♪ glad you can join us for nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. ministers from 12 countries in the asia-pacific region are trying to break a logjam in their push toward free trade. they've spent two days trying to agree on terms for one of the biggest deals in history -- the trans-pacific partnership. now they've given themselves an extra day. >> translator: we're starting to find clues for resolving the situation. >> one of the main sticking points is the period of patent protection for drugs developed using biotechnology. the united states was pushing for 12 years. other countries including

australia want the period shorter. japanese government sources say the americans are now offering to agree on ten years or less. u.s. president barack obama and australian prime minister malcolm turnbull spoke on the phone. they reaffirmed their commitment to concluding the talks soon. still, some negotiators say they can't make progress unless the u.s. makes more concessions. japanese negotiators are trying to keep the talks moving in another area. nhk has learned they're offering a concession over import tariffs on automobiles. countries can only make car imports tariff-free if a certain proportion of parts come from nations in the tpp. mexico and canada want that proportion relatively high. they're already committed to 70% in their free trade deal with the united states. the japanese want the proportion much lower. their country's automakers use a lot of parts from non-tpp countries such as thailand. japanese negotiators have been

pushing for 40%. sources say they're now suggesting 55. employers in the united states created fewer jobs than expected, with the figure dipping below the 200,000 mark for the second straight month. officials at the labor department said on friday that employers in the nonfarm sector added 142,000 jobs in september. the figure is well below the market consensus of an increase of around 200,000. growth of more than 200,000 jobs is seen as a signal that a solid recovery is continuing in the u.s. employment market. meanwhile, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.1%. that's unchanged from the previous month. the job data is the most important indicator when the federal reserve decides monetary policy. last month, policymakers at the central bank decided to leave the benchmark interest rate unchanged at near zero percent.

they held off on rate hikes to see whether concerns over china's economic slowdown and global financial instability might put a brake on growth. some market participants say that fed officials will have little choice but to be prudent when they discuss hiking the policy rate at one of the central bank's two remaining meetings this year. chinese police investigating a string of bombings reportedly say their suspect is dead in the a string of fatal bombings. 17 explosions happened wednesday and thursday in the southern city of liuzhou. they killed at least 10 people and wounded 51. police said wednesday they were searching for a man they believed responsible. state-run xinhua news agency quotes them as saying that dna tests show he died in one of the blasts. they told xinhua the man had disputes with neighbors and local authorities.

they said he threw explosives at some of his targets and sent time bombs to others. police did not say whether the man blew himself up accidentally or on purpose. north korea has suggested it's ready to launch a satellite, but other countries are casting doubt. they're worried that pyongyang wants to test a key part of its nuclear program. foreign minister ri su yong told the u.n. general assembly that a peaceful space program is the right of a sovereign nation. >> translator: the north korean government will defend its dignity by taking all available actions against the injustice of prohibiting a peaceful satellite launch. >> pyongyang has been saying it

may launch a satellite to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling workers party on october 10th. it's widely perceived that a launch, if it took place, would be a test of a long-range ballistic missile. the last launch was in december of 2012. ri also said that north korea's nuclear program is a measure against what he called hostile policies and nuclear threats by the united states. he indicated that the u.s. should change its policies and hold a dialogue with his country. japan's chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga issued a warning. >> translator: north korea should not conduct any type of launch using ballistic missile technology under the united nations security council resolutions. if they do any kind of launch, it would be a clear violation of the resolutions. >> suga said government officials are gathering and analyzing intelligence information in cooperation with the u.s. and south korea.

some of the people in charge of the crippled nuclear plant in fukushima may face criminal charges. police have referred dozens of tokyo electric power company executives to prosecutors. and they say it's over the leaks of highly radioactive water into the sea following the 2011 accident. residents filed a criminal complaint two years ago against tepco and more than 30 former and current officials. they say the utility failed to properly manage storage tanks of contaminated water or build underground walls to block the flow. investigators say they have conducted interviews and analyzed various materials. >> translator: i believe the police looked into the case in great detail. i hope the prosecutor will further investigate and bring those responsible to justice. >> a tepco spokesperson declined to comment on the case.

>> translator: we will sincerely cooperate with the authorities in their investigation. >> prosecutors will now determine whether or not they'll lay criminal charges. a powerful storm called a weather bomb has battered major parts of japan. it damaged structures, cut power lines and disrupted commuter transportation. and at least one person is dead. the storm tore down scaffolding at a construction site in kawasaki near tokyo. nobody was hurt, but officials advised nearby residents to evacuate. people hundreds of kilometers north in tohoku and hokkaido saw widespread damages. the wind ripped greenhouses, knocked down trees and damaged apples at orchards just before harvest. authorities say several workers

were blown from the rooftop of a ranch in hokkaido killing at least one of them. they say more than ten others were injured in other parts of the country. the severe weather crippled transportation in tokyo and elsewhere, suspending trains, flights and ferries. myanmar has been drawing the world's attention as it moves toward a general election in november. it will be the first of its kind since military rule ended four years ago. as campaigning begins, nhk senior commentator aiko doden spoke with thant myint-u an adviser to the president, about the election and his country's future. >> welcome to japan. finally i got to see you properly in japan. >> thant myint-u was born in new york.

he's the grandson of the first asian secretary-general for the united nations. thant myint-u had worked in cambodia and former yugoslavia. after myanmar's military rule came to an end, thant myint-u relocated there and became an adviser to the country's president. he says that the election will be a significant part of myanmar's democratization process. >> it's a much more liberal political environment than we've seen over the last four or five decades. i think what's important is that we need to lock in the progress and changes, the liberalizations that have happened so far. >> reporter: the vote is likely to be a contest between the ruling union solidarity and development party, or usdp, and the opposition national league for democracy, or nld, led by aung san suu kyi. the nld needs to win nearly 70% of the remaining seats to secure a majority. this is because a quarter of the

seats in myanmar's parliament go to the military. do you think aung san suu kyi and her party winning a landslide victory is a likelihood? >> judging from the crowds who receive her in different towns she's visited, even just over the last week or two, i think her popularity is still very great. i think it would be a big surprise to everyone if the nld didn't emerge as the biggest party after the elections. they have to win much more of the seats contested because the army has 25%. so it's very possible no single party will win so between the nld, the usdp, the ethnic minority parties and the army, they will have to find some coalition, so to speak, to be able to not just nominate but appoint the new president. >> some say as a result ethnic minority parties will have casting votes. do you agree? >> it's very possible. you could have a situation where

the usdp is not the biggest party but with support, say, from the military seats in parliament and one or more of the ethnic minority parties is able to cross the 50% mark. >> as an internationally recognized historian, thant myint-u captured myanmar's untold history in his best selling books. he examined the past to explain the present predicaments. many of myanmar's historic structures are from the british colonial era. the buildings have high cultural value. however, as the country's economy has rapidly grown, old buildings have been demolished in a development boom. the new construction clearly stands out against the landscape. to conserve the historic landmarks, thant myint-u founded

in 2012 a non-profit yangon heritage trust. when a massive luxury real estate project was to be built near a pagoda, the spiritual heart of myanmar, people came out fiercely against it. the government has now retracted approval for the development. >> this government is far more sensitive to popular protest and popular feelings than any government that we've had in generations. social media is very important right now, as well as the traditional media. it's -- one could say it's surprising that with such a high value project that the government is willing to take into account the feelings of civil society, representatives and others. >> myanmar people know that change cannot be brought about if citizens do not raise their voices. will their voices be heard at the november election? and will change be ultimately

brought about in politics, too? this is the key question currently in the minds of citizens in myanmar. aiko doden, nhk world. experts say in around seven years india's population is likely to overtake china's to become the biggest in the world, and they expect a surge in growth will lead to a sharp rise in demand for power. government officials in india have unveiled a plan to reduce the impact on the environment. cholaphansa narula in bangkok joins us. >> leaders in india have laid out their latest action plan in the fight against climate change. they say using 2005 as a base, they'll cut the intensity of their carbon emissions relative to gdp by 33% to 35% by the year 2013. nhk world's neha gupta has the details from new delhi.

>> reporter: india produces the third-highest amount of carbon emissions after china and the u.s. but now its leaders have unveiled a plan to scale back emissions. they'll meet with their counterparts from around the world at the u.n. climate change conference in paris in november. delegates at the cop21 meeting will aim to hammer out a new framework to fight global warming. they're hoping to put together a landmark deal that would take effect in 2020, replacing the kyoto protocol which only covers industrialized countries. indian officials say they will ramp up the use of solar power and other renewable energy sources in order to hit their new target. they're also pledging to raise

the share of installed capacity from nonfossil fuel sources to about 40% by 2030. but they are asking for something in return. they say industrialized countries should help cover the cost of their efforts. they estimate they will need a total of $2.5 trillion. >> i'm very hopeful, and i believe that though the world has been polluted and we are suffering, we will become part of the solution. >> reporter: indian leaders say developed nations have a historical responsibility for climate change, and they say developing countries have a right to emit carbon as they grow. they're expected to tell the cop21 meeting that developing

countries have a different responsibility to cut emissions. and they're likely to repeat their calls for support. neha gupta, nhk world, new delhi. a u.s. military transport plane has crashed in eastern afghanistan killing 11 people on board. the c-130 plane went down at an airport near the city of jalalabad early friday. >> translator: it was around midnight, and the plane was flying towards the airport. it was very low, and there was an explosion and flames came up from the plane. >> u.s. military officials say six of the victims were military personnel and the remaining five were civilian contractors. they say they're investigating the cause. the taliban released a statement claiming responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, but reuters news agency quotes a u.s. military source as saying there were no reports of enemy fire.

about 10,000 u.s. troops remain in afghanistan even though most of the u.s.-led coalition forces pulled out last year. ministers from asean countries are discussing ways to combat the spread of extremism, especially in young people. they say more and more people are leaving to join the islamic state militant group, and they're worried that some might try to launch terrorist attacks when they return. ministers from the ten asean nations met in the malaysian capital of kuala lumpur. officials from the host country revealed they have taken more than 130 people into custody, including some young supporters of the islamic state group. they also shared practices where police and local communities have worked together to protect youth from extremist ideology. >> translator: 85% of those who resort to extremist behavior aren't motivated by religion but

other factors. we must involve their families and friends to help reintegrate them into the community. >> reporter: islamic state militants produced a video in indonesia's language. they're aiming to recruit more fighters from the world's most populous muslim countries. more than 500 people from indonesia and malaysia are believed to have joined the militant group. and that wraps up our bulletin. i'm cholaphansa narula here in bangkok. week-long national day holidays have begun in china, and shops and restaurants in japan are welcoming an influx of chinese visitors. tourist numbers from china have been surging, and many of them are now choosing to come on

cruise ships. nhk world's shunsuke ide reports. >> reporter: chinese tourists buying in bulk. this has become a familiar site in japan. this former appliance store has installed a dedicated cash desk for chinese customers. it has rearranged high-end rice cookers which are popular among them on more visible shelves. and there are many signs in the stores saying "made in japan." when tourists come to japan, they usually fly in, but many chinese visitors are now arriving not only by air but also by sea. a major american cruise operator offers the tour with a variety of onboard facilities such as restaurants, a casino, a

theater, and even a robot bar. from this year, foreign tourists will need a visa if they're traveling on a cruise that's been given prior permissions. that's why tourists like that are becoming popular, especially among families. >> translator: the travel costs are reasonable, and the economic slowdown isn't having a big impact. >> translator: we don't have to worry about where to stay or where to eat, and there's plenty of entertainment. >> reporter: share prices in china have plunged, and the economy has lost some momentum. but the cruise operator says tourist spending is still strong. one chinese travel agent has joined forces with a western company to take advantage of the increasing popularity of cruises. it's established a joint enterprise which started operating this cruise ship in may. to cater to chinese tastes, the

ship has mahjong and karaoke and offers a good variety of chinese food. planned cruises from shanghai to japan in october are up sharply compared to the same month last year. the ship operator thinks the cruise tour boom has just begun and the number of tourists in japan will keep growing because it's close and easy to reach. >> translator: the ship is packed for the national day holidays. this industry is stable. >> reporter: in the meantime, japan is doing all it can to handle the influx of cruise tourists from china. a japan tourism official sees some challenges but is optimistic. >> translator: the biggest problem is the shortage of buses

to rent. in the case of cruise tours, each ship brings from 1,000 to 4,000 visitors so it's difficult to arrange enough buses. but as long as these trips to japan keep growing more popular, the passenger cruise business has great potential. >> reporter: whether japan can cash in on the opportunities that cruise tours offer depends on how quickly it becomes ready to accommodate them. shunsuke ide, nhk world. autumn is the season for festivals in communities around japan. for centuries residents have used the occasions to pray for good health and bountiful harvests. the festivals have served to bring people together and have been passed down from generation to generation. but some of these events are on the verge of disappearing so efforts are under way to

preserve them. nhk world's chie yamagishi has more. >> reporter: this festival has been held for the past 350 years in communities around the noto peninsula. dozens of people parade through the streets carrying huge lanterns. the festival gained popularity and spread to more than 300 communities. this year it was designated by the cultural affairs agency as a japan heritage. but now the flames in the lanterns in many communities face being put out forever. >> translator: ten of us used to carry the lanterns during festivals, but we cannot do it anymore. >> reporter: at least 60 communities have stopped holding

the festivals due to the shrinking and aging population. this public organization has begun taking steps to solve the problem. it's launched a website looking for people who are willing to participate in and carry on the the tradition of festivals around japan. the website went online in april. people who access it can apply under such categories as "carry," "dance," or "sing," depending on how they want to take part. the website is already beginning to yield results. in august, four college students joined the festival in the remote town in hokkaido, northern japan. >> translator: we're trying to save the festivals by bringing in people from outside the communities and getting them involved. >> reporter: people on the noto peninsula are also moving to preserve the festival, but it

means adapting to the times. as there are no longer enough people to carry the lanterns, organizers set up a lantern that does not need to be moved. people from the community and those who have moved away gather for the festivals. a rallying point linking them to each other and their past. >> translator: we're proud of our festival. i hope it will continue even if we have to change it a little. >> reporter: festivals are important to local communities around japan. preserving them through whatever means available ensures the tradition will live on and the spirit of a community will not be forgotten. chie yamagishi, nhk world.

here is the weather outlook for selected cities around the world.

that's all we have this hour on "newsline." thank you for watching and have a good day.

hello and welcome to "global 3000" where, this week, we will be putting the un's millennium development goals to the test. that's right: time is up on "the world's greatest promise", so what progress has been made, and what remains left to be done? welcome to sauri in kenya part village, part laboratory for sustainable development the future's green growing moldova's economy the organic way . and saving germany's hambach forest -- meet the activists putting their bodies on the line.