rescue effort following the collision between a chinese fishing boat and a greek cargo ship near the senkaku islands in the east china sea. japan's coast guard says the collision occurred on the high seas, 67 kilometers northwest of the island in the senkakus thursday morning. the fishing boat is believed to have sunk soon after the collision. a japanese patrol ship rescued six of them. the other eight remain missing. a spokesperson for china's

foreign minister hua chunying was released. she also praised japan for its cooperation and humanitarian spirit. hua stressed that chinese government ships are searching for the missing people, but an online critic in china asked why a japanese ship not a chinese vessel rescued the six people. chinese government vessels and fishing boats have been increasing their activities off the senkaku islands this month repeatedly intruding into japanese territorial waters. observers say hua's remark was partly designed to ease domestic criticism of the government's response to the collision by stressing chinese rescue efforts as well. japan controls the senkaku islands. the japanese government maintains that the islands are an inherent part of japan's territory. taiwan claims them. the foreign minister has been discussing this with top officials in the philippines who

have their own disagreement with china in the south china sea. fumio kishida met with his filipino counterpart perfecto yasay. he told yasay that maintaining maritime order on the rule of law is essential for the stability and prosperity of the region. he said japan will urge china to accept the july ruling by an arbitration tribunal in the hague. in a case brought by the philippines, the tribunal dismissed china's historical claim to most of the south china sea. kishida also spoke about the increase in activities recent will in the east china sea. the rule of law at sea is fundamental. >> translator: it is important for the international community to work together to maintain the rule of law at sea. >> yasay expressed his willingness to work with japan to urge china to abide by

international rules. >> the philippines share the same concerns expressed by the foreign minister. >> yasay said the international community must never compromise in urging china to respect maritime law. kishida later held talks with the philippine president, rodrigo duterte, who took office in june. the meeting is the first between duterte and a japanese minister. kishida told the president territorial disputes in the south china sea should be resolved peacefully according to international law. he said tokyo supports the philippines' position on the issue. kishida also discussed china's activities in the east china sea and sought the philippines' understanding for tokyo's position on that matter. duterte said the philippines will cooperate with japan to resolve disputes peacefully based on the rule of law. he indicated that territorial disputes with china over the south china sea should be resolved based on the ruling of the hague tribunal.

kishida and duterte also agreed to work with other nations to urge china to respect international law. it is now time to go on to the latest business news. investors on wall street are in a bullish mood as major indices mark record highs. let's turn to ramin mellegard now from our business desk. good morning. what's behind the move? >> good morning, catherine. basically the three major indexes, as you said there, hitting record highs. we're talking about highest levels ever, in fact, sharp gains in oil prices as well as better than expected quarterly earnings. results from retailers also pushed up prices in new york. now, the dow jones industrial average, as you can see there, has gained 0.6% to close at 18613. now, the tech-heavy nasdaq rose more than 0.4%. the broader s&p 500 index also hit a record high. now, that's the first time since

1999 that these three indices have hit closing highs on the same day. analysts say many investors bought retail shares after macy's, a major u.s. department store chain, announced it will close money-losing stores and focus more on online retailing. there was also a rise in the energy sector, as i mentioned there, with a benchmark wti crude oil futures gaining 4%. now, the u.s. democratic presidential nominee has again expressed her opposition to the transpacific partnership. hillary clinton says that even after elected, she wouldn't sign on to the free trade agreement. clinton outlined her economic policies in the midwestern state of michigan on thursday. >> i will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages including the transpacific partnership. i oppose it now. i'll oppose it after the

elections, and i'll oppose it as president. >> clinton backed the deal as secretary of state but later changed her stance. her rival, republican nominee donald trump, has been increasingly critical of clinton over tpp. he says she will likely support it once the election is over. clinton on thursday blasted trump's economic plan announced earlier this week also in michigan saying it's designed to help the rich. she reveals her policy to invest heavily in job creation. a japanese electronic firm sharp says chinese authorities have approved its acquisition by taiwan's hon hai precision industry or foxconn. sharp said on thursday that tal examinations by competition authorities of the countries concerned are now finished. sharp adds that a procedure to receive investment from hon hai is expected to be completed as

early as friday. this transaction was originally scheduled to happen by the end of june. the investment will give hon hai a 66% stake in the company. sharp is to become the first major japanese electronics manufacturer to seek rehabilitation under a foreign firm. now, china's cities are choking on air pollution. the government's fighting the problem partly by encouraging the use of clean cars. now, it says it will put at least 5 million more electric and eco-friendly vehicles on chinese roads by 2020. now, that's given a huge shot in the arm to new business opportunities. >> the beijing new energy auto show. 90% of the products displayed here are electric vehicles. the 200 local automakers participating are trying to find solutions to china's pollution. this car, for example, filters

the air. it lowers the concentration of the pollutant pm 2.5 inside the vehicle to government-set levels. >> translator: you can enjoy resort beach-like air in only five minutes. >> reporter: the chinese government is using incentives to encourage sales is of electric cars. some local authorities top up these incentives with additional subsidies. electric cars also have an advantage on the road. beijing bans gasoline-powered cars during certain periods of the day to lower pollution. the ban exempts electric cars. some companies have spotted a business opening. this beijing firm rents out electric vehicles. since starting two years ago, it has attracted nearly 2 million users, some of them inconvenienced by the gasoline

car ban. they lease cars by the hour. >> translator: electric cars are exempt from the rules, so they're sleeconvenient and the of fuel is cheaper than running my gasoline-powered car. >> translator: we want to increase our 3,000 electric cars to 50,000. we also hope to start rentals of trucks and other commercial vehicles. >> reporter: another company saw a business chance in demand for charging stations. the firm now has charging stations across 4,000 locations in china. a chargeup usually takes over five hours. the company has developed a dedicated app that allows users to search for and research the nearest vacant charging station.

reading the unit's qr code with a smartphone unlocks the charging cable. the app shows how much the vehicle has been charged. it can be used to plug out and to settle accounts. the firm plans to build more charging stations at airports, hotels and other public spaces. >> translator: as the electric car market develops, demand for charging stations will grow. we're also eyeing businesses that sell the cars. >> reporter: china's air pollution problem is triggering innovative solutions and a raft of new businesses. the key to the growth of these businesses is convenience and value. >> and that's it for business news. i'll hand it back to you. >> thanks very much, ramin. emergency work ners kumamato prefecture, southwestern japan, have brought an end to a long and difficult search. they've recovered what they

believe is the body of the last person missing after a series of powerful earthapril. about 80 police officers and firefighters on thursday retrieved the body from a crushed car in a river in minami aso village. the police brought the body to a neighboring town. they believe the remains of those of hikaru yamato, a university student. it's believed that he was driving near a bridge that collapsed when a landslide struck the village on april 16th. >> i feel it's finally over last we have some peace of mind. >> emergency workers suspended the search two months ago, but his parents and friends kept looking for him every day. their efforts prompted the search to resume tuesday, and they found the body the next

day. when it comes to fighting cancer, support and encouragement can be crucial for helping people cope. one man in japan had the idea of starting a webcast to help others like him. >> hi and welcome to cancer notes. >> reporter: this webcast streams videos of cancer patients and survivors in their 20s and 30s talking about their hopes and fears. the aim is to let others in the same situation know they are not alo alone. the cancer notes website was created by toru kishida. when he was 25 he found out he had testicular and lymphatic cancer. he underwent chemotherapy and had two srgs over an eight-month period. the cure worked. but it has affected his chances of having children.

>> i thought i was going to die without having contributed anything to society. i thought it was my fault. and i cut myself off from everyone. >> reporter: he became a recluse, but then he came across articles on the net in which young cancer patients describe their experiences. he wished he could talk with them. this gave him the idea of inviting guests to speak and streaming the conversations online. >> translator: when i learned i had cancer, the only thing i could think of was i would be exposed to radiation. i thought i could never get married or have children. >> translator: this is a show for people who are fighting cancer. they may not be able to go outside. but i hope i can cheer them up via the internet.

>> reporter: the webcast is bringing young cancer patients and survivors together. this man was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when he was 27. he says when he told his company, he was expected to resign. it was around that time he discovered kishida's site. inspired by the stories of patients his own age, he decided to go back to school and get new qualifications. he also asked kishida if he could appear on the show. >> translator: this is my message. bad things happen, but keep believing that good things will come. i want to encourage people even if it's just one person. i hope i can use everything i've learned from what i've been through to improve other people's lives. >> translator: we can fight this together. the aim of this webcast is to send a message of support, and i'm starting to think this was

the reason i got cancer. >> reporter: kishida aims to keep pushing ahead with cancer notes. he wants to bring young people together to share their messages of hope. two explosions at thailand's popular resort of hua hin have left one thai woman dead. 21 other people were wounded including many foreigners. no one has claimed responsibility for the blast. the blast took place at around 11:00 p.m. on thursday in an amusement area of the seaside resort in central thailand. police say the explosions may have targeted tourists. the area has many restaurants and bars popular among foreign tourists. hua hin has a palace for

thailand's royal family. friday marks the birthday of queen sirikit and the date has been designated as a national holiday. forces aligned with libya's interim government say they have taken over the islamic state group's headquarters in the coastal city of sirte. the u.s.-backed forces said on wednesday they captured the convention center that served as the base for islamic state militants in the city center. the fighting reportedly resulted in more than ten deaths each among the libyan forces and the group. they're continuing their operations in several residential areas controlled by the militants aiming to liberate the whole city. islamic state militants have been in control of sirte since june last year. the city had been their largest stronghold. libya fell into chaos after the government of late dictator moammar al gadhafi collapsed in 2011. that allowed the militants to expand their control in the north african country.

athletes are vying for glory, security troops outside the venues are facing more serious challenges. authorities say three soldiers came under fire when their car was driving through a slum controlled by gangs. two were shot and wounded, one of them seriously. the soldiers are with brazil's elite national force which is deploying troops to patrol rio for the duration of the games. the notorious neighborhood where the shooting took place is near rio's international airport and is a site of regular violent crime. in a separate incident, authorities have retrieved a bullet from the equestrian center in the deodoro district. police reportedly said the bullet may have come from a nearby slum where officers were involved in a gunfight with criminals. the incidents follow an attack on a bus transporting journalists to the olympic park. two people on board sustained minor injuries when an unknown attacker shattered two windows. some of the passengers reported hearing gunshots, but police say

the attacker threw stones. >> terrible. i have zero motivation right now. i want to go home, stay home. >> some visiting officials have seized on the latest episodes to criticize the olympic organizing committee over security surrounding the games. many young chinese people are looking for ways to overcome a growing feeling of social isolation. some are setting up a new kind of private space where like-minded people can bond and share their thoughts. nhk world reports. >> reporter: nanchang in china. students from local universities got together a few weeks ago.

they wanted a place off campus where they could hang out, learn and speak their mind. >> translator: i hope this will be a platform where students can share knowledge and experience and interact with one another. >> reporter: they are planning to bring in experts to run lectures and seminars among other events. it's believed there are other spaces like this in china. four years ago this man was a restless student searching for inspiration. >> translator: i was feeling the university was boring, formal, bureaucratic and restrictive. so i wanted to create a space that's freer and independent. >> reporter: he succeeded in setting up an oasis where people

come to explore new ideas and possibilities. it makes money through membership fees, donations and by offering accomodation. so far more than 10,000 people have used the space. today, 15 people are here to discu discuss. they'll spend two days together sleeping inside and sharing meals. most of them are strangers. they get to know each other with an improvisational play and other games. before long, they are chatting freely. this is a data analyst at an i.t. company. he's been coming here for three years. he says it's fun to make friends who allow him to speak openly and honestly.

now it's time to make dinner. everybody pitches in. soon the hot pot is ready to eat. >> translator: we live in a society without much trust, so you think it's impossible that more than ten strangers can get together and share a hot pot, but today we did that. this place has changed my view of society. i used to think people were cut off from one another, but not anymore. >> reporter: an expert in urban cultural studies said the internet's age has awakened socialness. she said people feel more isolated than ever and that's a big factor in the success of these new spaces. >> translator: young chinese people don't have siblings, a

result of the government's one-child policy. chinese society has also undergone rapid development. there's a disparity in thinking between the younger generations and their parents. many young people want places where they can build emotional bonds. >> reporter: a generation of young chinese is increasingly turning away from traditional thinking and learning. many are seeking richer lives in spaces that give them a newfound sense of freedom. reporting for nhk world from beijing. many people across japan will be heading out this weekend to kick off their summer holidays, but a big concern is the heat and humidity. meteorologist robert speta tells us what we can expect up ahead. yeah, that actually is going to be one of the biggest concerns this coming weekend across much of the korean peninsula and japan. you have the summer holidays. many people will be out and about and people will be spending plenty of time

outdoors. but i do want to really stress that the temperatures are going to be up there to almost a dangerous area here especially across western locations of japan to the mid to high 30s including the humidity. the heat index will feel like it's into the 40s for a lot of people across this region. not so much if you're down towards the southern japanese islands. do want to make note of that. we do have a tropical depression over there, plenty of moisture across the philippines and a tropical storm moving off towards the north, towards the southeast of japan. that's not going to really be impacting. it will get pulled off more to the stationary front. overall this area of high pressure is just going to sit right in place bringing these warm temperatures actually seoul with a high of 36, tokyo at 32. as i mentioned western areas of japan up to the mid-30s as well. definitely these are key notes you'll want to remember this coming weekend. have a bottle of water with you. the good thing about across japan specifically is there's a vending machine almost every ten meters or so. you can definitely pick up some

water and also try to spend time out of the sun as much as possible, if you can. meanwhile, back down to the south, as i mentioned, plenty of rainfall across taiwan and china. guangdong rain expected in the next 24 hours for you and also across the philippines, the enhanced southwest monsoon continuing to dominate here. earlier this week this actually closed a lot of schools in the manila area and adding into the weekend we'll have our tropical depression just to the north kind of developing and that is going to really enhance this. and i think manila, you can be seeing that serious threat flooding especially low lying and poor traina adrainage locat. talking about flooding, what's going on out here across the americas. also show you video out of wisconsin. how about this right here? buffalo county, wisconsin. severe flooding taking place. look at this poor farm rate in there, just completely submerged about 1 1/2 meters of flood

water. this took place after 150 millimeters of rainfall fell in a few hours there. even fuel tanks leaking there, you can see the smoke coming out from that. many county and secondary roads in that area also washed out. very dangerous on that bridge. surprised it wasn't closed at that point. but take a look at the forecast. even more rain expected on thursday evening as more cloud cover developing right behind this pulling off with this cold front. this is also ushering moisture from the south for the gulf state. a little bit of a low pressure area actually bringing that threat of flooding into parts of louisiana over towards mississippi. new orleans, in fact, they're expecting that heavy rainfall to the point where it's almost the equivalent of a hurricane, not so much the winds but the rains, 150 to 250 millimeters of total precipitation. flood warnings across that area. new orleans, showers there for you, atlanta, d.c., and oklahoma city as well. let's wrap things up here in rio de janeiro. i know that some events including the rowing events were

canceled earlier this week or postponed, i should say, because of this area of low pressure. but that's drifting towards the east. fair weather behind it improving this coming week. actually look at about 30 partly cloudy skies on sunday. here's the extended outlook.

and that is all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for staying with us.

>> on this edition of "native report," we meet artist jeff savage and visit a sculpture at the headwaters of the mississippi river. we travel to the oneida nation of wisconsin and learn about the organic garden. >> we use this gaming revenue to invest back into our community. >> and we interview annette clapsaddle, executive director of the cherokee preservation foundation. we also learn something new about indian country and hear from our elders on this "native report." >> production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community and the blandin foundation.