hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline". i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. the world track and field organization has decided russian athletes will not be able to return to global competition, but those proven not to be involved with doping will be allowed to compete under the olympic flag. the international association of athletic fed cases imposed the suspension in november after a report revealed widespread systematic doping alleged to have been state sponsored. >> the council is unanimous that rouse he have rousseff had not met the reinstatement conditions and that russian athletes could not credibly return to international competition without undermining the confidence of their competitors

and the public. >> iaaf officials decided to maintain the suspension, because russians failed to meet conditions demanded by the organization. these included having russian authorities interview all athletes who have represented russia over the past four years about banned substances. the iaaf study ed russia's reforms and says it's not satisfied with what it's seen. the decision means the athletes will not be able to take part in the upcoming rio de janeiro olympics. the conclusion comes after a recent report by the world anti-doping agency. it had suggested there are still a slew of problems in russia. among them, 52 samples showed problems and over 700 tests were declined or canceled. it also said testers' access to athletes was routinely obstructed. the international olympic

committee has announced their board will have a conference on saturday. they want to discuss the next steps related to the ban on russian athletes taking part in the rio games. russia's sports ministry has criticized the decision. ministry officials released a statement saying they're extremely disappointed with the iaaf. they say the decision has created the unprecedented situation of all of the nation's track and field athletes being banned from the rio olympics. the ministry stressed that russia has met the conditions set by the iaaf for reinstatement. it also said russia will now ask members of the ioc to reexamine the decision. iraq's military says it's retaken a central district in the city of fallujah that served as a base for islamic state militants. an iraqi commander said on

friday his forces now completely control the district where government offices and the parliament are located. in late may, iraqi forces launched a offensive to expel militants. the militants took control of the city in 2014 by taking advantage of sectarian conflicts. a spanish journalist who was held captive by militants in syria for ten months has spoke ton nhk about his ordeal. he said he survived only with the support of his fellow hostages. angel sastre was abducted in aleppo last year. he was freed last month. he spoke to nhk in madrid on thursday. he said the hostages were handed over to the al qaeda-linked nusra front group in october. >> translator: they said to me, we will sell you to islamic state militants. the spanish government has abandoned you. we'll cut off your fingers, you have no future. >> he described the conditions during his detention.

>> i was kept in a small room, about 12 meters square. may >> they made me wear a mask at night and handcuffed me when they took me from house to house, there was little chance to move around. >> sastre discussed japanese journalist who disappeared in june last year. the nusra front is also reportedly holding him. he said he did not see him during his detention, but he hopes he'll be released soon. japanese officials are trying to determine whether a metal object that washed ashore is part of a north korean missile. the object was found thursday on a beach in western japan. the metal piece of debris is about two meters long and one meter wide. >> translator: we found some cables attached inside the object and thought it could be something dangerous.

>> north korea launched what it called a satellite-carrying rocket in february. the launch is widely believed to have been a long-range ballistic missile test. the south korean military retrieved parts of the rocket from the sea. the debris found on thursday resembled the parts found by the south koreans, so local authorities contacted the central government. >> translator: i'll send a team of experts to examine the object. >> officials in western japan are warning residents to not touch suspicious objects they find on the beach. they're asking people to report such findings to local authorities. the planned relocation of a u.s. base in okinawa is causing continued friction between japan's central and local governments. now a panel of experts tasked with mediating says a conclusion should not be made while the two sides are so far apart. at the center of the argument is the u.s. marine corps futenma air station in the southern prefecture.

residents call it the world's most dangerous base as it's in the middle of a residential area. the central and local governments agree on t need to move the base, but disagree on where to. tokyo wants to relocate it within the prefecture, but okinawa demands it be moved off the island altogether. earlier this year land ministry ordered governor onaga to cancel permission to reclaim land for a new location. but onaga argued tokyo's demand is illegal and asked the panel to examine the matter. panel members say the central and regional governments are currently far apart on the issue.

>> translator: we've come to the conclusion that the best way to settle the dispute is for the two sides to discuss the case sincerely to achieve their common goal. they should try to find a new mutually acceptable solution. >> officials in okinawa said they will carefully consider taking the case to court. the u.s. navy has eased a prohibition on the total ban of alcohol. petty officer was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. personnel can now consume alcohol on base or at home. drinking off-base is still prohibited. navy officials say the rules were relaxed because personnel have undergone training on the dangers of alcohol abuse. and they say they reflected on the impact of their behavior on relations with japan. the petty officer was involved in a car crash earlier this month that injured two japanese citizens. the ban went into force two days later. last month an american base worker was arrested in connection with a killing of a local woman. that sparked protests against the presence of u.s. military bases in okinawa.

in other news, thai interim prime minister has held talks with indian prime minister modi during his visit to india. pachari raksawong at our bureau in bangkok has details. >> thailand is wooing india and vice-versa. india actively seeks to engage with asean and other asian countries. the two leaders discussed strategies to improve trade, security cooperation and defense relations. observers say china hopes to counter the spreading influence, according to the joint press statement, they agreed to forge a closer partnership in the fields of defense and maritime cooperation. >> translator: in the field of security, we agreed on a number of points, especially cooperation in the exchange of intelligence. cooperation in the area of defense.

and we hope to be able to produce concrete outcomes from our cooperation. we focused especially on maritime security. >> along with his 46-member business delegation, prayut is hoping that india will increase its investment in thailand. bilateral trade between the two countries has grown eight-fold in the last 15 years. modi also wants to bind the indian economy to thailand, the second largest economy and fast growing southeast asia. india has maintained its policy since the 1990s. modi has pledged to turn this into an act ea policy. the two leaders agreed to prioritize the completion of an india/myanmar/thailand trilateral highway. indonesian authorities decided on friday to tow a boat carrying more than 40 migrants out to sea after rescuing it last weekend.

the boat is believed to be from sri lanka. it was found stranded off the coast of indonesia's northern province of aceh last week. the migrants were trying to reach the australian territory of christmas island. the aceh government said on friday the vessel had to head back out to sea after it was repaired, and those on board were supplied with food and fuel because indonesia was not their destination. officials advised the migrants, who included nine children and a pregnant woman, not to continue their journey to australia, but to head back to sri lanka. activists say they should have been given access to the u.n. refugee agency. india's long-standing fondness for curry is legendary. but that seems to be changing as younger and richer generations broaden their gastronomical horizons. now two are hoping to cash in on that new-found spending power and promote japanese cuisine in india.

nhk world neha gupta has more. >> reporter: young indians use social networking websites to exchange tips on popular restaurants that don't just sell curry. they also hold regular dining events. they're helping the food business grow sharply with about 30% more restaurants opening each year. >> everyone's wanting to try something which is different, and everyone wants to see something that's not already available, so i think all these other cuisines, like authentic chinese, japanese, thai. >> reporter: entrepreneurs from japan are hoping to cash in. this man launched a delivery service for sushi rolls this january near new delhi. one of the more popular items is salmon roll. it costs about $2 to $7 per pack, slightly expensive for

india, but sales are growing at 50% per month. >> thank you. >> reporter: this family says they often order delivery sushi. >> mm. >> we used to live in australia, so we used to eat a lot of sushi in australia. so now we come back and we miss, but this is fantastic. >> translator: indians' tastes have been changing rapidly since people have access to new information. we considered the growing interest in japanese food a business opportunity. >> reporter: this man specializes in ramen noodles. he opened a new restaurant last july in southern india. the biggest challenge was to come up with a menu that suits vegetarians, who were said to

account for one-third of india's population. he uses stir-fried vegetables such as carrots and onions. simmering them for a long time to create a thickly textured soup. this is the product of his five months of trial and error. he calls it veggie ramen. it costs about $8 a bowl. i'm vegetarian and this was the first time i'm going to have vegetarian japanese-style ramen. it's very yummy. i really like the flavors. they're very well balanced. and i've never had something like this before, so it's very nice. when the shop opened, about 20% of customers were indian. but he says that has risen to

almost half and that the restaurant is full most evenings. >> translator: it's a rare opportunity to be the first if ever of such a large market. i'm determined not to let it pass me by. >> reporter: as 1.2 billion indians explore new cuisines, the almost limitless opportunities with enterprising restauranteurs from around the world. neha gupta, nhk world, new delhi. that wraps up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. emerging economies. powers still struggling with poverty. evolving citizens demanding democracy. the threat of violence. the push for peace. the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on

southeast asia every weekday live from bangkok only on nhk "newsline." moving on to what's making headlines in business, the scandal at mitsubishi continue to widen. officials say the fuel economy data on 14 models marketed over the past ten years was manipulated. that brings the number of models sold using improper data to 20. officials spoke to reporters about the results of an in-house probe into the scandal. they say the firm obtained data through calculations rather than through actual measurements. the officials say they're considering compensating the owners of four mini car models that were sold based on falsified fuel efficiency data. the number totals more than 620,000 units. the payment would be about $950 per vehicle. japanese finance minister aso says he wants britain to stay in the european union. >> translator: i believe that britain should remain within a strong eu. >> aso says he will closely work

with g7 countries to stabilize the financial markets if the referendum's outcome triggers volatility. he says he's also keeping a close watch on the surge in the yen's value. the japanese currency soared against the dollar immediately after the central bank announced on thursday that monetary policy will remain unchanged. the dollar dipped below the 104 yen level at one point for the first time since august 2014. >> translator: i am deeply concerned about the one-sided rapid and speculative moves seen in the currency market. >> aso says he will take action in response to market movements if necessary. officials at the ministry of finance met friday morning with their central bank counterparts. they reaffirmed they're continue to closely monitor currency swings.

people in shanghai are hoping the debut of mainland china's first disney theme park will fuel a boom in overseas visitors. but the park's arrival has highlighted the growing pains of the city's tourism sector. nhk world's kazuaki hirama reports. >> reporter: shanghai disneyland opens its gates on thursday. the long-awaited theme park is disney's second largest after the flagship resort in florida, and it features many unique attractions. the park is attracting a lot of visitors from overseas as well. hi, guys. many of them are complaining, though, about the long wait. but they're not talking about the lineups here. they're talking about the time it takes just to get here. >> we took a taxi to, i think, a station and from there took two trains over here.

>> about an hour, a little more. >> thought it would be easier, but it wasn't. >> reporter: the new park is located in a farm region 20 kilometers from shanghai. it takes about an hour by car, bus or subway to get here from downtown. the hotel shortage has spawned a surge in unregistered bnb accommodations. lots of online postings advertise rooms in private homes. but most of these have no permit from local authorities. i stayed at one of them. >> reporter: in china, operator of lodgings are required to register a guest's passport if they put up non-chinese, but the owner of this home doesn't follow the rules. i was shown to a room that was about 15 square meters.

cost only $20 per night. >> translator: visitors from thailand, canada and a young woman from hong kong have stayed with us. >> reporter: with no government oversight, there are no standards for safety or cleanliness. another issue facing visitors is the prevalence of scams. in shanghai's bustling downtown, women can be seen approaching foreign tourists to invite them out for tea or a meal. many of these young women work with tea shops or restaurants. visitors who join them at one of these places are confronted with an inflated bill as high as $1,000 when they try to leave. police have stepped up their crackdown on this sort of fraud, but the scammers are still at work. a woman approached me in the city center when i was walking around.

>> are you tourist here? >> yes. >> reporter: another woman joined us. they repeatedly asked us to come dine with them. >> reporter: as soon as i decline the their offer, they moved on to another mark. visitors find these cons very unpleasant. >> they try and sell you things like, you know, watches or whatever. everybody has to be careful, like any other country in the world.

>> reporter: with summer vacations approaching, disney's shanghai park is expected to draw more visitors from abroad, but efforts are needed to keep issues like these from deflating the mickey magic. kazuaki hirama, nhk world, shanghai. the tokyo fire department has set up a new unit of ambulances and emergency service workers at one of the busiest train stations in the capital. the aim is to reach people in need as soon as possible. 29 members gathered at tokyo station for a ceremony to launch a new unit. >> translator: we'll be able to quickly cope with emergency requests around the station. we'll work hard to create a safe and secure environment for all people visiting the capital.

>> the unit is based at tokyo station during the day and at night, it will move close to the shinjuku station, an area with a busy entertainment district. it will respond to emergency cases around the clock. the team includes members with a good command of foreign languages in order the deal with the increasing number of tourists. the gateway to one of tokyo's most famous areas is going to get a facelift. harajuku is the known as the birthplace of japanese popular fashion and more than 15 million people pass through the station there every year. plans are moving ahead to update it in time for the 2020 olympics. >> a lot of tourists from japan and aboard visit every day. they come to see what makes the area famous. this side of the station is

very where popular youth culture started. and on this side, it offers a taste of japan's tradition and history. the neighborhood is full of boutiques, including the cute clothing shops that stretch along this busy street. >> we wanted to see a lot of the cute shops. i really love pastel color, so i know they have a lot of cute things, so we wanted to check out the shops. >> it has a very different feel. the grounds include a vast park that's a popular urban oasis. >> it's very famous and we want to see important places in japan. and tokyo. >> harajuku station's building dates back over 90 years, the oldest of its kind in the city. it's long been a popular meeting place. >> in the '70s, fashion magazines covered the latest

styles there. the area became known for trend setters. and in the '80s, the streets were dominated by flashy young dancers. some went on to become famous. but the building has aged and its narrow pathways make it difficult for crowds to walk through. so designers came up with a plan. this is the current station. a new two-story structure will be built next to it. it will have wider hallways and will open another platform that's used only during new year's. designers hope it will help accommodate more people expected by the 2020 olympics. either coming to see the area or to go to a nearby venue for the games. opinions on the street are mixed.

>> translator: i like the new design. i have a baby buggy, so i'll be glad if they take out some of the barriers. >> translator: i don't want the station to be changed. i have many memories. >> that's a shame. well, if it's the oldest station, then it should be preserved. >> translator: people come here to see a mix of cultures. i want the new station to have an enjoyable atmosphere. i want the old building to be preserved. >> this building won't be needed after the renovations and its future hasn't been decided yet. they say they'll discuss whether to keep the historic landmark or tear it down. nhk world, tokyo. looking forward to what will turn out for harajuku station. next, here's a three-day outlook on the world's weather.

that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline," i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. from all of us at nhk world, thanks for watching and have a good day, wherever you are. çññññ

23this week, global 3000 is dedicated to people in need around the world. it's an alarming state of affairs which urgently requires more support, more collaboration, more money. we go to nepal where a year after the earthquake a 12-year-old boy talks about his family's daily life. we visit a border town in turkey where a hundred thousand syrians have sought refuge. but they are not safe from the war here either. and we meet some app designers whose ideas are encouraging others to give money for those in need. according to the u.n., worldwide human suffering is greater today than at any other point since the end