hello, welcome to nhk "newsline." it is tuesday, september 13th, 9:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. at least six people were injured monday night in south korea after two effort strikes struck. officials say the second quake was the strongest one the country has ever recorded. meteorological agency officials say the first had a magnitude of 5.1. it hit around 8:00 p.m. local time. a magnitude 5.8 quake then shook the region almost an hour later. it was the most powerful since observations began in south korea in 1978.

>> officials with the ministry of public safety and security say they received nearly 100 reports of damage. water pipes ruptured and an apartment building ceiling partially collapsed. no irregularities were reported at the nuclear power plant in the city but officials there suspended operation of its reactors as a precaution. authorities are warning people to be ready for aftershocks. as the u.s. presidential election heats up, republican nominee grump is doubling down on the issue of hillary clinton's health. he has again questioned whether his democratic rival is healthy enough to become president. trump spoke to american television station fox news on monday, one day after clinton was seen stumbling as she left a september 11th memorial ceremony in new york. >> so health is an issue now,

right? >> i think it's an issue. in fact, this week i took, this last week, i took a physical -- >> trump says he'll release the results of his own physical examination soon. as for clinton, she canceled a planned trip to california. her doctor says in a statement that she was diagnosed with pneumonia last friday. she is taking time to recover. in another interview, trump went on the attack saying he remembers clinton was coughing badly more than a week ago. he said it's very interesting to see what's going on. trump has reportedly questioned whether clinton is physically fit to be president. analysts say he'll use the latest incident to step up that line of attack against clinton. her campaign admitted they could have handled the incident better and provided information sooner. the foreign ministers of russia and china have criticized north korea's fifth nuclear test.

but they also called on other nations to exercise restraint. the russian foreign ministry says sergei lavrov and his chinese counterpart spoke on monday over the phone. they said it's important for countries to refrain from any actions that could further increase tensions. the ministers will seek to resume six-party talks on the north's nuclear program. they say they want to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. the united states, japan, and south korea are considering tougher sanctions against pyongyang. officials from russia and china are concerned that the u.s. may use the north korean threat as a reason to deploy missile defense system in the region as is planned in south korea. the two powers are also cooperating in the south china sea where they're putting on a show of strength. they're staging their annual joint naval exercises for the first time in the contested sea, most of which china claims as its own. china's state-run media says the drills will last eight days and

will include missile destroyers, submarines, patrol aircraft, helicopters and amphibious vessels. participants will practice seizing an island from enemy forces. and they will take part in anti-submarine exercises and live fire drills. a chinese spokesperson said the exercises were the most realistic war games the countries had ever staged. the drills could heighten tension this is southeast asian countries that have conflicting claims in the sea, as well as the united states and japan. washington and tokyo have been pressing beijing to accept a july ruling by an international arbitration tribunal. it dismissed beijing's claim to most of the sea. a nationwide cease-fire in syria that came into effect on monday evening appears to have dampened some of the ongoing fighting, but many are watching to see if it can hold. it's the second attempt this year to halt the five-year civil

war. the deal was brokered by the u.s., which backs anti-government forces, and russia, which supports president bashar al assad's government. across syria, fierce fighting and air strikes continued in the daytime but apparently stopped after sunset. when the cessation of hostilities began. if the truce holds for a week, u.s. and russian officials say they will launch coordinated attacks against the islamic state group and other militants. syria's military would be limited to attacking the islamic state group. an anti-government activist in aleppo, one of the fiercest battlegrounds, spoke to nhk by phone. >> u.s. secretary of state jake

was more cautious. >> reporter: the earliest reports are there's some reduction of violence as well as reports of fighting here and there, though it is far too early to draw any definitive conclusions and i am not drawing any definitive conclusions. >> a russian military chief says his country is also monitoring the situation. investors across the world are speculating on the course of u.s. monetary policy in the countdown to a key central bank meeting next week. traders are looking for clues on where interest rates may be heading. ai uchida joins us from our business desk. good morning, how are the markets looking? >> you'll remember that last friday, wall street tumbled and that was on speculation of an early interest rate hike by the federal reserve. that slump sent other major indices around the globe lower, including tokyo. but u.s. markets bounced back on monday after comments from a fed governor easing some concerns

over higher interest rates any time soon, and as you can see, wall street ended higher. the dow jones industrial average ending up 1.3%. the tech-heavy nasdaq up by more than 1.6%. so let's see what is happening with markets this tuesday morning. we're going to go to ramin mellegard at the tokyo stock exchange. tell us what you're seeing over there. >> very good morning to you. markets had really been poised for comments from leo brainard, federal reserve governor, as he cautioned against a rate hike any time soon, which sent investors back into stocks as you showed there. however, there's still caution against the yen. which still remains stubbornly strong against the dollar, so that may hold off any major buying and exporters. nevertheless, look at the opening there. the nikkei 225 is up 0.6%. the broader topix up 0.46%. we're still seeing a continuation of the gains from

wall street. now that may bode well for asia-pacific stocks as well. we'll monitor that. however, choppy commodity prices and concerns that lower demand-led growth from china and some other emerging economies may also dampen -- have a dampening effect, if you will. we'll monitor that sector as well. we did see china steel futures, for instance, falling to a seven-week low on monday. and also iron ore prices were also at their lowest since july. so some concerns from that sector of the market. >> we've seen choppy trading with exporters. give us an update on what's happening with currency markets. >> exactly. the dollar/yen has been pretty volatile, hasn't it. so lately, right now 101.68-73. the pair continues to see some safe haven plays. investors concerned about the path of rates and kept their funds in what they consider the safety of the yen. now some of that's also based on the confusing signals from

central bankers. both the fed and the bank of japan. as many gear up for both their policy meetings next week. that's going to be a big focus for global markets. turning to oil, a warning from the organization of petroleum exporting countries, opec, that excess supplies will continue into next year, sent prices lower. brent fell 2% after opec's monthly report. some of the indexes open right now across asia, seoul's kospi up 0.88%. sydney's s&p asx200 up almost 1%. seoul going to be a continued focus there on samsung shares which have plummeted following a warning on its flagship product, its smartphones. china markets open in an hour and a half. we'll continue to watch that. let's not forget the shanghai composite fell nearly 2% on monday. that's all for now. back to you. >> sounds good, ramin, thanks for keeping us up to date.

we'll touch base in a few hours. the japanese government is stepping up efforts on growth strategy. prime minister shinzo abe has instructed ministers to lay the legal groundwork for boosting productivity at construction sites. this move is intended to tap the power of technology to offset a growing shortage of workers. government officials held their first meeting on monday as part of a new council on future investment. they're aiming to expand the use of information and communications technology, ict, to achieve a 20% improvement in efficiency at construction sites by the year 2025. that will involve using drones and other advanced devices to build public infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels. officials plan to promote a fourth industrial revolution by taking advantage of artificial intelligence. they'll also consider ways to bring regenerative medicine into more practical use. the officials say they will draft a new growth strategy by

next year. the japanese government plans to put fully autonomous vehicles on the road earlier than its current target of around 2025. the government currently plans to have self-driving cars on expressways by 2020 and vehicles requiring no human operations on all roads around 2025. industry ministry officials say they will accelerate efforts to help industries develop self-driving vehicles. they'll also speed up legal revisions and construction of communications systems that link cars and traffic signals. the officials are also considering starting to use self-driving buses in exclusive lanes in urban areas in 2020. they're hoping to use the bus operations to pinpoint improvements needed in safety and technological areas to apply them to other vehicles. the ministry officials are considering these and other steps in view of the rapid

progress overseas companies are making in technological development and drawing up rules. the united states is expected to draw up safety guidelines by the year end. a record 11.7 million international tourists flew into japanese airports during the first half of this year. some of them are flocking to get a taste of the real japan through a home-cooked meal. nhk world has the details. >> cheers! >> reporter: these people are meeting for the first time around a dinner table. they're taking part in a program that links foreign travelers with japanese hosts who cook up a family-style meal. >> can you use? >> they're very good. i'm learning. >> are you learning? >> yes. >> we were expecting something authentic, and it definitely

was, was worth it and maybe more than we expected. it was fabulous. >> reporter: a japanese nonprofit created it to promote grassroots international exchanges. guests sign up using a website and pay a fixed fee of around $35. of that, $15 is paid to the host to help cover expenses. tamia yamaguchi registered with the program this year. >> translator: inviting foreigners over for dipper is fairly hassle-free. it feels like going on an overseas holiday. >> reporter: she works with a friend to prepare lunch for a woman from mexico. mexican food can be spicy. but they decided to make beans the japanese way, sweetly stewed.

>> translator: i wonder if she'll like it. >> for me, opportunity to meet real people and see their houses and their everyday life and their daily life, it's a unique opportunity. >> reporter: this is sylvia's first visit to japan. the entire menu is new to her. >> mm! >> one, two, three -- >> reporter: with delicious food and good conversation, three hours pass quickly.

>> food is just an occasion that gathered us together. >> reporter: in the five years since the website's launch, some 3,800 visitors from around the world have used it. there are now nearly 700 japanese host families. with the tokyo olympics coming up in four years, the number of international visitors is expected to rise further. and so is the number of foreigners looking for authentic ways to experience japanese culture. rena kawasaki, nhk world. >> looks like a family pic. that's the latest in business news. i'm going to give it back to catherine now. >> thanks very much, ai. the 20 revenue clear disaster in fukushima forced many people to leave their homes. precious belongings they had to abandon have been steadily deteriorating. but as we find out next, a local craftsman is trying to help. he's been restoring their

treasured furniture so it can play a part in the lives of their owners once again. >> reporter: these damaged pieces of furniture are now getting a new life after being restored. it's the work of cabinetmaker itakura. he's been urging people not to dispose of their damaged furniture. he believes such pieces are often part of a family's history. itakura used to live in the otaka area of minamiaso city where he owned a furniture shop. residents were banned from living there after the nuclear disaster. in july, restrictions were lifted. but the damage is extensive. many homes are being demolished. itakura says it breaks his heart to see so much furniture being discarded. >> translator: fit weren't for the nuclear disaster, people

would still be using these items in their homes. >> reporter: itakura now lives in another area of fukushima and has a workshop there. he was asked to restore this old chest of drawers. most of the furniture he repairs has a rich history. the writing on the back of this chest indicates it was made for a woman on her marriage in 1913. >> translator: the chest conveys the feelings of the parents for their beloved daughter. >> reporter: itakura carefully repairs each piece of furniture. for example, the drawers of this chest are extremely warped. to straighten them, he uses thin strips of wood. sometimes it takes days just to fix one drawer. but he leaves any scratches he finds.

>> translator: these marks are a record of people's lives. >> reporter: another client, kang yoshida, came to see a chest of drawers he'd asked itakura to restore. >> translator: wow, great color. >> reporter: it had belonged to his grandmother. and then his mother. the family had thought it was too damaged to keep. but after seeing itakura's restoration, they realized it would be a valuable addition to their new home. >> translator: this chest is a precious treasure. it will help my mother feel a connection to the house we lost. >> translator: i think restoration is the best means we have of preserving these precious items. >> reporter: one piece at a time. itakura's dedication is helping people connect the memories of

their past with their hopes for the future. the 15th annual tokyo jazz festival featured a fusion of sounds and cultures. artists brought a world of influences to the stage, creating musical conversations that needed no translation. we take you along to listen in. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: japanese guitarist kazumi watanabe was joined by gene, a renowned flamenco guitarist. the duo played a combination of traditional spanish music and jazz. >> translator: we sometimes find ourselves taking on an unexpected approach. i get surprised. >> translator: we're both

exploring new dimensions but somehow finding common ground. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: a collection of musicians from pakistan were also invited to the festival. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: members of this jazz ensemble play the sitar and other instruments from their part of the world. a video posted online first brought them global attention.

now they're big enough to have performed with groups led by wynton marsalis in new york. a documentary featuring the musicians depicts their efforts to pass on pakistan's traditional music by blending it with jazz. the country's music culture has come under pressure from islamic extremists. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: the musicians were in high spirits at their rehearsal just before the opening of the festival.

they got it and the audience did too. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> better to understand each other than to criticize everyone. respect for everyone and love for everyone and harmony for everyone. it's very important. this is the message. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ >> reporter: the message of love and harmony continues to resonate. far and wide. marie yanaka, nhk world. >> really a great mix of sounds and cultures there. it is time for a check of the weather. there are several storms churning in the western pacific. it's common to see multiple system in the region at this time of year but they're causing concern. will be better spe >> definitely with our stronger of these three storms we have out there, this is definitely quite concerning. this is a very violent typhoon

moranti. we have rai back here toward the west bringing a flood threat into vee nam, over towards laos and cambodia. malakas, eventually that's going to be impacting japan. i'll get to those in second. let's first talk about this storm system. take a look at the visible satellite imagery. this is right at sunrise. so you can kind of see the shadowing as the sun comes up over the horizon. satellite getting a good glimpse of that eye wall where we have winds in excess of 300 kilometers per hour. seeing a little bit of a degrading along the northern periphery of this. so it does look like this has reached its max intensity. but object but even if we do see slight weakening, going down from 900 to 910, a violent typhoon moving over the luzon strait. the northern periphery you're looking at that very severe flood threat in southeastern areas of taiwan, northern lie zon still going to be impacted.

about 17,000 people live there. they're very typhoon-resistant. these island chains just north of luzon, they're definitely going to be taking the brunt of this storm system. i think the biggest impact as far as population is going to be southeastern taiwan. even though the storm center might just move toward your south, you still have those damaging winds potential there and also that flood threat with those rain bands wrapping onshore and slamming into those mountains out there. definitely flooding landslides going to be a major issue. now as we take a look further toward the west, we also have our other tropical system. this has already made landfall, quickly developed and moved onshore. the flood threat with this one is the big issue as well. winds 65 gusting to 90 kilometers per hour, a low-end tropical storm. as it moved inland we're looking at widespread swaths upwards of 100 to 150 millimeters, low-lying areas will be seeing flooding. vietnam toward laos has been recently affected by floods so

definitely not very welcomed at all. especially since the sudden emergence of the storm as it came onshore. and then we have malakas. this one well out over open waters, not impacting anybody in the near term. but if we look at the four to five-day forecast, watch this move off toward the north. and if you're into taiwan, southern japanese islands, you're going to be wanting to take a very close eye on this one. because by the weekend, it could be moving right overhead and absolutely churning towards the north. this is moving through the same area we just saw moranti move through. same atmospheric dynamics. it kind of gives you an idea of the intensity. we're expecting that one to do develop definitely into at least a typhoon, could become stronger as it moves north and falling along this stationary boundary which is bringing showers toward much of japan. if you are in the tokyo area, definitely seeing scattered rainfall today, heavy at times. we had tornado advisories toward

the southwest of tokyo during the morning hours. that's all morning towards the east. so some pretty strong thunderstorms expected out there today. tokyo 25 for your high. seoul at 29. beijing 27. at least a cool spot on the map, some mild weather is ulaanbaatar, 21 on your tuesday. i'll show you your three-day forecast around the world. and that is all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

>> euromaxx highlights. and here's your host, carlos mcconnie. carlos: hi there, friends. i'm glad you've joined us on this episode of euromaxx highlights. we have a fantastic show coming up, so sit tight. here is a quick preview of what we will be covering during the next half hour. original autos. why moreno filandi builds his own cars. wind catcher. riding the waves with champion kite surfer gisela pulido. modern mobility. our reporter takes to the streets on a lopifit. let's get this show on the road in italy, where one car