>> the structure in the downtown area. he continued to and was killed by police. officers closely checked the

building and its surroundings but say they haven't found any explosives. >> the suspect said he was upset at white people. the suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. >> reporter: police are questioning the three suspects they have in custody to try to get more information, including whether other people were involved. the sudden attack on police came near the end of peaceful protests against the police killings of two black men in louisiana and minnesota this week. the united states is facing a serious problem related to police treatment of members of black suppression. some say the issue may divide the country. the deadly attack has delivered another shock to the american society. members of japan's ground self-defense force and the u.s. military have conducted joint landing exercises in hawaii. about 40 japanese personnel and 600 u.s. marines are taking part in the american-led rim of the pacific exercise, or rimpac. the aim of the drill was to defend a remote island. those taking part jumped into the sea from a helicopter and

headed for a beach in rubber boats. they also practiced using u.s. amphibious vehicles called aav7. japan is planning to purchase some for a new unit it will set up in the next two years. >> translator: the drill does not have any specific country in mind. but i think we should improve our skills to carry out our mission. >> the two countries are strengthening cooperation as the sdf may have additional duties now that new national security laws have come into effect. a record 26 nations are taking part in this year's rimpac. an international arbitration tribunal has been considering a challenge to china's expansive claims in the south china sea. the case was filed in 2013 by the philippines. the first-ever ruling is scheduled for next week and it

could have major implications in the region. china claims the majority of the south china sea as a historic right. leaders established what they call the nine-dash line. they argue that they control the area inside those lines. and they've been building runways, control towers, and radar facilities on artificial islands there to bolster their claims. the philippines maintains those claims are groundless under international law. and while they are the first to file a case, they aren't the only ones challenging china. vietnam, malaysia, and others also claim territory in the south china sea. earlier, nhk world's mitsuko nishikawa spoke with daisuke azuma in beijing. >> daisuke, leaders there have refused to take part in the legal proceedings, but that doesn't mean they aren't interested in the case, are

they? >> that's right. newspapers like this run articles every day arguing why china's claims are legitimate. and they pay attention to some international opinion. the communist party newspaper, "the people's daily," have posted online comments of foreign politicians and scholars who support china's stance. domestically, it looks like beijing is trying to shore up public support before the decisions comes down of moving that they say is biased and illegal. in another move, the chinese navy began drills this week in the contested waters, and officials say they will continue until the day of the ruling. >> the chinese military exercise in part on the south china sea has completely, according to both domestic chinese law and international law. and no country in the world has any right to obstruct or interfere with china's exercise of its military power. >> media here report that exercises were planned before

the ruling date was set, but analysts say it is all part of china's attempt to cement its claims in the sea. >> experts are predicting an unfavorable ruling for china, but what would this mean for beijing, diasuke? >> the ruling could deny the legitimacy of the nine-dash line. but regardless, china stands firm on its claim. >> so, it's clear china is not likely to change its stance after the ruling, but if leaders refuse to abide by it, relations with other countries could be in jeopardy, and regional tensions could increase. beijing appears to have anticipated all of that. leaders have established some cooperations with their

counterparts in manila towards bilateral negotiations. >> china wants to engage with the philippines for peace, for stability, for cooperation, for dialogue, for diplomacy, for friendship. that's the better way to do business between any neighbors in the world. >> so many people in the region and around the world are waiting for this ruling and china's reaction to it. >> that was daisuke azuma in beijing. the united states has reached a deal with south korea to deploy an advanced missile defense system in the country to counter possible threats from north korea, but china has raised objections. south korea's deputy defense minister announced that the system will be a u.s. terminal high-altitude area defense, or thaad. washington and seoul are

expected to proceed with final talks on where to set up the system. both have held news conferences to stress the importance of the plan. >> deploying thaad to the korean peninsula will improve our missile defense posture, which is a critical aspect of our defensive strategy. >> translator: it will not target any third country. it will only be used to counter nuclear and missile threats from north korea. >> but china doesn't buy that and has issued a statement saying the deployment will not help realize the denuclearization of the korean peninsula. the statement says the plan would go against efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue. china has repeatedly said that the system's advanced radar could be used to monitor the chinese military. japan has welcomed the agreement between the u.s. and south korea. >> translator: an advance in

u.s./south korean cooperation will contribute to regional peace and stability. we endorse their decision. >> an expert on international security, yoichi kato, spoke with nhk, to give his analysis. >> the statement by the united states dod says, talks about the recent intermediate-range ballistic missile, namely it's musudan, highlight the grave threat that north korea poses to the security and stability of the rok and the entire asia-pacific region. so i think the recent intensification of missile launch along with the recent nuclear tests by north korea is certainly the reason why they decided to make this decision at this time. but behind these recent developments, i think there is certainly a wider strategic environment which make both the united states and rok to make this decision.

the united states has been saying that this thaad system is not targeted at china, but that's not the way china is perceiving this deployment. and what china is really doing now is trying to develop its nuclear deterrents, because when i talked with the pla officers, they said that they are really afraid that their nuclear deterrents will be weakened, if not totally neutralized, by the u.s. deployment of thaad, and also what they call global program strike capabilities, which is a new system which can take out any missiles or military installation from united states within one hour. and so, because of those two

systems, emerging two new systems, thaad and the global front strike, pla officers are saying that their nuclear deterrence is being jeopardized, if not totally neutralized. first of all, it is only natural that this will make north korea further develop its nuclear missile capabilities. but it doesn't -- the effect doesn't stop there. and secondly, this will also most probably make china also further enhance its nuclear capabilities and speed up its development of second nuclear strike capabilities. so, as a result, the level of nuclear deterrence in this region will certainly go up, and the tension in the region is rising right now.

bangladesh remains on high alert for possible terrorist attacks, one week after gruesome hostage crisis in the capital, dhaka. the islamic militant group warns more terrorist attacks are being planned inside the country. the dhaka tragedy left more than 20 people dead, including 7 japanese nationals. nhk world's satoru oiyama reports from dhaka. >> reporter: people offered flowers on friday to recognize the victims near the cafe where the siege took place. the condition near the capital remains unstable. bangladeshi police are on high alert for the possibility of more attacks. they are looking into possible links between the attackers of the dhaka restaurant and islamic

state militants. media reports say some of the assailants were followers of a muslim leader who hosts a social media website. that leader is said to be associated with the islamic state militant group. the group posted a video online after the dhaka attack that showed a man thought to be a bangladeshi warning of future attacks in the country. in bangladesh in recent years, an increasing number of young men have gone missing. local media say it's quite probable that some of them have gone to the middle east to join the islamic state militant group. bangladeshi authorities are

trying to identify a possible link between the attackers and the islamic state militant group. they want to understand the motives behind last week's attacks. satoru aoyama, nhk world, dhaka. police in taiwan will soon question a man on suspicion of detonating an explosive device on a train on thursday. police say passengers witnessed a middle-aged man apparently activating what appeared to be a metal explosive device. they said dna found on tools believed to have been used for the crime matched the man's. they said clothes worn by the man had been badly burned and that explosive substances were detected on them. the man was seriously injured in the explosion and is now being treated in hospital. police plan to question him after he recovers. in total, 25 people were injured in the blast. a powerful typhoon has hit taiwan, leaving three people dead and more than 100 injured.

weather authorities are advising residents to remain alert for continuing rain and wind. officials say typhoon nepartak made landfall in taiwan's southeastern county of taitung on friday morning, bringing violent winds and heavy rainfall. authorities say one man died after falling into the sea. over 400,000 households suffered blackouts, mainly in the eastern and southern regions. the storm entered the taiwan strait and is heading toward the chinese mainland. indian prime minister narendra modi is visiting south africa on the second leg of a four-nation african tour. he is working to improve ties with the continent dubbed the last frontier of the world economy. modi received a welcome from south african president jacob zuma and inspected a guard of honor. he arrived in the country on thursday after visiting mozambique. he'll go to tanzania and kenya. observers say modi is trying to challenge china's dominant position on the continent, where it has been using intense diplomacy to secure access to natural resources. india has historical links with several african nations that were also british colonies.

modi seems keen to harness the millions of people of indian dissent who still live in africa to strengthen economic ties. during the holy month of ramadan, which ended this week, muslim people eat only after sundown. in malaysia, where muslims account for more than 60% of the population, eating habits during the period are changing as the country's economy continues to grow. nhk world's sherilyn pang reports. >> reporter: this is a traditional ramadan dinner in malaysia. for this muslim family, the first course consists of fruit

eaten a little at a time because fruit is easily digested on an empty stomach. but many young people fill their empty stomachs with heavy meals. they love greasy food and sweet juice purchased at street stalls. a recent survey shows that malaysia has an obesity rate of more than 40%, one of the highest in asia. >> from my observation, usually people will eat in one shop and they'll see other interesting other course like fried chicken. >> reporter: but some people are choosing another alternative. it's ramadan season, and families are enjoying something different to break their fast. during ramadan this japanese restaurant served a special buffet with sushi as the main course. even though prices were relatively high, the restaurant was crowded. and during this period, the customers were predominantly muslims.

>> this food is something i really enjoy eating because it's really clean, healthy, and light. >> reporter: one of the reasons for its popularity is that the restaurant obtained halal certification for its meals. this proves that the food is prepared in accordance with islamic law. >> we want to create friends among the muslims. because previous we have a law for consumer of a muslim people. >> reporter: to appeal to muslims seeking healthy food, a major japanese beverage maker boosted its green tea sales during the ramadan period. >> i think nowadays many people are recognizing the benefit of the green tea. mostly i think my friend also enjoys the green tea as well. >> reporter: the maker promoted powdered tea to make malaysian customers aware of the varieties of flavors that green tea can have.

>> translator: many malaysians suffer from diabetes and other lifestyle-related diseases. we want to offer powdered green tea for health-conscious people. >> reporter: muslims in malaysia have always tried to eat healthfully during ramadan. as the country's economy grows, japanese food is providing one way for them to do so. sherilyn pang, nhk world, kuala lumpur. a government survey shows that business sentiment among workers in japan has dipped to its lowest level since november 2012. this is due to a stronger yen

triggered by the outcome of the brexit vote. the economy watchers survey asks workers, such as retail clerks and taxi drivers, how they feel about the country's economy compared to three months ago. the index in june was 41.2, down 1.8 points from the previous month. a reading below 50 suggests more people are pessimistic about business conditions. the decline in the index is blamed on the stronger yen. overseas orders for textiles, machinery, and other products are reportedly dropping, and the

same is true for the number of foreign visitors. meanwhile, the index for the prediction of economic conditions a few months ahead stood at 41.5, down 5.8 points from may. as the yen continues to be strong, officials from the japanese government and the bank of japan met friday to discuss the issue. they agreed that if investors become more adverse to risk, the yen could strengthen even further. they agreed to cooperate closely to stabilize financial markets. vice minister of finance masatsugu asakawa spoke after the meeting and said they'll keep a close watch on foreign exchange markets and take detect any speculative moves. many japanese companies have been worried about their businesses in britain since its recent vote to leave the

european union. but hitachi and japan atomic power agreed to work together in the country's nuclear power plant business. hitachi's british subsidiary has been developing two nuclear reactors utilizing the firm's leading-edge technology. japan atomic power officials say they'll use their know-how to help hitachi gain government approval. they also expect to take part in planning for the reactor's maintenance after they go into operation. a hitachi official notes uncertainties ahead, including exchange rate effects, but he is

expecting that the british government will proceed with the project as planned. on sunday, people in japan will go to the polls to elect new members of the upper house. in the lead-up, our series, "japan decides," is looking at some of the key issues, including youth engagement. last year, japan lowered the voting age from 20 to 18, the first such change in seven decades. nhk world's chie yamagishi looks at some campaigns encouraging younger people to be more politically active. >> reporter: kaori furuno is anxious by japan's future. the university student says as the population ages, there are significant changes to passions, fiscal reconstruction and the

consumption tax. she thinks young people need to be more active in determining their future. >> translator: the population of young people is declining. if the voter turnout of this generation is low, its opinions will not be reflected in national policy. so it's important for us to vote, cast our ballots and push for change. >> reporter: with 18 and 19-year-olds now eligible to cast ballots, the country's voting population increases by 2.4 million. it is hoped that change will help spark an interest in politics among the younger generation. but it could be a struggle. in the last upper house election the turnout was the lowest among voters in their 20s. so furuno is leading students in tokyo to encourage people to vote. they offer information about where to go online to learn about party platforms and

candidates. they also explain how to vote early or cast an absentee ballot. but attitudes towards voting varies. >> translator: i'm not thinking about voting. i live by myself and i don't read newspapers or watch tv. i don't know much about the political situation. >> translator: i'm going to vote for the first time. there are important topics to consider, such as security issues. if i don't go and the results are the opposite of what i want, i would regret it. >> reporter: changes are also taking place at high schools, as some third-year students are eligible to vote. some schools are holding classes on how to vote. one school in tokyo invited kensuke harada, the leader of a non-profit organization, to help students prepare. harada handed out a list of fictitious candidates, and the students discussed their views on each of them. >> translator: i like this candidate best because she puts her family life first. >> translator: it's okay to provide funds, but that's tax money, isn't it? >> reporter: harada told them it's important to think about what issues matter to them and to cast ballots for the person that best represents their views. >> translator: elections are now real to me since i have become eligible to vote. and after attending the class, i'm more eager to go vote. >> translator: various changes are already taking place with regard to young people in politics. it has been happening since the

voting age was lowered. classes like this are one example. political parties are also trying to communicate and hold events with young people. >> reporter: many young people i spoke with have an interest in political issues that affect their lives and their futures. whether they act on that and cast ballots remains to be seen. chie yamagishi, nhk world, tokyo. the economy. new national security laws. the country's constitution. campaigning for the upper house election is on, and japanese voters will have a chance to weigh in on these issues and more. for the first time in history, 18 to 19-year-olds will get a say by casting their ballot. don't miss our special coverage "2016 election: japan decides" sunday, july 10th, on nhk world. here is the weekend weather forecast.

that's all this hour on nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. thank you for watching and have a good day.

>> this week, on global 3000, we go to ethiopia. we had to new york. it is a city becoming the domain of the super-rich. we visit india, where a quarter of the population has been hit with droughts. our planet is experiencing crazy weather, at the moment. india has been hard-hit. it is home to 18% of the world's population and has only 4% of the world water resources. 330 million people there are suffering the effects of heat a