hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's friday, july 15th, 9:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the estimate of the number of dead continues to rise in nice, france, after a truck plowed into a crowd of people. local officials say at least 60 people were killed and dozens injured. the incident is being called a major criminal attack. a truck drove into the crowd gathered for bastille day celebrations in southern city. reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying there was a gunfight between an unidentified person in the truck and police officers. french media reporting that the driver of a truck has been shot dead.

media are reporting they believe this could be a terror attack. the asp news agency quoted officials as saying that president francois hollande was headed back to the capital for emergency talks. security had been on high alert throughout france in the lead-up to the celebration. the leaders of the u.s. and britain have also reportedly been briefed on the incident. we'll continue to update this story. on to other stories. the japanese air self-defense forces a evacuated four embassy officials from south sudan's capital juba. this came after intense fighting between rival factions. a transport aircraft carried them to djibouti about 1,500 kilometers from juba. a defense ministry official says the aircraft was not in danger at any time during the operation. japan's government dispatched three c-130s to djibouti for the

evacuation of his nationals from south sudan. leaders of rival forces in south sudan ordered a cease-fire on monday after fierce fighting erupted last week between government troops and opposition forces. the defense ministers of japan and india have agreed to seek a peaceful solution to maritime disputes in the south china sea. their discussions were based on a ruling earlier this week by an international arbitration tribunal. japanese defense minister gen nakatani met his indian counterpart manohar parrikar in new delhi. he referred to a tribunal in the hague which dismissed china's claims to most of the south china sea. nakatani says the verdict is final and the countries concerned should comply with their obligations under the ruling. he said that japan wants to cooperate with india in efforts to bring a peaceful solution to disputes in the waters.

parrikar said that india is also seeking a peaceful solution which emphasized the importance of the rule of law. nakatani spoke to reporters after the meeting. >> translator: india and japan have agreed to set up a framework for talks on maritime strategy between defense authorities from both countries. >> japan apparently wants to work closely with india and other nations to urge china to exercise restraint in maritime affairs without raising tensions. it is time now for the latest in business news. as the provider of a japan-based free messaging app is going public on both sides of the pacific this week. let's fiend out more from our ai uchida at our business desk. we're talking about line. tell us more about this. >> for people like you and me and others who use the app, the first thing that comes to mind are those expressive faces and other characters that are known as stamps. people say the stamps allow them to express feelings that may be

harder to do with words. but there is more than just messaging with line. you can play games, stream music and even transfer money. and investors are betting that the business will grow. i'll give you the latest on how line is doing here in tokyo in just a minute. but let me tell you about it's big debut on the new york stock exchange. it had the largest initial stock offering of any tech company so far this year on thursday. the company's stock ended the first day trading up nearly 27% from its ipo price. that put the firm's market value at about $8.7 billion. that's the biggest of all firms that have gone public in japan or the united states to date in 2016. line's messaging app is popular with around 220 million users, most in asian markets including japan, taiwan and thailand, but

line faces challenges from other messaging apps in the united states. >> oh, i thought the bear was really cute. i don't know anything about like the company, but i was just taking pictures because the advertisement was cool. >> line executives believe that the debut on the new york stock exchange will boost the global name recognition of their company. they're also trying to raise funds to further expand their market share. now, as i told you, line is going public on the tokyo stock exchange this friday, today its ipo price was 3,300 yen, but officials look like they're still pricing that trade and we don't have all the details just yet. ramin mellegard will join us from there. and ramin, i want to know what's happening with the nikkei especially considering wall street had a pretty positive day with the dow jones industrial average actually ending record highs for the third straight

session. tell us all about it. >> exactly. we did see a positive session on wall street and really boosted by financial sector stocks encouraging second quarter earnings from jpmorgan chase helped. we saw a little bit of a rebound in crude oil prices and also the british pound surging against a lot of currencies after the bank of england left rates unchanged. and regarding line, i'll message you the levels later on. but let's have a look at how the nikkei and the topix are kicking off for friday, july 15th. 16457, up 0.4%. the broader topix higher as well. now, the nikkei rose for a fourth straight day on thursday, make that five the way it's going today. taking it to the highest level in a month. the yen continues to be sold against the dollar and other currencies. investors shifting back to a more risk-on mode. that usually means buying safer assets such as the yen. so we're seeing a reversal out of that. a big focus on shares of line.

we've been covering here the japanese messaging app and it's had its listing on the new york stock exchange. it's kicking off here today. it's really the biggest ipo since china online retailer ali. baba and the biggest listing here since japan post holding released its two financial units raising around $12 billion. and that was november of last year. so a lot of activity one negative may come from uniqlo stores as asia's largest retailer says it expects net profit through the year through august to be 25% less. that was forecast in april. citing the yen's recent rise. the ceo says it may go back to its low pricing business model. >> i'm going to be waiting for that line messaging about its opening price. but until then, tell us about currencies, especially

considering a lot of focus on the bank of england keeping its rates unchanged. what is going on? >> exactly. that came in for a bit of a mixed reaction from the investment community. the british pound right now, you're looking at against the dollar right now 1.3375. sterling was a big focus in markets actually jumping as high as 1.3470. analysts expecting the boe to make a policy move at its next meeting in august after it confirms inflation data. the pound was also up against the euro and 2 1/2% against yen. let's get a quick look at asian markets. seoul's kospi as well as sydney's s&pasx, but the main focus will be on china. you will speak with peter morgan later this morning to go over the figures with you. china's markets open in 1 1/2 hours. back to you, ai. >> rami, thank you for that

update. they decided to continue the investigation into alleged accounting fraud as to sheebo. they told them it would be difficult to build a case against former presidents of the firm. the securities and exchange commission has been conducting probes to bring charges against the former presidents. the commission alleges that toshiba officials padded profits by temporarily selling large volumes of components to attract assemblers before closing its books. sources close to the commission say that prosecutors are saying that the transactions in question were not fictional as real goods changed ownership. they added that the prosecutors said it would be difficult to pursue criminal responsibility. but the commission regards the case as malicious claiming that toshiba intentionally carried out the unnecessary transactions to window dress. it is wrong to see such practices as legitimate. continuing uncertainty over

the global economy, many people feel anxious about the future. that's encouraged a new kind of investor who look to the property market in search of greater financial security. nhk world reports on the potential rewards and the risks. >> reporter: a seminar for first-time property investors. they are learning how to make a profit by renting out an apartment. >> the key to investing in apartments is to avoid vacancies. >> reporter: most of these people are company workers in their 30s and 40s. they are uncertain about the economy and worried about their future. by renting apartments, they hope to security a new channel of income. hopefully one that is stable and long term. >> translator: i want to have another source of income in addition to my current job. >> translator: the system might not work by the time we reach

the age to receive it. so i think i need to be better prepared. >> translator: property investment used to be thought of as a matter for only a limited group of people, but now it is becoming more common for ordinary people to invest. >> reporter: another factor causing people to invest in property is low interest rates caused by monetary easing. this man started investing in real estate this year. he's already bought one rental apartment. today an agent is showing him another candidate he says his motive is simple, financial security for his family. very low interest rates means he gets almost no return.

on the other hand, it's never been easier to take out a property loan. a 21-square meter apartment on the outskirts of tokyo sells for around $250,000. >> translator: interest rates are very low at the moment. i think it's a chance to borrow money and do investments. >> reporter: the real estate agent has put together a revenue forecast for him. the estimated interest rate is 1.65%. due to the low rate his monthly payment is $100 less than it would have been years ago. >> it's easier to take out loans from financial institutions these days. people earning around $40,000 a year now have a shot. >> reporter: of course, there are risks. the big one for rental properties is a vacant apartment. renter income can't be guaranteed and market analysts

say investors need to prepare for hard times. >> translator: investors should keep enough extra cash in case something unexpected happens. most investors limit the amount of money they borrow, but some rely 100% on a loan for funding. >> reporter: more young people want to become landlords. that's generating competition in the market and making it more important than ever for investors to be educated and aware of the risks. keiko tomura, nhk world, tokyo. >> i'll have more for you next hour in business. i'll leave you with the latest in the markets.

the three dimensional printer market in china is really taking off and seeing the potential for economic growth, many are putting high hopes in the technology. nhk world's daisuke asuma has the latest from beijing. >> reporter: using 3-d printers people can create a thing in almost any form or shape. this cutting-edge technology is spreading in china.

3-d printers have even reached the local restaurants. if i scan a photo of my face, this device takes a picture and the printer makes a kind of pancake that looks like me. the printer quickly makes a drawing of my face using pancake batter. a short time later, at the cost of about $1.50, my face pancake is ready. there are others currently operating in beijing. >> translator: i feel like i'm eating myself. this is very strange. >> reporter: the chinese government is promoting the use of 3-d printers as part of its plan to innovate and upgrade the manufacturing industry. domestic 3-d printer shipments doubled last year. the medical profession is also putting high hopes in the latest

technology. this university hospital in beijing made an artificial backbone using a 3-d printer. doctors then transplanted this into a patient who had a spinal tumor removed. this was the surgeon. he says at the moment the cost is still too high, but he's optimistic. >> translator: the use of the 3-d printing technology will help improve medical care. the periods of treatment will get shorter and treatment itself will become more effective depending on the kind of illness, we can also hold down medical costs. >> reporter: this man ran the manufacturing firm. he's using a 3-d printer to build houses. >> translator: at first no one understood what i was trying to do. i thought, my company has to push research and development and come up with our own product in order to survive.

>> reporter: in china the cost of labor has continued to rise. he wants to cut down on them and meet the rising demand for housing construction. at his company, a 3-d printer squeezes out concrete on top of a steel structure. this process requires only two people. they can build a two-story house in 45 days. that is less than half the time needed to build a house by regular construction methods. >> translator: i think there's big potential for social benefits through our 3-d printing technology. >> reporter: the government is also trying to promote a use of this technology in the field of education. this firm is developing products for use in schools and other educational institutions. although the 3-d printer market is relatively new, it's expected

the market in china will overtake the u.s. to become the world's biggest this year. and there's no telling how much further it could continue to grow. daisuke azuma, nhk world, beijing. the big men of grand sumo are facing off as a july tournament in nagoya, central japan. we go to hiro morita. >> the man is o satto. he's looking to step up into sumoo's highest ranking of yokozuna. he has come so close to winning the emperor's cup over the two previous tournaments help said winning his first cup is the only thing on his mind.

dangerous tochiozan is his opponent. kisenosato keeps going after him. he sends the ozeki out of the ring. kisenosato bites the dust for first time. the man who is keeping close tabs on kisenosato is a mongolian grand champion hakuho. the winner of the last two tournaments. he's looking sharp and face s taekurafuji. he's on a streak. hakuho tries to move forward.

hakuho loses and also his long winning streak has come to an end. now, let's look at a rikishi we featured prior to the tournament. he's kitaharuma. he's spent 14 years in the lower ranks. after a long road, his dream of competing in the top division has finally come true. now it's up to him to stay there. he's taking it one bout at a time. he's hoping to rack up enough wins with a record of more wins than losses. good luck kitaharima. now, before i go, i'd like to let you know about a new sumo program here on nhk world. it's called "grand sumo highlights." an incredible roundup of all the action from each day's competition. tune in to "grand sumo

highlights" for a richer sumo experience. >> certainly looking forward to tuning in for that. thank you very much, our sumo expert hiro morita. robert speta joins with us the latest. >> indeed. actually, we are looking at temperatures soaring to some incredible figures out here. actually, to put it in perspective, some areas across the northern slope of alaska, for that matter, we're talking about north of the arctic circle seeing temperatures warmer than los angeles in southern california. and even at this hour, actually, temperatures pushing up to the 30-degree point at locations just around fairbanks, one of the larger cities towards the north here. back on wednesday, we've actually seen one report right along the arctic coast push around 29 degrees. that may be one of the warmest temperatures on record for the northern coast of alaska -- not only alaska but the entire arctic ocean. some pretty incredible temperatures taking place out here. and one of the main reasons for

this, we're looking at this massive ridge of high pressure which has been dominating off here towards the north. and that is pulling in warm air all the way from the tropics not to mention the fact that, if you remember, we just passed the summer solstice, in fairbanks, 24-hour-a-day daylight out there. we're looking at continuous sunlight. temperatures continue to rise. they will be changing up. this won't be long lasting, but i'm sure still having some impact across the area. we have a front that's pulling in from the west. behind it, they're going to be looking at much cooler temperatures. first, it is going to bring some rain showers and across much of this area, then eventually about a 10 to 15 degree temperature drop for some people out here as they moves through by sunday. plus those cooler rain showers not only in alaska but also northwestern areas of canada as well. now, people are asking how does this relate to climate change. the specific instance has a lot

to do with this ridge of high pressure, but overall, yes, the temperatures out here have been continuing to increase. just our overall input from the sun and output of radiational heat coming off the earth has been increasing because of the increased co-2. that means just overall more heat is being trapped out here. it's our greenhouse effect. temperatures especially across the arctic are changing the most dramatic out here. over the past 100 years, vietnam at least have been continuing to increase. and definitely quite an impact. let's take a look at japan, more localized weather now, especially heading into the weekend here. back towards the west, i know across kyushu we have seen continuous rain showers. and some places will see an additional 100 millimeters through friday. scattered thunderstorms through parts of tohoku and the kanto plain. thursday afternoon storms were flaring up out here. we actually had some strong

winds about 90 millimeters of rainfall in just a one-hour period. even some hail reported in a few of the locations. definitely unsettled weather. take a look at forecasts. thunderstorms could popping up through friday afternoon and clearing up by saturday into sunday. showers extend back towards the west and eastern china, shanghai with a high of 34. also i do want to mention in the americas, really starting to see things clear up along the eastern seaboard that's following some storms in new york and washington, d.c. here's the extended forecast.

we go back now to our top story this hour.

it's one that's developing out of france. the estimate of the number of dead continues to rise in nice after a truck plowed into a crowd of people. local officials say at least 60 people were killed and dozens injured. prosecutors are investigating the incident as a possible terror attack. a truck drove into the crowd gathered for bastille day celebrations in the southern city on thursday night. reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying there was a gunfight between an unidentified person in the truck and police officers. french media are reporting that the driver of the truck has been shot dead. we start to get accounts from witnesses who were at the scene of the attack.

>> media quoted local officials as saying the truck drove two kilometers through the large crowd. they're also reporting that the truck was carrying a load of weapons including hand grenades. the news agency was quoted as saying that president francois hollande was headed back to the capital for emergency talks. security had been on high alert in france on a lead-up to the bastille day celebrations. the leaders of the u.s. and britain have also reportedly been briefed on the incident. we're keeping a close eye on this story and others. we'll be back at the top of the hour with more of your updates. and that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." thanks very much for joining us.

rita aspinwall: on this edition of "native report," we meet artist karen savage blue and view selected paintings from spirit, a mid-career retrospective. ernie stevens: we visit the national eagle center and environmental learning center on the mississippi river. rita aspinwall: and we observe a multi-agency prescribed burn designed to rejuvenate and enhance prairie grassland. i want them to get out, and then you can go in. you'll also learn about what we can do to lead healthier lives and hear it from our elders on this "native report." announcer: production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mwakanton sioux community, the blandin foundation, and the duluth superior area community foundation. [music playing]