s. during world war ii. they are trying to rid the

pacific island nation of unexploded bombs and they are also teaching a younger generation about the hazards the devices still pose. more from nhk world's shinosuke kawamaske >> reporter: the island of palau is home to 7,000 people. last november, this man discovered an exploded bomb close to his house. >> like very big smoke. and the smell of smoke. it's bad. >> reporter: the palau government asked a british ngo for help. since 2009, the ngo has been retrieving unexploded bombs in palau. the bomb disposal experts have international experience clearing bombs and they shared their expertise with the locals. on this day, the team are working in the jungle that

tourists sometimes pass through when visiting old battlegrounds. >> 37-millimeter, projectile heads, one, two, another one there, three, four. just as dangerous as they were the day they were made. >> reporter: the team found a meter-long unexploded bomb once dropped from a u.s. plane. the ngo has retrieved more than 35,000 explosive devices so far. the next day, the team received an emergency call from a local elementary school and rushed to the site. one of the pupils had brought an unexploded projectile into a classroom. luckily, it didn't explode. the team warned the children never to touch explosive devices. >> what are you going to do next

time? >> do not touch it. excellent. who are you gonna call? >> you. >> okay. our intention is clear ground is to give palau the ability to respond to that residual threat forever and ever. >> reporter: palau has some of the most famous diving spots in the world, but there are still many unexploded bombs lurking in the ocean. >> there is a real concern about exposure to the -- not only to the environment but to our visitors. >> reporter: the palau government is also receiving the assistance of a japanese npo, made up of former members of the japanese self-defense forces. today, the team is going to a spot popular with the tourists who enjoy diving. it is the site of a sunken japanese navy ship that is said to contain bombs.

>> translator: i hear that occasionally, divers take explosive devices as souvenirs. but they could explode if something hits them. >> reporter: and the explosions aren't at only danger with these bombs. poisonous substances can leak out of deteriorating bombs. they are not only hazardous to the environment, they can also give people rashes or make them blind. bombs with fuses attached could explode so the team puts them onto shore. when the team members find bombs they believe won't explode, they seal any cracks with a special material to keep poisonous substances from escaping. >> nobody knows for sure how many bombs are here. it will be a long battle to retrieve them all.

>> reporter: work continues to remove as many as possible of these reminders of the world. nhk world, palau island. other news, mongolian sumo wrestle terunofuji has been promoted to ozeki, the sport's second highest rank. the sumo association officially decided on the promotion. [ speaking foreign language ]. >> terunofuji won the may grand sumo tournament that ended on sunday winning 12 of 15 bouts. the 23-year-old made his professional debut in 2011. he practiced with yokozuna, or grand champion an older competitor in the same stable who is also from mongolia.

>> translator: i will work hard to attain the highest rank of grand champion. >> terunofuji is the fifth mongolian ozeki. people across parts of india continue to swelter under an intense heat wave. the number of deaths has climbed to more than 1200. the temperature in new delhi on wednesday rose to 46.3 degrees celsius. the daytime high in various parts of the country has been two to five degrees higher than usual over the past several days. most of the deaths have occurred in poor farming areas where people work outdoors. officials advise people to avoid going outside and advised medical institutions to prepare to treat more patients. residents need the weather to cool down even a little. so the question is whether will

they will get any more relief any time soon. mai shoji joins us from our weather desk. residents are really needing things to cool down, even a little. >> catherine, good question. we are looking at some southern areas with a cool down due to these rain clouds covering the area, however, the northern location, you don't really see those clouds at all, which means that the temperatures in the 40s will be continuing, at least probably in toward the weekend. now, may and june are the hottest months here in india, however, the temperatures touching 45 degrees consecutively has increased the past 15 years. we are looking at these kind of temperatures on wednesday high reported are these. again, another 45 range continuing and in pakistan at 47 degrees. as for thursday, we still have the most visual warnings in places in northeast. this means to take actions immediately but i know a lot of people are experiencing water shortages here in india. now, as i mentioned, the heat will continue all the way through your weekend into sunday. new delhi, we have this dust storm, so the visibility will also be low. maybe some dust devils as well.

kolkata will see temperatures in the 30s, still hot for those of you out here. and 46 all the way into saturday. these are the hostile heat. not for a month or two until the monsoonal season comes and covers much of the areas with precipitation that will make the cool down temperatures. as for japan, may is not the hottest of the year. but we are already seeing the sudden rise in temperatures and people are really having trouble dealing with these 30s. we call it the midsummer days when the temperatures reach 30s and 30% of the country actually saw much of these kind of numbers, even tokyo at 30.2. we have some images coming out from this location. the heat continues to settle over japan today and the mercury climbed to record breaking numbers on wednesday. numerous high temperature records were broken across the country.

and in one prefecture, it pushed near 35 degrees around 2 p.m. on wednesday. in tokyo, where this video is from, people were sweating and worried about the sudden rise in temperatures. there is over a dozen children taken to local hospitals due to heat stroke on wednesday. today with the temperatures pushing again near over 30s, the japan meteorological agency is advising people to drink a lot of water and to stay hydrated and to stay in cool shelters. we actually have a stationary boundary here in the south and that's gonna be pushing its way toward the north, making for afternoon showers and thunderstorms over the weekend. so, that's when we are going to likely see a cool down in temperatures. here in southern areas, that stationary boundary is stretching there. 162 millimeters have been reported in the past 24 hours. additional 80 millimeters could happen, another round of flooding could certainly be at high risk. these are the temperatures we are looking at across asia. beijing still heating up to 32

degrees. and seoul is also looking at some chances of heat stroke. there's some heat warnings in place at 31 degrees. out here across the americas, yet again, the arklatex is seeing that round of tornadoes sweeping across the area. we have numerous reports of tornadoes, at least 19 over the past couple of days much the cold front still sits here, which means we are looking at that upper level disturbance covering much of the eastern half of this country and we have some severe thunderstorms in forecasts across new york as well. that's ten degrees above the average range on your thursday. i will leave you now with the extended forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for staying with us.

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following organizations: source one management, american facility services group the national hispanic business information clearinghouse, and western union. ♪

hello, everybody and welcome to "latin view." i'm sherri vasquez. hispanic employment in the u.s. increased by almost one million between 2005 and 2006. now according to