glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. officials with russia's defense military say their military has launch air strikes against islamic state militants in syria. president vladimir putin says they will be supporting the syrian army in its fight against extremists. a ministry spokesperson said the air force targeted the group's military equipment. putin said they will provide air support but not participate in ground operations. he suggested the air strikes will help prevent terrorism in his country. he referred to russians who have joined the group in syria. he says if the militants succeed, they will return back

home. early on wednesday, russia's upper chamber of parliament authorized putin to deploy troops. ash carter expressed concern that russia may attack other forces. >> it does appear that there were probably not isil forces. >> carter says the u.s. will start talks with russia to prevent unintended clashes between their militaries. minstorm -- ministers resumed negotiations wrapping up

first day of talks in about 40 minutes and agreed to a broad agreement boo iholding negotiations on points of contention between individual countries. >> we are making progress but not enough to close it anytime soon. >> the ministers are meeting for the first time since july. they are trying to overcome disfreedi disagreements on a variety of issues including patent protections for drugs and tariffs for drug products and auto parts. japan's top negotiator called on members to resolve all pending issues and hammer out a deal. he said the negotiations could go adrift if they are not concluded this time. >> translator: the countries want to make this meeting our last. >> he added he wants to leave the difficult negotiations in mind with japan's national

interests. the foreign ministers of japan and south korea have agreed to work together to realize a three-way summit with china. japan's foreign minister and his counterpart met in new york on the sidelines of the united nations meeting. the was their eighth meeting. they discussed the timing and agenda for the proposed summit. the three countries aim to schedule the meeting for late october or early november in south korea. yoshida says japan also wants to hold the first one on one talks between prime minister abe and south korean leader park. reportedly made no mention of preconditions or other terms for the talks. a senior japanese diplomat who sat with the foreign ministers says japan and south korea haven't yet agreed to hold a bilateral summit. investigators in china are reportedly hunting for a man in connection with more than a dozen bomb attacks.

they say at least seven people are dead and dozens injured after the series of blasts rocked a city in southwestern china. the state-run xinhua news agency says the suspect is a 33-year-old man from liuzhou in the guangxi zhang autonomous region. "xinhua" says the deadly blast that occurred across the city also left two people missing and at least 51 others hurt. all of the explosions reportedly struck around 4:00 p.m. local time on wednesday. people posted pictures on weibo, the chinese version of twitter, that appeared to show the damage left by the explosions. authorities reportedly say parcel bombs went off at 17 locations, including a shopping mall and a local government building. officials in china have acknowledged detaining two japanese citizens for allegedly spying but are remaining tight lipped about both cases. >> translator: authorities have arrested two japanese nationals

on suspicion of spying in china. >> hong didn't reveal the identities of the pair or give any further details about what they allegedly did. sources told nhk that both japanese are men and that authorities took one into custody in may near a military facility in the eastern province. they say authorities believe he was involved in espionage and other criminal activities. authorities reportedly detained the other man near china's border with north korea and believe he was also involved with spying. sources say chinese authorities may have detained a third japanese citizen around the same time. japan's top government spokesperson commented on the two who are known to be in custody. >> translator: our diplomats in china are handling these cases in the appropriate manner to ensure the safety of our citizens. >> chinese leaders have been

cracking down hard on espionage. they enacted a new anti-spying law that makes it a potential crime. chinese authorities revealed they have been holding a u.s. business woman for half a year for similar reasons. bank of japan officials just released important data that tells us about the mood of business managers. >> it's a bit of a mixed picture. just explain the central bank's tankan survey covers sentiment of more than 11,000 firms. the mood has worsened from major manufacturers however improved for

lotes rr go let's go into details. the survey shows the headline index for big manufacturer sentiment is down three points from three months ago to plus 12, the first decline in three quarters. it is a bit of a different story for nonmanufacturers. now, looking at small sized firms sentiment for manufacturers was unchanged at zero. the index for small nonmanufacturers was down a point to plus three. now, let's see how this is affecting the markets. the reaction to the tankan survey let's go to the tokyo stock exchange. how are the markets reacting this morning? >> well, the tankan business survey was lower than estimates a day after an unexpected decline in industrial production. we are seeing disappointing numbers in japan. stock markets are kicking off

the month in the positive with the nikkei at 17,421. for the month the nikkei lost nearly 8% in september. you can see that stocks are on a down trend and the same thing is happening in new york. u.s. stocks saw relief rally yesterday. the volatility is likely to continue here in tokyo this month, as well. analysts were expecting the bull run to continue because they are confident. with renewed uncertainties earnings might come in slightly or below initial expectations. one dealer i spoke to said the nhk nikkei is unlikely to move lower.

>> how about currencies? traders expecting the dollar to move higher or lower this month? a bit of a broad question. >> basically stock analysts and currency dealers are saying that there is too much uncertainty. here is how the dollar/yen moved. it's a bit sluggish. one i spoke to said the dollar will be around 120 yen this month because the chinese economy is not doing well. we don't know how much of an impact the volukswagen candle will have. the green back is likely to stay below 123 yen. other markets in the asia pacific region we are seeing a mixed start of the month but fairly positive. south korea slightly in the negative but australia opening up. shanghai and hong kong have entered the long holidays but we

are expecting numbers from china in about an hour. that's it from me for now. >> reporting for us live from the tokyo stock exchange. now, nippon steel reached a settlement over a damage suit filed three years ago. the japanese company claimed posco claimed technology. officials at the japanese steel maker say posco agreed to pay about $250 million. they say they dropped the case. filed suit with the tokyo district court in 2012. the company demanded about 100 billion yen in damages claiming the rival obtained manufacturing technology for special metal products. the steel officials say the company largely achieved the original purpose of the lawsuit. today we present the second

segment in our series on japan's aging society. we visit a small business driven by special skills and life experiences that only grandmas can offer. >> this company is called grandma's laboratory. some of the employees are in their 60s or older. the company specializes in goods for older people taking care of their grandchildren. they were developed with the help of elderly people themselves. this is one of the products, a bag with an unusual attachment. the tether is for a young child to hold on to to help them spend time together more comfortably. this is another popular item, a cushion making it easy for elderly people to support an infant's head and neck. the company's president, she saw great potential in the business

that would utilize the skills of elderly women in her neighborhood. >> translator: i want to keep developing, making and selling new products. it would be great if that gave older people the chance to make some money. >> reporter: she has made an effort oo match each employee's skills to the work they do. workers get paid about $1.50 for each sewing task. embroidery pays about $1.20. sewing buttons earns about 12 cen cents. last year government officials recognized it as one of 300 small to medium sized companies making a particularly impressive effort. yet the company has been struggling to increase its sales. her initial plan was to pay each employee about $400 a month but now the typical monthly paycheck

is just $80. >> translator: we need to hit certain sales targets before we can raise pay. we are going to have to do that by promoting our brand better. >> reporter: most of the sales have been over the internet. she is now looking to expand to brick and mortar shops. to boost sales and familiarize consumers with her unique products she began bundling them together. she consulted with experts to design a new baby bottle. she visited a research laboratory in tokyo. she is hoping to find a way to make a bottle that elderly people would find easy to use. after much trial and error the team decided on an hexagonal shape allowing people with weaker grips to hold the bottle more securely and increased the size of the writing to make liquid measurement easier to read.

>> translator: i want to keep working until i am 100 years old until i become a grandmother. >> reporter: she says she is happy that her company can help elder leworkers make ends meet but knows it is important to give them new zest for life by allowing them to use their special skills and experiences. tune in tomorrow for the third installment in our business of aging series. we meet a greoup of elderly entrepreneurs. i will leave you with another check on the markets.

arab coalition forces say they have seized an iranian fishing boat in the arabian sea carrying weapons for insurgents in yemen. shia rebels in yemen supported by iran have been fighting the government of president abd-rabbu mansour hadi. a statement by the saudi-led coalition, which is supporting the hadi administration, says 14 iranian sailors were detained on the boat. coalition says the iranians were carrying anti-tank missiles, shells and launchers. it says documents were found on the boat indicating the vessel was checked by customs officials in a southeastern iranian province. the coalition has been accusing iran of smuggling weapons to yemeni insurgents and has imposed a maritime blockade in nearby waters. saudi arabia and iran have been blaming each other over the crisis in syria and the recent fatal stampede near mecca.

many iranian pilgrims died in the incident near the muslim holy city in saudi arabia. a vocal critic of japan's new security legislation has received a death threat. the new laws allow japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. the university student is a leading member of a group opposed to the laws enacted in september. the university and other sources say another university received a letter addressed to okuda on september 24th. it contained a threat to kill okuda and his family members. okuda and other students launched a protest group called students emergency action for liberal democracy or s.e.a.l.d. in may. they organized protests against the government-sponsored security legislation outside the diet building. okuda also appeared at a hearing to share his views on the legislation.

okuda has filed a complaint with police. he tweeted that he doesn't understand why his family has also been threatened. the university said in a statement that the threat is an unforgivable act against freedom of speech. the university is taking measures to ensure the safety of its students, teachers and officials. 70 years ago when war raged across asia, almost no one was out of harm's way, a japanese group is trying to heal some of the emotional scars that remain. its members are using video recollections to connect victims in the philippines with former japanese soldiers. nhk world's atsuko iwasaki reports. >> reporter: naoko jin trains her camera on japanese that were in the philippines during war

time. she's been recording their testimony for over ten years. >> translator: they're in their 80s and 90s in the final stages of life. they want to express their deepest feelings while there is still time. i want to make sure they're recorded. >> reporter: japanese and american troops engaged in fierce fighting across the philippines. it was strategic territory. over a million filipinos are believed to have died, mostly civilians. early in her life, jin knew next to nothing about the scourge of war in asia. but then during a study tour 15 years ago, jin met a filipino woman.

she shouted a japanese soldier had murdered her husband during the war, and she wanted nothing to do with the japanese. jin was left speechless by the woman's anger still burning after more than half a century. jin later heard about a former japanese soldier who blamed himself for his brutality all the way to the day he died. >> translator: i had assumed only filipino people would still be living with the pain of war. but i found that people in japan were suffering, too. it was quite a revelation. >> reporter: jin started collecting interviews with former soldiers in 2004. some wanted to finally come out and tell people about the feelings of guilt they had carried for so long.

[ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: jin and her colleagues have conducted more than 280 interviews. each year they screen a number of the videos in the philippines. many residents stay away, but some come to watch and to see if they can come to terms with the horrible memories. >> my father was killed. my sister, my grandfather, and

my nephew. but those things were in the past. we forgive what they have done. >> war sometimes make men crazy. not because they want to, but because they are forced to. maybe if things were reversed, maybe i would be the same as them. >> reporter: jin is also reaching out to younger people in japan. she wants them to know what happened to the war generation and to think for themselves. >> translator: i can't get the image of people killing out of my mind. it must be painful for the victims and for the soldiers.

war is a very cruel thing. >> translator: we need to take the history of what happened to heart. i believe it's our responsibility to deliver our seven decades of peace to the next generation intact. >> reporter: jin sees the next step as collecting testimony about war experiences in south korea and china. person to person, past to present and future. naoko jin hopes eventually to build bridges to peace. atsuko iwasaki, nhk world. people in tokyo are getting to work or school in cooler weather conditions. mai shoji joins us.

>> many in japan are seeing the coolest morning so far for the season. nothing to worry about the for the morning hours in the metropolitan area but a different story tarting evening and afternoon hours. it's not done yet. not over yet. it actually became different system, a low pressure system with sagging cold front. it is bringing stormy conditions out there and over the sea of japan likely to develop even furger. if you look at these isolated iso bars. by friday it is dropping at much as 952 about typhoon strength. we are looking at the cold front sagging down across the hole --

whole. on to 26 down below here in any of these locations and 108. this is enough to damage power lines and trees and also knock things over in the outdoor area. if you have any unsecure belongings on your balcony do secure them because not only may you lose it but it could drop on people's heads. the waves are very high for the rest of the day today. you can see engulf much of the country with about 250 millimeters of additional rainfall that could cause flooding, too. something to worry about in the overnight hours into friday. things should be tapering off by the noon hours tomorrow. down below we have tropical depression. you are getting very heavy rainfall as well as thunderstorms over the next couple of days. nothing to worry about here in

china and cmongolia. there are frost advisories. beijing looking at 22 degrees. lots of rain here on our thursday. across the americas this is another area where precipitation is a huge problem. we have been already seeing record breaking amounts of rainfall across the eastern coast and still happening here because of the moisture pulled in from joaquin. joaquin could make its way towards northern areas. it is too early to predict but it is certain that it is bringing hurricane warnings across the bahamas likely to continue and likely to become a major hurricane. so it is going to be developing over the record-breaking warmth of the sea surface water. the gusts are reaching 167 kilometers per hour in the center of the system and then it may make its way towards the mid atlantlanatlantic states. people are preparing even though

it's too early to predict the path. people are here along the coast, sand bags stacked along coastal dunes to protect beachfront property. it's a very good idea to be doing so because into the next few days looking at tstaggering amounts of rainfall. there are risks of flash floods. i will leave you now for a look at the extended forecast.

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

steves: the dramatic rock of cashel is one of ireland's most evocative sites.

this was the seat of ancient irish kings for seven centuries. st. patrick baptized king aengus here in about 450 a.d. in around 1100, an irish king gave cashel to the church, and it grew to become the ecclesiastical capital of all ireland. 800 years ago, this monastic community was just a chapel and a round tower standing high on this bluff. ay, over the plain of tipperary, called the golden vale because its rich soil makes it ireland's best farmland. on this historic rock, you stroll among these ruins in the footsteps of st. patrick, and wandering through my favorite celtic cross graveyard, i feel the soul of ireland.

>> hello and welcome to "in good shape" here on dw. today we'll focus on a special training program, which doesn't train your muscles but you brain. improving memory can be fun and we have a real expert on the subject with us in the studio, boris nikolai konrad. dr. konrad, you've been ranked among the top 10 memory competitors in the world for the last decade. it's an honor to have you with us on in good shape. welcome. before we get talking let's take a quick look at what els