glad you can join us for nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. more than 200,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the mediterranean this way on the way to europe. they're experiencing the biggest influx. the office of the high commissioner tor refugees said thousands of people have reached europe from the middle east and africa. 124,000 arrived in greece, and 98,000 in italy. they say more and more syrian refugees are heading to greek islands by way of turkey. they say 1.8 million syrians have fled to turkey.

they're urging greek authorities to improve conditions at refugee camps. >> i've never seen a situation like that. i've never seen a situation like that. this is european union and this is totally shameful. >> greek prime minister alexis tsipras said his country can't handle so many migrants while it's tackling an economic crisis. >> translator: greece is facing a crisis within a crisis. the influx is beyond what our state infrastructure can handle. >> tsipras is asking the european union to help. north korean state media say their country will soon have its own time zone. they say leaders will launch it next week to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of japanese colonial rule. north korea will put itself 30 minutes behind south korea and japan.

>> the same time zone was established on the korean peninsula in 1908. it was replaced in 1912 after the japanese had annexed the territory. state-run media say japanese imperialists committed an unpardonable crime. they say bringing back their country's own standard time will protect the will of the people. pyongyang time will begin on august 15th. analysts say north korean leaders are using to incite nationalism and strengthen national unity. japanese coast guard officials are looking below the waves at a reminder of wartime history. they found what they say are more than 20 submarines for what was then the imperial navy. they believe the biggest sale by any country during world war ii

may be among them. the researchship kaio appeared to what was 24 vessels off the coast of japan. they're scattered over an area 4 kilometers by 2. the biggest is about 120 meters long 15 meters wide and 10 meters high. coast guard officials say it coulding be the largest submarine since world war ii. they're conducting sonar survey off the islands. another japanese vessel attracting attention this year is the battleship that was sank in 1944. researchers led by microsoft co-founder paul allen said they found her in march off the philippines. plans to relocate the u.s.

marine corps futenma air station within okinawa has created disagreement. they're scheduled to meet next week for intensive talks on the issue. prime minister shinzo abe says he hopes it will deepen mutual understanding. the central government has decided to halt all work to relocate the base for one month. starting next week. during that time the focus will be on resolving the standoff. he hopes negotiators will be able to discuss what lies behind the issue, and better understand each other's positions. >> translator: i don't think we have ever had thorough discussions on the history and deterrence of okinawa. i'd like to hear what government officials think about these issues, and also i will tell them our views on the matter.

>> translator: we'll explain our plans to remove the risk involving the futenma base and the relocation plan. we'll do all we can to reduce okinawa's burden. >> the central government and the u.s. have agreed to move the air station to a less populated coastal area within okinawa. people in charge of a nuclear power plant in southern japan plan to restart one of their reactors on tuesday. this will be the first to be back online under tougher regulations after the fukushima accident in march 2011. spokespersons for kyushu electric power company said the number one reactor at the sendai plant is under inspection by the regulation authority. the final test required for the restart are scheduled for monday. and if everything is fine they intend to turn on the reactor the next day. they say they'll exercise the

utmost caution as the facility has been offline for more than four years. local residents are worried about the safety of the plant. dozens of people gathered in front of it to show their opposition to the restart. they say an accident like the one at fukushima could occur in their neighborhood. >> translator: the power company is restarting the plant, even though polls suggest that a majority of people oppose it, we will protest until the end. >> prime minister abe sought public understanding in friday's diet session. >> translator: the government's policy is to proceed with the restart of nuclear plants that satisfy some of the world's toughest regulations, while seeking understanding from the local people. >> abe said he wants the regulators to strictly follow the required steps.

relatives of chinese passengers on the missing malaysia airlines flight mh-370 vented their frustration on friday. they staged a protest near the malaysian embassy near beijing. they're accusing the malaysian government of withholding information about the missing plane and the recent discovery of debris. about 50 chinese relatives took part in the protests. over 150 of the plane's passengers were chinese. that's more than half. mh-370 went missing while flying from kuala lumpur to beijing in march last year. protesters say they're dissatisfied with thursday's announcement by malaysian officials about the debris. they say they haven't been given a proper explanation. >> translator: no one at malaysia airlines has been held

accountable for the disappearance. >> a piece of a wing was discovered last week on the french island of reunion in the indian ocean. malaysia's prime minister said it belonged to mh-370. some family members in china say they want more detailed answers. chinese authorities normally keep on-street demonstrations under strict control, but this time officials allowed protesters to chant and hold sit-ins. they did bar them from getting near the malaysian embassy by closing a road. people in the united states are getting more opportunities to work. employers in the nonfarm sector have added more than 200,000 new jobs for the third straight month. u.s. labor department officials say that in july employers added

215,000 nonfarm jobs. this is seen as a signal that a solid recovery is continuing in the u.s. job markets. average hourly earnings have risen by 2.1% from a year earlier. the unemployment rate is unchanged at 5.3%. some analysts say policymakers at the federal reserve could raise the key interest rates as early as september at their meeting. fed officials have hinted they will raise interest rates before year end if employment and inflation figures improve. bank of japan policymakers have kept their positive view on the nation's economy. and voted to maintain the monetary easing program. they say japan's economy has continued to recover moderately. the officials released a report after wrapping u it says private consumption has been resilient. and that exports and industrial production have been picking up despite some fluctuations. they say capital investment has

been on a moderate increasing trend on the back of improving corporate profits. their assessment of housing investment has been slightly modified. they said earlier it has started to pick up. they now say it has been picking up. the policymakers decided to maintain the massive easing program to achieve the bank's goal of 2% inflation. the decision by a majority vote of 8-1 comes even though the consumer price index is still far from the target. it has been hovering about the same level as a year ago. but bank officials say prices are moving in an upward trend and will gather pace in or after autumn this year. the bank of japan governors say the economy will rebound from weak exports and private consumption seen in the april to june quarter. >> translator: we have been hearing reports that point to an upbeat trend in sales for a variety of items on the back of

the improved income and employment situation. we need hard data for july to confirm this but i think consumer spending has been on a solid footing. >> kuroda says he expects the u.s. and other major economies to maintain solid growth. he predicted this will benefit emerging economies, and that japan's weakness in exports and imports will be temporary. he said export production will recover mildly. u.s. secretary of state john kerry on friday attended a ceremony in hanoi marking 20 years of normalized diplomatic diplomatic relations with the united states. >> this is the 40th anniversary of the end of the vietnam war. and kerry is a veteran of that conflict. vietnam was his final stop on a five-nation tour of the middle east and southeast asia including three days of

asean-related meetings in malaysia. kerry's visit was symbolically important for both countries. the former enemies are drawing closer. >> they voluntarily dug up their own rice paddies. they let us into their homes. into their history houses. into their prisons even. and on more than one occasion they guided us across what were quite literally minefields. >> the u.s. is seeking closer ties with vietnam amid china's growing presence in the asia-pacific region. but the communist country's human rights record could become a stumbling block. >> even as we respect the different political systems, we also have grounds for discussion. without theimplementation

constitution effects, the role of journalists, legal reform and what it means to observe and practice what our commitments require in principle. >> after his meeting with vietnam's deputy prime minister and foreign minister kerry mentioned the issue of china's actions in the south china sea, including beijing's massive reclamation of the disputed reef. he said thursday at the forum, several asean members said they decided not to reclaim the areas in the south china sea. more people died in a series of aftershocks. it seems many people whose homes were still standing after the first quake didn't realize they were actually close to collapse.

here's the report on an ambitious project to keep survivors safe. >> reporter: this woman is an international ngo. she specializes in assessing disaster zones. many survivors of earthquakes have no choice but to keep living in the damaged homes. some tried repairing them on their own using damaged bricks. >> translator: i'm really frustrated. i want to offer advice and support. >> reporter: after the first quake, tokuchi drew up an ambitious plan to prevent more deaths from aftershocks. they advised residents whether

their homes were safe to live in. after that they started reinforcing safe homes, something never done before in nepal. she cooperated with the local energy engineers. 40 people applied. >> if we can provide them with accurate information on what the basis of their housing, we are able to give them -- they're able to make informed decisions on whether to use that building or not. and that i think, is very important in preventing second disasters. >> most of the people have been affected. >> reporter: they go to a mountain village near kathmandu in july.

the areas have still not been officially assessed. they were told their house might collapse. the earthquake made cracks. >> translator: what's the material? >> translator: the first floor is clay and the second floor is cement. >> translator: slis there any damage to the walls on the second floor? >> translator: the researchers noted some ground subsidence. but they determined the house was safe. >> translator: now i feel at ease living in this house. nobody had come to check it before. >> translator: my goal is to help nepalese people to make their house safe to live in. i hope nepal will become such a country.

>> reporter: she has assisted more than 3,000 quake-hit houses over the past month. she's working hard so fewer lives are wasted when unsafe buildings collapse. nhk world, kathmandu. that wraps up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. china is home to more than 500 million smartphone users. the hand-held devices have made people's lives much more convenient, yet a growing number of users want to get away from their ever-increasing dependence on smartphones. here's more. >> reporter: an unusual hiking tour was held outside beijing in july. the owner of a salon organizes

outdoor activities each month that are enjoyed by dozens of people. during their break, participants were asked to hand over their smartphones to remove themselves from an information saturated society. ♪ >> reporter: they then sip tea while listening to a harp performance. >> translator: enjoying nature through our outdoor activities help people switch gears. then they get their phones back and go back to their routines feeling refreshed. >> reporter: there is a good reason why people like juan come to heal. they need to stay away from smartphones.

even for a short while. >> translator: i check my smartphone once every minute if i have time. i just do it as a habit. >> translator: i feel like i'm missing a lot of information if i don't check all the time. >> reporter: earlier this year a graphic designer living in beijing realized how much time he was wasting staring at his phone. now the first thing he does every morning is switch off his e-mail alert. he decided to check his smartphone no more than three times a day. he says he no longer gets distracted, and can use his time more efficiently. there is an online movement for the connection to the network.

>> translator: all of us living in urban areas are experiencing similar issues. we're feeling things like i need to relax, or i want to get away from the busy life. >> reporter: one beijing based restaurant chain is running a campaign that talks about the issue of smartphone addiction. it's offering up to 60% discount at its restaurants on mondays to customers who meet one condition. >> translator: hello. today we're offering a campaign to help you enjoy your meal. you put your mobile phones into this box and seal it. if you do not open the box, you can get the discount. >> reporter: the company launched the campaign after seeing many customers use smartphones during their meals. >> translator: i saw some customers taking photos or chatting on their phones even

while they were sitting with their relatives or friends. they didn't care about the people they were with. i was shocked. so i came up with this campaign. >> reporter: company officials say more than 80% of their customers agreed to participate in the campaign. >> translator: this is a great campaign. they should enjoy face-to-face conversations. >> reporter: but some people are not sure if they can get through a meal without their phone. >> translator: i can be patient. i guess i can be while i eat. but i'd be in a hurry. >> translator: i'd eat my meal quickly and then ask to get my phone back. then i'd check my messages. >> reporter: it's given people a chance to reexamine their lifestyle.

nhk world, beijing. 70 years ago this month, the first atomic bombings in history occurred. hiroshima was the first city to be attacked and then three days later nagasaki. some people were exposed to radiation from both bombs. very little has been written about tleshese double victims. recently nhk spoke with one of them. here's the report. >> reporter: a note from a survivor, a first-person account of what happened in both cities. in the summer of 1945. >> translator: the flash of light was blinding. hot air came blowing towards me. it was like a living hell.

>> reporter: it was written by this 82-year-old. when the bomb fell he was at home in hiroshima. about 1 1/2 kilometers from the center. he went to seek shelter in nagasaki. by the time he arrived, the bomb had already fallen there, too. for decades, he avoided recounting his experience. >> translator: from a distance the city seemed covered by black smoke. people were burned there. just like the victims in hiroshima. i broke out in goose bumps. >> translator: very few people went through it twice. talking about it would have only brought discrimination. >> reporter: he has plenty of

time to think. he was in a hospital in nagasaki for surgery. the view from the window set off horrific memories. he remembered the scene at the station in nagasaki. just after he arrived from hiroshima. >> translator: i survived the bombing in hiroshima. but when i got to nagasaki, it was like approaching hell. bodies were lying all over the place. there was nowhere to walk. >> reporter: only 18 people are known to have experienced the suffering in both cities. they're working to preserve the testimony of the survivors. >> translator: i was surprised to find out he had been exposed twice.

70 years have gone by. no one else has come forward after so much time. >> reporter: she paid a visit to him in the hospital. >> translator: hello. i'm also an atomic bomb survivor. >> translator: really? nagasaki? >> translator: yes. i was surprised when i heard that you were in both places. would you be willing to tell me about your experience? >> translator: little-- >> reporter: little by little, he opened up. >> translator: a woman beside me extended her hand, and begged for water. so i gave her some. she drank it and said, thank you.

after a while, she stopped moving. i looked over. she was dead. i thought maybe i was responsible. and that made me worry for a while. >> translator: i know what you mean. we were told we shouldn't give victims water because if we did, they would die. but we only learned that later on. >> translator: somehow i overcame the adversity 70 years ago. >> reporter: he found his way to his grandparents' home. >> translator: you did a good job of surviving. >> reporter: now he's decided it's time to tell what he knows. in that way, the story can be retold. even after he no longer is able to tell it himself.

nhk world, nagasaki. our special coverage of the war 70 years on will continue throughout the summer. here is the weekend weather forecast. that's all we have this hour on "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. thank you for watching, and have a good day.

host: whether the european union can agree on a common policy on migrants or not, people fleeing from conflict, oppression, and dire poverty will keep coming. we report on the situation in south sudan. hello and welcome to global 3000. here's what we have coming up for you over the next half-hour. south sudan faces yet more violence. how the world's newest nation battles with old conflicts. argentina's pampas -- where environmentalists work with

cattle farmers. and -- nightmare climate funds. how a hydrodam project threatens to drive panama's indigenous people from their lands. when u.n. troops get deployed,