hello there. welcome to nhk "newsline." it is friday, may 20th, 9:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. officials at egyptair say wreckage found in the mediterranean sea is likely to be from their missing passenger jet with 66 people on board. but aviation authorities in egypt and greece told some media the wreckage has not been found. egypt's aviation minister spoke to reporters about the likely cause of the accident. >> if you analyze this situation properly, the possibility of having a different action or

having a terror attack is higher than the possibility of having a technical -- >> french president francois hollande confirmed the aircraft had crashed. >> translator: the information that we, the prime minister, government members and egyptian authorities, were able to gather confirmed that this plane has crashed and is lost. >> hollande said no theories are being ruled out, including an accident or a terrorist act. egyptair flight 804 took off from paris late wednesday night local time. it was headed to cairo. the airline says the passengers were mostly egyptian but also included french, iraqi and other nationalities. the company says the plane disappeared from radar about 3 1/2 hours after takeoff. officials say it was in egyptian air space flying at an altitude of about 11,000 meters.

the aircraft was an airbus a320. local media quote officials in cairo as saying the last contact with the plane was ten minutes before it vanished. one flight information website shows the aircraft suddenly disappearing over the mediterranean sea. last october a russian airliner took off from egypt and went down over the sinai peninsula killing all 224 people on board. a group linked to islamic state militants claimed responsibility for planting a bomb on the aircraft. taiwan is set to inaugurate its new president. the democratic progressive party will lead the government for the first time in eight years. it is regarded as pro-independence by mainland china. she will become taiwan's first female leader after taking the oath of office on friday. later in the day she'll deliver her first policy speech. analysts believe she's unlikely to express clear approval of the

one china policy, despite growing pressure from beijing. china is seeking unification. depending on the content of her speech, china may launch a protest which could strain relations. police in the southern japanese prefecture of okinawa have arrested an american who works for the u.s. military. they say he admitted to strangling a japanese woman who went missing three weeks ago. the suspect is a civilian who works on kadena air base. police say information from the suspect led them to her body which was found by the side of a road. investigators identified the woman as rina shimabukuro after analyzing evidence, including dental records. police say the suspect said he strangled her and then abandoned

her body. more than 70% of u.s. military facilities in japan are concentrated in okinawa. locals have long complained about crimes committed by base personnel. >> translator: this is unforgivable. i'm lost for words. >> translator: incidents like this will happen as long as we have the bases. >> japanese foreign minister fumio kishida lodged a protest with the u.s. over the incident. he summoned u.s. ambassador to japan caroline kennedy on thursday. kennedy reportedly expressed sorrow for the victim. >> translator: i have strongly demanded that the u.s. quickly draw up an effective and persuasive measure to prevent this type of incident from recurring.

>> pentagon officials have expressed shock and dismay about what they said was a tragic incident. >> i want to assure you the secretary of the department of defense determined to provide complete cooperation to the government of japan and local authorities in okinawa regarding this investigation. cook said defense secretary ash carter is also expressing his sincere condolences and sympathies to the victim's family and friends. finance chiefs will soon get down to business discussing the world economy ahead of next week's g7 summit in ise-shima, japan. ai uchida joins us from our business desk. so what are some of the issues here? >> finance -- from the group of seven we'll be seeing finance ministers and central bank governors.exchanging views on what their government can do to

put the government back on track. the two-day meeting begins on friday afternoon in sendai, northern japan. the hosts hope to play a leading role in discussions on a proposal for coordinated fiscal actions to prop up the global economy where uncertainties are growing. but not all g7 members are on board. germany and britain are cool to the idea of additional public spending. the finance chiefs are also expected to discuss ways of combating questionable tax avoidance and tax evasion. this is in reaction to disclosures over the panama papers. they also plan to exchange views on how to stop the flow of money to terrorism groups. let's check on markets. in the u.s., stocks ended lower as crude oil prices retruded. the dow jones following for a third straight day which was its longest losing streak since february. as you can see, the dow falling 0.5% ending the day at 17,435.

now let's see what's happening here in tokyo. we're going to go to ramin mellegard for that at the tokyo stock exchange. what are you seeing? >> very good morning to you, ai. now we have the possibility of a rate hike in the u.s. that's playing into investors' minds. and after a long rally, as you mentioned, there's been a bit of a pause in the rise in the prices of crude oil and also a bit of a pause in the rise in the dollar as well. let's have a look at reaction here for the nikkei and the topix for friday, may 20th. and as you can see, both indexes in the negative. that's really probably a cause of the slight pause in the rise in the dollar. i'll come to that in a second. caution seems to be the key word ahead of the -- in the last trading day of the week. that's evidenced here as well especially as we've seen that slight halt in the gains in the dollar. dampening sentiment perhaps for

importers. we may see some profit-taking in energy and commodity related stocks which did show gains earlier this week. wti on the screen, $48.40 a barrel. let's not forget copper prices also fell to three-month lows during london trading hours. and that's really growth prospect in china really weighing on prices of industrial metals. we did see nickel, zinc and aluminum prices also dropping. as the dollar rebounded, really on the prospect of further rate hikes in the u.s., a stronger dollar, of course, makes commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies. that's playing into the markets as well. let's check the reaction among -- we will check the reaction amongst major industrial names here in the energy sector. ai? >> sounds good, ramin. you mentioned the dollar. it has moved higher. now it's come back a little. tell us what's going on with currencies.

>> exactly. we saw a little bit of volatility there. right now at 109.84. we were trading above 110, let's not forget. as you said, it's come back just a touch. i also want to highlight the fact that fed funds futures, a key barometer by traders in judging where interest rates may be headed showed a 4% chance of a rate hike in june earlier this week, on monday. since we had the release on wednesday of the fed minutes first april meeting, that probability has jumped to around 30%. quite a change there in sentiment. u.s. treasury yields hit three-week highs on the possibility of further rate hikes, although they backed off just a touch. investors getting their heads around new information. bets on upcoming data and what fed policymakers may come out and say in coming days and weeks. let's also get a look at indexes that are trading now. cot kospi is in the negative. australia trading marginally in the negative. a big focus on the g7 finance

ministers meeting getting under way in japan later today. also currency, fiscal and monetary policy issues will be, of course, top of the agenda. amongst a lot of subjects that they're going to cover. but for now the nikkei and topix trading in the negative. back to you. >> ramin, thanks for that update. we'll touch base with you in a few hours. the race is on to develop driverless vehicles, including buses and taxis. japanese government officials say they are going to give the green light to public transport operators aiming to go driverless by 2020. that's the year tokyo hosts the olympic games. the officials say operators will be obliged to take full responsibility in the event of accidents. the companies will also need to have systems that monitor their unmanned vehicles remotely and stop them when problems arise. the officials plan to amend the road traffic law and study other measures. they'll also call on would-be operators to start test runs on

roads in special zones designated by the government. virtual reality may be the next big thing in video games. vr technology uses computer graphics to immerse the user in a virtual space. analysts say the market could top $10 billion by the end of the decade. and japanese companies are jockeying for position. nhk world's john ledoux reports on their strategies. >> reporter: video games like this first appeared over 40 years ago. nintendo and other japanese companies went on to dominate theorld maet. a videoame exhibitn is taking place at a museu in tokyo. the most anticipated device is sony's virtual reality headset scheduled to go on sale in october. a headset is attached to a standard playstation 4 home video game console. moving the head controls the direction of the video.

this game puts the user in a cage on the ocean floor. oh, wow. oh, my goodness. this is way treal. this is just way too much reality. this is a shooting game. the movements of the player's head and the controller are precisely coordinated. oh, wow. look at this. the headset costs about $400. in addition to original games, sony plans to convert existing popular titles into vr. >> translator: our video games have over 20 years of history. developers with a wealth of know-how are now creating vr. so i think users are in for an exciting experience. >> reporter: a major arcade gamemaker is using virtual reality to develop a new attraction. this game lets the user experience the fear of heights.

>> translator: okay. let's go. >> reporter: an elevator zooms you up to the 40th floor. >> translator: okay. door's open. >> translator: it's scary. >> reporter: a narrow plank protruding from midair appears. the mission is to walk the plank and save the cat. >> translator: oh, no. i can't walk. >> reporter: in reality, the board is on the floor. but the scene is so real that people can't go on. >> translator: i can't do this. no way. >> reporter: the company plans to use this technology to revamp arcade games that allow multiple experiences. >> translator: we believe we can create a market that will replace large theme parks. i have a good feeling about

this. >> reporter: will japanese makers retake the video game crown from the overseas companies that now dominate vr? the race is on. john ladue, nhk world, tokyo. >> oh, wow. i'm dizzy just from watching that. i have to toss it back to you. >> looks like a lot of fun. security around japan is being pumped up, not by virtual reali reality. it's prior to a visit by some of the world's leaders. the japanese authorities say they plan to deploy tens of thousands of officers to provide security across the country, including the venue for the g7 summit starting next thursday in central japan. the national police agency says the number is bigger than japan's last summit eight years ago. they say chubu international airport is one of the places where they'll beef up security. hiroshima is another area where security is being increased. after the summit, u.s. president

barack obama will visit the city that his country devastated with an atomic bomb. he will become the first sitting u.s. president to do so. security will also be stepped up in tokyo and other major cities. officers have been on the alert after deadly terrorist attacks in france and belgium. the white house is playing up the support for obama's visit to hiroshima. >> there's a large portion of even world war ii veterans who may have risked their lives fighting japanese soldiers in world war ii, who understand the potential that exists and understand the argument that the president has made. josh earnest said the overwhelming response to the trip has been positive. separately, another senior u.s. official said the visit is meant to honor everyone lost in the bombing, including japanese, koreans, other asians and american p.o.w.s. he also said obama will pay a

visit to u.s. troops based in western japan. u.s. officials continue to stress that obama's trip to hiroshima is not an apology for the country's use of atomic bombs. a majority of americans say the bombings were justified. some argue it saved the lives of many u.s. service members by bringing an end to world war ii. >> japan's chief cabinet secretary says the government looks at obama's visit to hiroshima as a sign of working toward disarmament rather than with expectations of an apology. >> translator: japan would like to extend a warm welcome to u.s. president barack obama. the country appreciates his willingness to send a strong message for nuclear disarmament to the world. >> suga noted 70 years have passed since the u.s. atomic bombings in japan. he said the japanese government thinks it's important to work with the united states to create a world where nuclear weapons will never be used.

today's eye on asia starts in afghanistan. a police officer in the country opened fire on his colleagues on thursday killing eight of them. these so-called insider attacks in which soldiers or police turn on their associates happen often in the country. they are considered a major threat to afghan forces and the nato troops engaged in training and advising them. the shooting happened at a checkpoint in the volatile southern province of zabul. the attacker fled after the incident. a spokesman for the taliban insurgency group later said he is now with us. in a similar incident earlier this month, two romanian soldiers were killed by an afghan policeman in the southern city of kandahar. women are fighting a new kind of freedom in indonesia

which has the world's largest muslim population. islamic teaching requires women to cover their hair and skin in public. there's now a way they can enjoy new fashion while continuing to respect their traditions. nhk world's fransiska renatta reports. >> reporter: colorful and religious, these models are wearing dresses made of kimono fabrics. they are wearing hijabs to cover their hair but with western style hats added. the style allows young women to look smart without going against their religion's teaching. indonesia is relatively lenient when it comes to islamic discipline. now, many women are becoming interested in a more stylish muslim look. after an attractive actress embraced the new look, it became even more popular.

>> translator: we now have a lot of options to choose from. i see many women in cool hijabs, and i've started to think about wearing one myself. >> reporter: followers of the latest muslim fashions add to the enthusiasm. zoro, a 32-year-old model, is posting her pictures online. zoro visits clothing shops and creates new looks using items made by local designers. her instagram account has about 30,000 followers. sales always surge after a dress appears on it, so much so that the shops are willing to pay her to visit. >> translator: people come and buy the clothes she features online. i think it's a more effective way to advertise than radio, tv or newspapers.

>> reporter: on this day, zoro chooses a dress that doesn't pick up the body line. she has pictures taken and posts them right on the spot. responses begin coming in immediately. >> translator: clothing comes in more colors and designs these days so we can choose from among them as we like. i think indonesia might become the center of muslim fashion. >> reporter: muslim fashion for women is all the rage in indonesia. it's attracting attention from japanese manufacturers, too. a clothing maker came to a show featuring dresses made from kimono fabric.

>> translator: were these fabrics made in japan? >> translator: yes. all these fabrics were made from kimono. >> reporter: kimono are a perfect fit for muslim fashion because they don't show the body line or expose much skin. >> translator: we have a hard time selling kimono in japan, so we're eager to cultivate this new market. >> reporter: though it is experiencing rapid economic growth, indonesia refuses to merely copycat western styles, and so it nurtures its own fashions. and many people outside the country are watching the trend as well. fransiska renatta, nhk world, jakarta. >> really creative there. that wraps up eye on asia. on to other stories -- the english premier league soccer champion

has held a victory parade in bangkok. a thai business tycoon owns the club. fans lined the street to celebrate its historic success. the celebration kicked off on thursday afternoon with a convoy of open-top buses carrying the players through bangkok's main shopping district. fans clad in the team's signature blue uniforms cheered as they tried to get a glimpse of the trophy and the players in the flesh. >> translator: i'm so excited. i'm really proud a team owned by a thai owner has won the premier league. >> thai fans have branded the club thailand's team. the owner arranged this end of season visit, and the team is more popular than ever having beat the 5,000 to 1 odds set against it at the beginning of the season. >> we are the champions! ♪

let's now take a look at the latest in weather conditions. let's check in with meteorologist robert speta. people in sri lanka are trying to recover after getting hit with severe weather, heavy rain triggered massive landslides. >> now a main cyclone by the way, cyclone roanu just skirting the coastline. also down towards the south in those areas that were hit by those massive landslides earlier this week. you're continuing to see some of those inflow bands wrapping around from the south bringing additional prepitation and hampering rescue efforts out here where there have been numerous soldiers deployed to try to rescue and recover people who are trapped in there. at least 30 lives have been claimed by this natural disaster, but over 150 people

are believed to be buried in these landslides in three separate villages. the more and more time that does go by, the more and more grave the situation is, but you can see a lot of people out here walking through this mud. additional rainfall is definitely not helping out efforts at all. back towards the north, though, the storm is not over yet. in fact, much of northeastern india, you'll be looking at precipitation, and eventually working its way into bangladesh. bangladesh is very flood-prone but also last week, you remember, we had 65 casualties due to lightning strikes. this coming weekend, we could see even more of these strong storms out ahead of this. could cause some lightning and strong thunderstorms. i think flooding will continue to remain the main threat. not only there but also along the east coast of india. we'll be looking at heavy rain. and already this has been causing problems. let me show you some video coming out of odisha where

precipitation definitely coming down on our thursday. it caused some damage with some of the wind as well uprooting trees, downing electric poles. several homes were also damaged. fishermen are still being asked not to venture out into the ocean. one to two-meter high waves. very choppy across there. an ongoing situation for those of you there. let's look at the severe weather still possible into central europe. want to mention this for several reasons. already bringing snowfall across parts of the alps. a report of a waterspout off the coastline of italy back toward the east in ukraine. we had some hail coming out of this, but this low right here is problematic for search and rescue or recovery efforts into the mediterranean sea south of greece over toward egypt. remember the aircraft that crashed yesterday. there's still a lot of boats out here and reconnaissance aircraft looking for it. we are looking at the threat for severe weather.

possibility of waterspouts. that's not going to be helping the situation out here at all. definitely an ongoing story with that. some of the storms could even linger further toward the south. the bulk of the weather should remain off toward southeastern europe. even toward egypt you could see a few stray thunderstorms or two. this is definitely going to be something we're going to watch for the rest of your friday here. quickly, into eastern asia, also want to mention this, heavy rainfall in parts of the southern japanese islands. southeastern china. if we look back towards the north, ongoing same story for the korean peninsula and japan. temperatures are warm. warmest so far in 2016. 32 for your high here on friday. i'll leave you now with your extended outlook.

that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm katcatherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

narrator: on this edition of "native report," we meet artist lia yellowbird and learn about her painting techniques and other art forms. more information about veterans voices-- narrator: we visit the studio kbft, a tribal community radio station. and we watch as a multi-agency tabletop exercise about disaster preparedness of a hypothetical train wreck unfolds. we also learn about what we can do to lead healthier lives and hear from our elders on this edition of native report. narrator: production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community, the blandin foundation, and the duluth superior area community foundation.