hello there and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's wednesday, october 5th, 9:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. people in western japan are staying alert as typhoon chaba continues to blow through the region. the storm is moving in a northeast direction over waters off kyushu. japan's meteorologist cal association said it's traveling 30 kilometers per hour, packing winds of more than 140 kilometers per hour near the center. the authorities have advised more than 30,000 people in nagasaki prefecture to evacuate their homes. public schools in the prefecture will be closed on wednesday.

the typhoon is expected to skirt around kyushu, but air and sea traffic has been disrupted. more than 80 domestic flights to and from the region have been canceled. the storm is forecast to continue moving east between japan and south korea. now, people are hunkered down, waiting for conditions to improve, robert speta joins us now. good morning, tell us more about that storm. >> as you can see, the conditions out there, definitely still rough out here across sash eema, and south korea. we haven't se seen gusts up nea typhoon strength, but as far as the forecast is concerned, the good news, it's starting to pick up its pace. when it was near okinawa it was more symmetrical. but now getting blown out by the upper level jet. it will start to transition to an extra tropical state. what that means, the winds

themselves may not decrease that much, but they're overall going to be spread out over a much wider area. much of south korea will see gusty winds throughout the morning hours, to kyushu and back east as it picks up pace to the northeast, gradually weakening. but take a look at the winds here, 216 kilometers per hour. rain along the northern areas of kyushu. gusts up to 180 kilometers per hour, and over towards tokyo, maybe over 100. if we look ahead, we'll see rough weather in the overnight hours. thursday morning, cooler drier air is going to work its way in. conditions should rapidly improve heading into the weekend. >> good news there, robert. thank you very much. he'll continue to update us throughout the day. let's shift gears now and take a look at the latest in business news. two rival japanese motorcycle

makers are considering a partnership in a bid to race ahead of the competition. ai uchida joins from the business desk. what's behind this proposed alliance? >> japan's motorcycle market is shrinking. the country's aging population and low birth rate mean fewer customers and young people nowadays just aren't as enthusiastic about motorbikes as before. so honda and yamaha are looking to join hands. sources say executives are in the final stage of talks on a tie-up. the idea is to jointly develop and produce small scooters. sources say yamaha managers are thinking about outsourcing the production of 50 cc scooters to a honda factory in kumamoto prefecture, southwestern japan. yamaha is currently building them in taiwan. the companies are also aiming for joint development of electric scooters and motorbikes for business use. for example, those used to make deliveries. a tie-up would be a major shift.

these two rivals used to engage in fierce competition, mainly over sales of 50 cc scooters in the 1980s. but these small bikes are built to specifications unique to japan. they're not well suited as exports, and they're also low-priced with small profit margins. analysts see the planned alliance as a way for the two firms to remain competitive, by shifting their resources to bigger, more profitable motorcycles. motorcycle sales in japan are predicted to fall short of 400,000 vehicles in the current fiscal year through march. that's less than 1/5th of the peak level. the international monetary fund has marked down this year's growth forecast for the united states from the prediction it made in july. the imf cut its u.s. growth estimate by 0.6% points from the july forecast to 1.6%. the latest global outlook was released in time for the g20

meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors that begins thursday in washington. imf analysts say the two major candidates in next month's u.s. presidential election, health care -- hillary clinton and donald trump advocate protectionist trade policies and it could be a factor behind weak business investment. the imf revised up its growth forecast for japan to 0.5%, this was partly due to the government's latest supplementary budget. the projection for the global economy, that's unchanged at 3.1%. now let's get a check on markets. speculation about central bank action moved markets. immediate report that said the european central bank may scale back bond purchases. and also some major senior officials at the u.s. federal reserve mentioned the possibility of an early rate ke.

we'll see how the markets are doing. ramin mellegard is at the tokyo stock exchange. >> sentiment remains a little bit subdued, but of course the u.s. jobs numbers coming out on friday. as you mentioned also central bank policy moves, also dominating market sentiment. and also for here, the stronger dollar may help a lot of the exporters. but let's have a look at the opening levels for the nikkei and the topix for wednesday, october 5th, and we're in the positive, upa tenth of a percent for the nikkei and the topix higher as well. just a reminder, the nikkei closed higher by 0.8% closing, at its highest level since september 23rd. major exporters, like carmakers, were helping by the yen.

a report of looting at the ecb will wind down its bond buying program. the yield on the german bonds rose and on u.s. treasury notes gained after richland and cleveland said the u.s. central bank should not delay a rate increase. a lot of focus on fed officials this week, actually. one of them even mention said the possibility of a rate hike in november. so a lot of speculation, again, on what the federal reserve may do. >> and in fact, we did see the dollar and the euro rally on this. what can you tell us about levels this morning? >> exactly. we saw a little bit of a pop higher. look at it right now. 102.81 to .82. following higher yields on u.s. treasuries. the euro also higher against the dollar and the yen. single currency right now, middle of the screen, 1.1208, the euro against the dollar.

and the euro/yen as well. the british pound at its lowest level against the dollar in 31 years. investors are continuing to be concerned about the effect of brexit, now set for next year. let's get a quick look at indexes also open across the asia pacific region. seoul's kospi is down and australia's down 0.57. big focus on reserve bank of india's rate cut. putting more emphasis on growth rather than curbing inflation. a big focus maybe on the mumbai stock index today as well. that's all from me. >> sounds good, ramin. thank you. well, competing against

major manufacturers is a struggle for small factories in japan, but many are finding that investing in technology like cloud computing is bolstering their limited resources. our next piece looks at how they're getting a leg up in the marketplace. >> reporter: a doll factory in western japan. as many as 100,000 different models are custom-made here each year. they use technology to tailor each doll to a client's need. the made to order dolls are just as affordable as mass produced ones. the key lies in this computer server. it acts as the factory's brain and draws up production scheduled for the human workers. orders come in from across japan. the computer reads each design plan and calculates the most efficient work procedures and the time required.

the crucial element is the calculation called the pitch time. this one shows the manufacturing process that should take 1.7 minutes to complete. if workers finished steps in the allotted time, assembly will proceed smoothly in the most efficient manner. the computer adds up the pitch time and. >> -- assigns work. this results in massive cost cuts. >> we never have a chance if we offered the same services as the big manufacturers. but the power of our i.t. system puts us on par with them. >> reporter: here in tokyo is home to 2,000 small factories. three of them are now planning to link up through i.t. they will make their work visible to each other so they can run like a single entity. the new system relies on cloud

computing. the factories each specialize in welding, stainless steel processing, and production of machinery components. when the three handled orders together in the past, a delay at one factory led to stoppage at another, resulting in costly down time. their new system will store work flow data in a cloud server. employees can follow the work in progress and so avoid wasting their resources. >> translator: we used to hide what we were doing, to gain an advantage over other factories. this system will eliminate such secrecy. >> reporter: the knowledge-sharing platform also enables the factories to join forces to develop their own products from scratch. >> translator: we hope to make something close to a finished product. >> reporter: workers are already

working on prototypes of a height-adjustable trolley. >> translator: we're starting to function as a three in one. but if more companies join in, the way we manufacture will really change. >> translator: combined strength leads to broader business. we'll be able to create things that we could never have managed individually. >> reporter: thanks to cloud computing and other technologies, more makers are redoing manufacturing for the digital age. >> that's the latest in business for this hour. i'm going to leave you with another check on markets. ♪ ♪

on to other stories now. government and opposition forces are escalating fighting in aleppo, one of the main battlegrounds in syria. more than 400 people have been killed in two weeks. it comes as u.s. officials halted talks with russia on tuesday to resurrect a ceasefire, accusing it of not living up to its commitments. syria's state-run news agency says it believes opposition forces shelled a government-controlled district on tuesday, killing seven civilians. at the same time, president assad's forces are continuing to carry out air raids on rebel-held areas. they're also continuing ground offenses, all to try to regain control of aleppo. a group providing medical help in the city says a bomb dropped by government forces hit a hospital in the opposition-controlled area on monday. completely destroying the facility. the syrian observatory for human

rights said 426 civilians have died, and more than 1,000 have been injured in aleppo since the ceasefire agreement collapsed. now the civil war has raged for more than five years. and millions have been displaced and hundreds of thousands are dead or injured. in neighboring turkey, a group is helping some of the badly injured move forward. nhk world has the report. >> reporter: gaziantep lies close to the border with syria. an ngo here is helping syrian refugees who lost arms or legs by fitting them with prosthetic legs. >> translator: if i can have prosthetic legs i can walk wasn't need someone to help me -- won't need someone to help me get around. >> reporter: technicians making

the prosthetic limbs, working on the advice of the ngo's doctors. the parts are handmade and this is for adult and this is for small kid. the head of the center is a surgeon from syria. he used to work at the hospital in aleppo where the fighting has been fierce. >> translator: people couldn't get treatment in time because of the syrian government blockade. many had their arms or legs amputated, even though their injuries didn't really call for that. surgeons have only two choices, remove the patient's limb or let them die. >> reporter: thanks to their prosthetic legs, some people now feel they can start moving ahead in their lives. until two years ago 9-year-old najita was living near aleppo. as the bombing intensified around her home the family

decided to flee, but she was caught in an explosion and lost her right leg. now, she has a prosthetic leg and is undergoing rehabilitation at the ngo center. >> translator: she can play with her friends without being embarrassed. emotionally she's much better now. >> reporter: as part of her rehabilitation she's learned to ride a bicycle and has a new goal too. >> translator: when i grow up, i want to become a doctor to help people. ableo ians who have escaped ac theor it's also working to find out more about people in syria who need treatment and plan to come to turkey. >> translator: he's arrived in turkey. >> okay, he should contact us directly.

to set up an appointment -- >> translator: i should be working on the front line, in a field hospital in syria. i tell myself sometimes that i'm providing a small service for my people here too. >> reporter: more than 20,000 syrians are thought to be in need of prosthetic limbs. the ngo is likely to be kept busy for years to come. nhk world. the european parliament has approved a decision by the eu to ratify the paris agreement. that paves the way for the international framework aimed at curbing global warming to take effect in early november. the eu decided last week that it would not wait for all 28 member

nations to go through separate processes to pass the agreement. the eu and seven member countries that have already completed domestic ratification will submit documents to the u.n. on friday to conclude the deal. the paris agreement takes effect 30 days after being passed by at least 55 countries that account for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions. so far, 62 countries and regions, accounting for 52% of emissions, have tified. >> with the action taken by the eu parliament, i'm confident that we will be able to cross 55% threshold very soon. >> the paris agreement already has more endorsements than any other global accord. it was ratified last month by the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, china and the united states. they were joined on sunday by

the fourth largest emitter, ippedia. the next u.n. climate change conference opens in marrakesh on november 7th. japan's environment minister says he wants to push ahead on ratification and start deliberations in the diet soon. >> translator: considering the nature of the agreement and current circumstances we may need to take a bold approach to speed up deliberations. >> japan is the fifth largest emitter. the government plans to pass the deal in the current diet session, but the matter has been on the back burner with the diet focused on issues like the transpacific partnership free trade deal. t the president of the philippines has made more offensive remarks towards his u.s. counterpart.

>> the exercises have been a symbol of the two countries' military alliance, but philippine president rodrigo duterte said these ones will be the last while he holds office. >> reporter: about 2,000 u.s. and philippine military personnel are expected to take part in nine days of exercises, including amphibious beach landings. both sides stress the importance of the event. >> our vision is not for our marines alone. it involves international and regional partner armed forces as well. with the apparent scale in the number of participants. >> we share a unique and enduring bond in this region. each year we are offered an invitation to strengthen this relationship. we share and have so much in

common. >> reporter: the exercises have been seen as an annual show of strength by two allies facing chinese assertiveness in the south china sea. the u.s. and the philippines signed a bilateral agreement in 2014 that gives their militaries joint use of land in the philippines. last week duterte made remarks that sent shock waves through military commanders on both sides. >> i'm serving notice now to the americans. and to those around me. i will maintain the military alliance because there is a pact which our country signed in the early '50s. but i will establish new alliances for trade and commerce. and you are scheduled to hold war games again, which china does not want. i will serve notice to you now that this will be the last military exercise.

jointly, philippines/u.s., the last one. >> reporter: the u.s. embassy in manila said washington has not received formal notice of any intention to scrap the drills. >> i would refer you to the president's office for clarification on that. we continue to move forward with our partners here in the philippines. >> reporter: duterte has refused to allow the philippine navy to join u.s. patrols in the south china sea. he appears to be moving closer to china. analysts have expressed concern over how such a shift could affect the security balance in the strategically important south china sea. kathleen ocampo, nhk world, manila. time now to bring in our meteorologist robert speta once again for a look at world weather. robert, there is a hurricane impacting the caribbean. reports out of the region say people are getting slammed by that storm. what's the latest? >> indeed. actually out across much of

haiti, they took the brunt of the storm through the overnight hours, now tracking north, making another landfall into eastern areas of cuba. but first i want to show you video out of haiti. some pretty rough conditions here on tuesday. look at that. these winds were kicking up. actually, this is the first category 4 storm to make landfall in that country in 52 years. that's why we've seen reports of a casualty out of this region and still more information coming in. widespread fl widespread flooding has been seen. landslide threat there as well. this video out of the bahamas. they are preparing for this. nassau looks like it will take the direct impact from the storm as it moves across this island chain and to the northwest. winds gusting to 270 kilometers per hour. hurricane watches are even in place on the eastern seaboard, stretching north of miami, up to about st. augustine, around

jacksonville. i expect the warn, to cascade to the north as we go ahead through the next 24 to 48 hours. jacksonville, to savannah, up and down the eastern coastline of the u.s., very severe threat of a major hurricane, possibly impacting here. so a lot of time to still watch this, but for now, all eyes are down here, across the caribbean. because this is going to be a continued threat for you. now, what's pulling the storm north is the stationary boundary, bringing scattered showers in parts of the florida peninsula. but eventually the high pressure will set in north of that and keep it moving towards the west until this next low comes through and kicks it off towards the east. this storm itself is actually pretty potent, bringing widespread snowfall across the rockies and central canada. winter weather advisories in place because of this potent, late autumn storm, almost winter-like, as it continues to move through. winnipeg, high of only 12. chicago at 26 and staying warm.

oklahoma city, 31, but thunderstorms expected for you. all right, still talking about chaba, now moving towards the northeast through the sash eema strait, towards the sea of japan. and with that, continuing to sea rough weather across south korea. typhoon warnings are still in place. for western japan, conditions going downhill through the evening hours and off towards the north, through the overnight hours before conditions rapidly improve behind it, heading into thursday. all right, i'll leave you now with your extended outlook. ♪ ♪

one more story to share with you before we go. as tokyo gears up to host the olympic and paralympic games in 2020, efforts are being made to raise interest in one of japan's most beloved sports. >> a promotional event attracted 2,000 people, including officials from foreign embassies and international students and people with disabilities. a lecture on the culture and tradition of sumo was translated into both sign language and english. >> translator: it's really interesting to see all the performances.

>> another highlight was a performance by a top ranking wrestler, harumafuji. they demonstrated postures including defense and attack in a ritual that had not been performed in over 20 years. >> translator: the 2020 tokyo olympics will attract attention from people around the world. i want everyone to see how much japanese people care about history and culture. >> the event was organized by the japan sumo association which hopes more international spectators will enjoy the sport. what a very special event there. that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

♪welcome to "global 3000." this week, we're off to switzerland to find out what migrants need to learn in order to live and work there. then in india, we meet a young woman giving a voice to the untouchables. but first, we head to japan, where women often lose their jobs when they get pregnant. japan has been ranked at position 101 on the global gender gap index, a study of the status of women in 145 different countries. this puts the highly-developed