hello there. welcome to nhk "newsline." it's wen may 25th, 9:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. leaders of the group of seven nations will gather in ise-shima, japan to discuss a range of global concerns, but japan and the u.s. will be tackling more than what's on that agenda. they'll meet ahead of the summit over contentious issue. crimes committed by military personnel in japan. prime minister abe is expected to discuss the main summit themes wednesday with his u.s. and british counterparts. he's also expected to seek action by u.s. president barack obama. he wants to discuss setting up preventive measures to stop misconduct by american military

personnel and civilian employees. it involves the arrest of a former marine at a u.s. air base in the southern prefecture of okinawa. he's being connected with the disappearance of a woman who was later found dead. now people in okinawa are outraged. they say a bilateral agreement on the status of american military personnel called sofa, grants unfair privileges, and they're demanding concrete measures from both the u.s. and japanese governments. and nhk world's moshe kamota reports. >> reporter: they arrested an american civilian working at the u.s. base. they says kenneth franklin admitted to strangling and stabbing a japanese woman who went missing in april. on tuesday assembly members unanimously passed a resolution pressing both governments to

ensure that the u.s. tightens discipline, and also a revision of sofa. several other local assemblies approved several other resolutions. the status of the agreement stipulates the procedures for washington and tokyo when u.s. servicemen or civilian workers commit crimes while they're on duty. sofa gives primary jurisdiction rights to the u.s. this time, however, the perpetrator is not entitled to sofa status, because he was not on duty. the vice governor of okinawa made an official request to the defense minister. he says sofa grants american military unfair privileges. >> translator: strengthening discipline and other measures won't work. we need to review sofa to change the consciousness of the servicemen. >> reporter: one of the cabinet

ministers echoed that call. she says sofa could stand in the way of bringing criminals to justice. but the pentagon signaled it has no plans to revise the agreement. a spokesperson said japan's concerns about sofa can be addressed while using it. japan's government shares the stance. >> translator: the government will continue making visible improvements effectively and swiftly. by pursuing the best form of sofa, we want to gain public support. >> reporter: for years the heavy u.s. military presence has been a source of anger among okinawa residents. this incident only fueled that tension.

thousands on wednesday rallied near the air base, demanding their voices be heard. moshe komata, nhk world. the prime ministers of japan and canada have agreed to work together so that the upcoming summits of the group of seven nations sends a strong message on achieving sustainable global growth. shinzo abe met with justin trudeau in tokyo on tuesday, ahead of the summit that starts on thursday. this is trudeau's first visit to japan since taking office. abe says japan wants to cooperate further with canada for the success of the summit. he also expressed hope for a wide range of talks on bilateral cooperation to create a new era of peace and prosperity for their countries. trudeau said japan is an important partner of canada. in the asia pacific region. he added that he is looking forward to discussing the global

economy, security and other issues at the summit. the two leaders agreed that their countries will strengthen a framework for bilateral dialogue to promote economic cooperation in the infrastructure and energy fields. they also confirmed that the two countries will promote security cooperation amid china's maritime advances in the south china sea and north korea's nuclear and missile development. japan's diet has passed a law to raise public awareness of hate speech. the measure on tuesday. the law gives a definition of hate speech. and it says official systems must be in place to receive complaints and prevent conflict. it says the government must promote education and awareness of the subject. in consideration of freedom of expression, the law stops short of banning hate speech. it also lacks any mention of penalties for those who break it. the legislation was proposed to combat the problem of

discrimination against those who are not japanese. now, the south korean government has reacted to japan's new anti-hate speech law. >> translator: the south korean government approves of the new law. we hope the passage of the law will create an environment that is safer for all non-japanese residents who live in japan including our fellow south koreans. >> he was speaking at a regular news conference on tuesday. people of korean descent in japan have been a subject of hate speech in recent years. infrastructure development is set to be a major topic on the g7 agenda. indonesia's president is expected to sit down with japanese leaders as part of the event to discuss his new projects. we go to ai uchilled

>> you may remember last year when china and japan were competing for development rights of a high-speed rail project. the government awarded it to china. now indonesian officials are in talks of a newport and they are expected to ask japan for the help with the aim of leveling the investment playing field. the port is about 120 kilometers east of jakarta. it will be the nation's largest once completed. indonesian president has reportedly decided to accept japanese loans to fund construction. joko is expected to convey the decision to tokyo when he attention an outreach meeting at the g7 ise-shima summit. they have industrial parks on the outskirts of the city. the new harbor will be able to

handle large ships paving the way for it to become a giant distribution hub. central japan railway is planning to link tokyo and osaka with super-fast trains that levitate on magnets, but they want what's nothing as mag-lift trains to start running earlier to boost local economies. the government is considering offering the operator low-interest loans from the the loan practice many to speeds up work on the line. total construction costs will add up to 82 million. the program is designed to help private businesses undertake large-scale high-risk projects. the government plans to include the new proposals in a basic economic and fiscal policy. it wants the cabinet to approve the policy later this month, but government officials will need to negotiate the deal with j. railroad tokai.

the company insisting it finance all construction costs by itself. u.s. stock prices ended higher following a rebound in crude oil prices and strong housing data. the dow jones industrial average rising 1.2%, the tech-heavy nasdaq jumping 2%, that's the strongest gain in three months. let's see what is happening in tokyo this morning. for that we'll go he to remi mellegard. good morning. what are you seeing? >> good morning, ai. we definitely could see gains in the energy sector. that was a drag yesterday, but we did see a rebound in crude oil prices. we've seen the dollar a touch higher which should boost overall sentiment. let's look at the opening levels for wednesday, may 25th. both indexes well into the positive so far. yet just a quick reminder, the nikkei actually fell on 1% on the fall of xhot yesterday

prices, definitely felt in the steel sector, and also there's also a bit of uncertainly going through the markets about the pace of u.s. rate rises this year, which led to some hesitancy, but we're definitely seeing some positive moves right now. as we've seen a reversal in crude oil prices, major futures such as wti and brent popped higher overnight, so i'll check the energy sector shares today. big focus on sony. that's after markets closed on tuesday, sony announced delayed earnings forecast for this fiscal year which fell short of expectations, sony citing a shut down at the kumamoto fact tors of course that were hit by the earthquake, and at the video games on the playstay 4 expected to boost sales, therefore boosting earnings and maybe offsetting some losses in other sectors. ai?

>> remi tell you about currencies, we're seeing the dollar gain a bit? illustrates exactly. we're back above that 110 yen levels. that's rebounded aftersh it hit a low of 109 spot 12 earlier this week. the u.s. currency was boosted by new home sales, which surged 16.6%, the highest level in more than eight years. now, that's also adding to bets that the fed made after seeing more robust data, decided to raise rates sooner rather than, you know, what many had expected, possibly in june or july, ai. now u.s. treasury yields also higher reflecting the notion of higher interest rates to come. fed chief janet yellen will speak on friday, and that will be highly scrutinized for any words that may -- let's get a quick look at asian indexes which are open right now.

the kospi is trading higher. china markets open in an hour and a half. i'll have more then. the broader topix up f. >> thank you, and we will touch bay with you in a few hours. i'll be back next hour with more of the headlines and business. s. now it's time for "eye on asia." u.s. president barack obama sell washington stands with its partners to uphold freedom of navigation and flight in the south china sea. he made the comments in hanoi tuesday. he mentioned that the u.s. is willing to expand tie with his vietnam as tensions rise in the south china sea. >> big nations should not bully

smaller ones. disputes should be resolved peacefully. regional institutions like the asean and the east asia summit should continue to be strengthened. that's what i believe, that's what the united states believes, and that's the kind of partnership that america offers this region. >> relations between the two countries are improving amid the changing security environment in the south china sea. china claims almost the entire maritime area as its own, while vietnam and other southeast asian countries claim parts of it. on monday, obama announced a complete lifting of an embargo on sales of lethal weapons to vietnam. the measure was put in place in 1984 amid concerns over the country's human rights record, but u.s. lawmakers and activists urged president obama to press for more progress before lefting the ban. on tuesday obama said he had significant concerns over civil

liberties in vietnam. he mentioned that several activists had been invited but were prevented from meeting him. >> i think it's an indication of the fact that although there has been some modest progress and it is our hope that through some of the legal reforms that are being drafted and passed there will be more progress. there are still folks who find it very difficult to assemble and organize peacefully around issues that they care deeply about. >> obama flew on to ho chi minh city the commercial hub of the country. tens of thousands of people lined the road from the airport to welcome him. museum curators in japan and south korea are helping commemorate half a century of diplomatic relations. they have opened an exhibit in seoul, displaying two similar buddhist statues that are national treasures of both countries. the exhibit features a sixth

century korean statue and 7th century japanese statue. organizers from the national meal seems prepared the display. both are seated on pedestals in meditation poses. the design is said to have originated in india and reached japan via china and the korean peninsula. >> translator: it will be my utmost pleasure if this event would help deepen the friendship between japan and south korea. >> the exhibition runs through mid judges in seoul, and then will travel to the tokyo mu through july. denim is one popular textile that continues to dominate the world of casual fashion. thailand's capital city of bangkok is seeing a trend towards more expensive premium japanese jeans. nhk world's rosslyn

rosslyn decemberhavalya has the details. >> reporter: the enthusiasm is almost tangible at the increasing number of bangkok shops that import premium jeans from japan. even though a single pair can go for as much as $200. sales at the store have shot up by 60 times since it opened three years ago. >> translator: i bought two pairs of jeans. one is to wear and the other is for my collection. i save money to buy premium denim. >> translator: the japanese make their products very meticulously. and with lots of attention to each step. this differs from the west, where the focus is on quantity, volume and sales. but the japanese are more thorough in making each piece. >> japanese denim aficionados have formed a group called the knights of indigo gang which has more than 4,000 online members. they often meet to discuss trends and show off their latest

acquisitions. >> translator: it is an accepted fact japanese have great craftsmanship. they remodel these classic jeans so well that we still get the american casual vibe. >> reporter: to keep pace with the boom, eight japanese premium denim brands took part in a jeans fair at a department story. it's the first time that japan's denim hub has sent its famous local brands to other parts of asia. crowds of denim fans have come to check out premium jeans like these, all made in japan. jeans like this cost $300. despite the steep prices, some made their purchases without even looking at the price tags. sales at this fair reached nearly $50,000 within three days, feeding the enthusiasm of the manufacturers.

>> translator: the market catering to relatively wealthy people has been expanding in thailand. that's our target. beyond that we'd like to appeal to everyone in southeast asia as well. >> reporter: some denim makers from kurashiki have already started to expand. by collaborating with a major thai retailer. they plan to open more than ten premium denim shops and department stores. >> it's the best jeans production in the world. i think they're easy to adapt, the fashion from japan and the following the japan trend. >> translator: thais are very interested in our denim products. so we are very happy. we want to expand the market and go in at full strength. >> reporter: jeans will continue

to be a wardrobe staple, and in thailand it's the premium denims that driving the market forward. nhk world, bangkok. pretty good jeans. that wraps up "eye on asia." on to other stories, a japanese popeye doll remains in critical condition after a knife attack by an alleged stalker. a suspect arrested at the scene had been harassing the performer online. and as nhk world reports, stalking through social media could be a growing problem in japan. >> reporter: police say this man traveled more than 500 kilometers to kill the woman he was infatuated with. popeye doll mayu tomita. they say he admitted today stabbing her 20 times outside a venue where she was about to perform. he was then arrested at the scene. many are now asking, how could this happen?

the 20-year-old has been performing for about four years. she's one of countless pop idols in japan, young performers and role models, hired mainly because they are cute. news of the attack shocked her fans. >> translator: i cannot believe it. i just hope this is not real. >> reporter: the initial police investigation has revealed that iwazaki began attending her concerts around the start of the year. they believe she tried to find out her phone number and that he also sent her a gift, a watch. police say he sent over 300 messages to tomita's twitter account over the course of four months. in that time, the messages that started out as nice became hostile. according to police, he said he got angry when the gift he sent was returned to him.

the attention had turned scary. tomita reported what was going on to the police, but they did not take preventive measures, they say they did not think the online harassment required action. a counselor regularly consulted on stalking cases says police should have acted. >> translator: police should have contacted the alleged stalker. >> reporter: she says they could have done more to educate tomita about possible risks to her safety. >> translator: i think police should have done more, such as advising her to find someone to take her to and from the venue or urging guards to be more vigilant. >> reporter: tomita is not the first pop idol to be attacked. in 2014 two members of a group

akb-48 were slashed by a man with a saw at a fan event. the pair received serious injuries from that attack. the counselor says social media has changed the relationship between celebrities and their fans in an alarming way. >> translator: these days, some can be delusional and believe that they have a relationship with the pop idol. that fuels their passion. and when they feel rejected, they can accumulate and turn into anger. >> reporter: don't think stalking is just a problem for pop idols, she says she's having more and more people telling her that they have problems with online stalkers. in order to stay safe, police have to work with those who are being harassed.

takahami terui, nhk world, tokyo. world leaders tackling global issues at one of the japan's most historical sites. an uncertain economic environment, rising terrorism threats, and climate change. the group of seven industrialized countries addressing challenges, finding solutions, and setting new goals. don't miss our special coverage, g7 sum midget right here on "newsline." people are seeing cloudy skies, feeling a breeze, a nice change from the hot weather we were getting yesterday. our meteorologist robert speta joins us with the latest. >> in fact temperatures have dropped a good five, six degrees in the tokyo area, as we go through your wednesday afternoon. take a look at the satellite

picture, this cloud cover dominated down through kyushu. blocking on the the sun. we are lacking in the strong southerly winters today, so it is feeling much cooler. unfortunately this does come with some precipitation, and really heavy stuff back towards the west. we're seeing thunderstorms in kyushu, extending down through the japanese islands here. also some fairly gusty winds. you have that tight pressure grade gradient setting up there, with the winds up to about 79 kilometers, coming in along the western seaboards, including thof of you in sapporo. tokyo will be missing out on this precipitation, at least until friday, but you are continuing to deal with the cloudy skies, so that will keep things on the average side. also back there toward the west into the ise-shima regions, a lo lot of eyes are on this area because of the g7 summit taking place on thursday and friday. actually looking at some rainfall. probably want an umbrella out there. friday morning, some showers, but the good news, it should

begin to taper off prior to about noontime, so something to watch out for if you are out there across that region. let's look down towards the south. i do want to mention here into southeastern asia, really we are looking at the start of the southwest monsoon this week. in fact the philippine meteorological agency officially started the rainy season here on your tuesday also the southwesterly winds also causing some flooding earlier this week. we have a bit of a tropical disturbance that will drift off towards the north, really just enhancing that precipitation, not only there, but also into cambodia, extending back towards myanmar, and thailand, continuing to kick up with those winds pulling in that moisture out of the bay of bengal. meanwhile, back towards the west, bangladesh still looking at the rainfall, but things are staying dry and hot across most of india, new delhi with

temperatures into the 40s, with a late start to the rainy system, but thanks to little change from el nino to la nina this coming summer, it does look like you should be seeing above-average rainfall, you're still going to be see some rainfall, still recovering from the landslides last week. if you do remember. here over towards europe, we have a rather potent storm, if you are out there into southern germany, even extending into southern poland, we have seen reports about two centimeters in diameter. also the czech republic, and bulgaria is possible with this low, so these areas in the red. that's where we have the severe weather threat, also a chance of tornadoes, maybe a few thunderstorms towards western france as well. paris will be missing out, though, partly cloudy skies, a high of 19. talking about severe weather, still that possibility here in the central u.s. yet again.

we already have been seeing some severe weather watches, especially there into western oklahoma, extending into colorado. here's the extended outlook. that wraps up this edition of nhk's "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

anchor: this week, "global 3000" goes to madagascar, where increasing deforestation is threatening the survival of lemurs. we meet people campaigning for artistic freedom in saudi arabia, one of the most authoritarian countries in the world. but first we go to chernobyl in ukraine, where 30 years since the nuclear disaster there, people are choosing to live in the "dead zone" around the power station. why? on april 26th, 1986, problems arose during a systems test of reactor 4 at chernobyl power station. the shift supervisor attempted an emergency shutdown -- but it went wrong. the result -- a meltdown and the