♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline". i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. mount aso erupted. they are asking people to stay away from falling sin doll inin. >> translator: it occurred at 1:45 time on saturday. we raised the alert level from two to three which advises people to stay off the mountain. the plume reached a height

of at least 11,000 meters above the crater. they say it may have hurled rocks over areas about 1 kilometers in range. rocks and ashes are expected to fall northeast of mount aso. no injuries reported so far. about 1600 households were without power. th japan's defense minister is on her way to south sudan. tomomi inada will check security conditions where japanese self-defense force personnel are deployed. she explained why she decided to see the situation firsthand. >> translator: it is important for me to see if sdf personnel can be engaged in activities that are both meaningful and safe. >> she says she hopes her

findings will be useful for the government in deciding what duties to assign to an sdf unit scheduled to be deployed in november. sdf personnel in south so you dan are engaged in u.n. peacekeeping activities. they're already training for new duties made possible under national security law that is went in effect in march. up with of the duties could involve personnel engaging in the armed rescue of foreign peacekeepers and ngo workers under attack. inada is scheduled to spend three days in the country visiting the sdf camp and meeting with officials of the united nations mission. japanese and indian officials along with experts have confirmed the need to boost defense cooperation between their countries. they're concerned about china's increased activity in the indian ocean. 80 officials and experts gathered in new delhi on friday to take part of a forum organized by an indian research institute.

he is an expert on security in the asia-pacific region. he said japan and india must work to maintain regional order and make sure china becomes a responsible nation. one participant said china is trying to overwhelm india by developing a large port in pakistan. japan is also in discussions with india for the sale of japan-made rescue amphibious aircraft. japan's lawyer association has adopted a declaration calling for the death penalty to be abolished, but the decision was not unanimous. the declaration from the japan

federation of bar associations says it wants japan to end use of the death penalty by 2020 in favor of alternatives, such as life imprisonment. members cite the possibility of wrongful convictions and an international move away from the death penalty. >> translator: we will seek public support for our stance by clearly explaining it. we will also hear opinions from the families of crime victims. >> but the move has been opposed by families of crime victims and lawyers supporting them. >> translator: if it's abolished, victims' families will not be able to come to terms with their loss and will go on suffering. capital punishment is a necessity. >> they say the death penalty is effective in deterring heinous crime. human rights group amnesty international stays more than

100 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty. in a survey conducted by the japanese government, 80% said the death penalty is unavoidable, less than 10% said it should be abolished. the justice minister says the issue is a matter of grave importance that concerns the foundation of japan's judicial system. he says the question touches on many issues such as how to realize justice within society and public opinion and these must be carefully studied. u.n. experts estimate that

judges hide between $7 trillion and $25 trillion of offshore. they say it could be costing countries hundreds of billions of dollars in tax incomes every year. the estimation came after reports on the panama papers. they shed light on the involvement of numerous politicians with shell companies in tax havens. now, many asian journalists are trying to learn from those who joined the project. nhk world has more. >> reporter: more than 350 journalists across asia gathered in nepal last month. they're more inspired than ever to have the opportunity to learn firsthand from those who worked on the panama papers project. >> an unprecedented collaboration that involved initially 400 journalists, now 500 journalists, from 80 countries, now nearly 100 countries that produced story that is made headlines around the world. >> reporter: the speakers emphasized the impact the leaked

documents gave to society. >> among those names were two sitting cabinet ministers, one chief of the state auditor agency, and a couple of criminals that have been recorded in the past. >> the biggest impact of panama paper is that never, ever in the history people were so much aware of the offshore companies as they have been become now. >> reporter: we interviewed one of the presenters from the indian newspaper, "indian express." she said it took her team eight months to conduct research. their findings revealed involvement of leading business figures and a top actress with shell companies. >> for journalists it has changed the mindset that they cannot work in a big group in a secret project because the panama papers have proven that they can do it. >> reporter: the panama papers contains more than 11.5 million files of companies in tax havens. journalists have revealed hidden assets of powerful men and women, but access to the panama papers is limited. they must be authorized by the international consortium of investigative journalists, the organization supporting journalists working on this project.

participants discussed establishing their own network for asian journalists. >> can you raise your hand if you think this is something we should be doing? >> they're especially eager to gain access to the panama papers. >> if we get the name of companies, then we can get fact. >> reporter: they have agreed to set up a new network and use it as a base to share information once they have found potential stories. this will be the first collaboration of this kind among asian journalists to investigate hidden facts possibly related to powerful figures in the region. they say it gives meaning to their roles as watch dogs. >> i find it very interesting, and the opportunity i have been

given really i appreciate. >> asian countries face some common problems. so if we work together, we will be strong, people will be more benefited. >> reporter: the organizer of the event emphasizes that journalists in north america or europe have a long tradition of networking that enabled such big projects to take place, and now is the time for journalists in asia to follow suit. >> the panama papers didn't just happen. the panama papers occurred because of 20 years of building networks of investigative reporters to help as a catalyzing force to bring together asia's best journalists around get them talking to each other. >> reporter: there are more private documents being added to the pile, and this conference is a chance to make new connections to continue the work. takafumi terui, nhk world, kathmandu, nepal.

the winner of this year's nobel peace prize is colombian president juan manuel santos. he's being recognized for his efforts to decades of civil war. >> the nobel committee has decided to award the nobel peace prize for 2016 to colombian president juan manuel santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220,000 colombians and displaced close to 6 million people. >> in 2012 santos initiated talks with the country's biggest insurgent group, farc.

the negotiations culminated in a peace accord in september this year. the nobel committee noted that santos ensured all voters could have their say on the accord by putting it to a referendum. a narrow majority of voters opposed it. many insist they should be held to account for their crimes. victims of the group included a japanese businessman held has taj for almost three years before being murdered. santos is vowing to keep working for peace. the committee says it hopes the prize will give him the strength to do that. it also says by awarding the honor to santos, it wants to encourage everyone who is striving to achieve peace, reconciliation and justice in colombia. the latest jobs data in the u.s. rose last month but it was less than what economists had expected. labor department officials say nonfarm sectors added 156,000 jobs in september. the jobless rate inched higher to 5%. it worsened by a tenth of a point from the previous month. officials also say the average

hourly wage, a key gauge of inflation trends, rose 2.6% from a year earlier. u.s. federal reserve chair janet yellen indicated last month the central bank may raise its key interest rate by the end of the year. she said doing so depends on the job market and inflation trends. people in the southern united states remain on hurricane watch. the strongest storm to hit the country in a decade has already claimed hundreds of lives in the caribbean. hurricane matthew lashed florida's coast on friday. authorities there had earlier advised residents to evacuate inland. the storm is now moving north. it's been downgraded to category 3 on a scale of 5. reuters news agency reported power outages in florida. about 600,000 households are without electricity. president barack obama has declared a state of emergency for the states of florida, georgia, and south carolina.

that allows federal authorities to coordinate disaster relief efforts. matthew made landfall in haiti earlier this week. reuters says it took the lives of 842 people in that country with thousands of others forced to evacuate. the philippine defense minister says the country's military could manage if the united states were to withdraw aid. patchari raksawong at our bureau in bangkok has the details. the defense chief's latest comments in step with the antiu.s. pronouncements. his bloody war on drugs has drawn strong criticism. speaking at a forum with journalists in manila, the defense minister has revealed duterte's new defense agenda of reducing the philippines' dependency on its former colonial ruler.

>> also thinking of getting some equipment from china and russia. in fact, he gave me instruction to visit these countries in the near future to check out what they're offering to us, and i will be going there, definitely, in compliance with his directive to look at this equipment and make a report. >> he said on wednesday that duterte was misinformed about the value of joint drills and that the philippines got a lot out of the u.s. relationship. he failed to explain the gap in thinking. the philippines and the u.s. have been holding joint military maneuvers since tuesday. the exercises have been seen as an annual show of strength by two allies in the face of chinese assertiveness in the south china sea but duterte said this will be the last while he holds office. he has been lashing out at the u.s., the eu, and the u.n. which have strongly criticized his philippine police have killed nearly 1,400 people in a controversial anti-drug operation since duterte took office. at least 2,000 more have died at

the hands of vigilantes and others. the pakistani parliament has passed a long-awaited bill against so-called honor killings. more than 1,000 women were murdered last year in the gruesome practice. honor killings are usually carried out by the victim's families. they are committed for alleged violations of conservative governing laws and marriage such as the victim marrying the man of her choice against her family's wishes. even victims of rape have been killed in the name of honor. the new anti-honor killing law removes a loophole in existing law that allows killers to go free if they are forgiven by the victim's family. >> previously it was not -- anybody could before the case starts forgive them and the case finishes. now if you go to court, evidence

will be brought. things, circumstances will be seen, and it will be studied and obviously in all the cases the circumstances are that it is under the term of honor so it could be difficult now. >> translator: they're trying to impose western culture over here. we won't allow them to do that. we'll impose the law according to the holy koran. this is our fundamental principle and our constitution also says the same. >> the law was passed on thursday following a debate that lasted for four hours. the prime minister had faced strong pressure to pass the law from home and abroad. the philippines has many world famous resorts, but there are countless more with potential among the over 7,000 islands in the archipelago. many communities have little knowledge of tourism strategy. we visited one that enlisted some outside help. nhk world reports.

>> reporter: four hours from manila by plane and by boat, beautiful sandy beaches. but most of the people getting off are locals returning from a trip to buy daily essentials. there aren't any stores on the island. >> please help us promote. >> reporter: this man has the task of luring tourists here. his regular job is working for a regional job in his government and he has experience in tourist promotions. one thing to work overseas, he volunteered for an international placement. his first proposal was boosting the island's internet presence. they don't have a website or even a social media page. >> translator: because of my

municipal job in japan, i can resolutely feel people's expectations. >> reporter: living on the island, he began to experience its charms. thousands of fireflies lighting up the night sky have given it the nickname the island of fire. he also discovered medicinal herbs and native folk remedies said to cure colds or even broken hearts. local people have no idea they would be interesting for tourists. >> translator: we have many tourism resources which the locals are unaware of. i hope to use resources like folk remedies and fireflies. >> reporter: nature is the island's biggest draw, but garbage on the beaches is a problem. tourists could find it off-putting.

local elementary school children have cleaned up the garbage and learned how to protect the environment. >> translator: i learned nature should not be destroyed. >> translator: i'll cherish what i was taught in class. >> reporter: he hopes to change attitudes by the environment whose businesses could benefit from tourism. >> translator: by promoting conservation, local people can benefit even more from the tourism industry. >> reporter: people in the remote islands of the philippines hope that tourism can transform their lives but they must also protect their priceless natural assets to fulfill the country's potential as one of asia's greatest destinations. nhk world, the philippines. and that wraps up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok.

people in south korea's southern city of busan have some high hopes for what it sees as a growth industry. officials there want to turn it into one of asia's top destinations for people wanting medical treatment. nhk world reports. >> reporter: busan, south korea, on the money side of things, it's largely known for its ship building, sea cargo, and seafood. over the past several years, the city has put the push on medical tourism. this one street is home to more than 300 medical clinics. busan's city authorities took the initiative to plan the area as a medical street six years ago. it's become one of the most popular destinations for foreign tourists.

more and more chinese tourists flock here for dental and skin care, as well as plastic surgery. one big reason, their growing fascination with k-pop culture and wanting to look like their favorite stars. >> translator: the doctor gives special care to foreigners. >> reporter: on hand at each clinic are each chinese speaking coordinators. their job is to stand by their patients all the time. medical professionals say the system is working well. >> translator: joint hospital management will cost less than a single operation, and patients can receive high quality services in various fields in one place. >> reporter: busan wants to

become the top three medical tourism city in asia by 2020. >> things to eat and enjoy with festivals for the whole year. a green city in all seasons. busan is now the hub for medical tourists. >> reporter: part of the business plan for attracting customers involves hosting medical conventions like this one. the guest list includes hundreds of medical staff and tour agencies from 13 countries. the pitch is simple, busan can offer high-quality service for a low price. >> people up to this point, professionalism of korean professors and doctors. >> reporter: busan is trying to attract patients from developing countries who need medical treatment for illnesses. for many, they come to the city because they can't find proper treatment at home. this 6-year-old is from kazakhstan. diagnosed with cerebral paralysis, he's gone through his

first medical operation in busan. >> translator: i traveled everywhere to treat my son. in the end, i made a decision choosing this academic medical center. >> reporter: the treatment doesn't end after surgery. once back at home, patients can still consult with medical staff about issues they are having. special equipment for video conferencing will help patients get remote diagnosis and treatment. >> translator: i believe our medical techniques are high enough to treat patients from any country in the world. >> reporter: busan has come a long way in its effort to attract medical tourists, but there are still issues. at the international level it's

not as well known as the country capital seoul. plus there have been reports of brokers from other countries arranging medical trips for patients but instead pocketing the cash for themselves. that can hurt the city's service representation. through the good and bad though, busan has its sights on overtaking regional medical tourism powerhouses like singapore and bangkok. nhk world, busan. medalists from japan's rio olympic and paralympic teams were in central tokyo on friday for a special parade. it was a celebration of their olympic accomplishments. nhk world was there and has the story. >> reporter: people lined the streets of central tokyo hoping

to catch a glimpse of the medal winners. japan team captain and silver medalist saori yoshida spoke to the fans. 87 olympians and paralympians were honored through the event. >> translator: i'm encouraged by them. they make me want to work harder. >> translator: every athlete did a great job, so i hope they will do even better in the tokyo games. >> fabulous. got to see the gold medal winners and the sill verb and the bronze. >> and such a huge crowd turned out. i would never have imagined that so many people could turn out. >> reporter: organizers say about 800,000 people came out

for the parade. that's bigger than the one they held four years ago when half a million people came out to cheer their athletes. this time organizers extended the route. it was also a good test for tokyo's police force. there was a heavy presence along the route. they even raised the alert level for the event. they'll be expected to step up security for the tokyo games. finally, it's a moment that everyone has been waiting for, the parade is passing by behind me. everyone is waving at their sporting heroes and cheering them as they go through the streets behind them. it really is an exciting moment, but perhaps this is just a little bit of what's in store for us with the olympics and paralympics in four years time. of course, the medal haul this year was absolutely a fantastic achievement, but fans here are hoping that their athletes are going to do even better in front

of a home crowd. nhk world, tokyo. >> sure can't wait until 2020. next, here is a three-day outlook for weather in selected cities around the globe. and that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. thanks for watching.

host: this week, "global 3000" heads to venezuela where life for many is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult. what's happened to the country's socialist legacy? we visit senegal where for decades, the booming peanut business has been wreaking havoc on the country's soil. how much longer can it go on? but we start in iraq, a country under siege from the so-called islamic state. terror attacks are part of daily life here. where do the bombs come from? it's been over two years since i.s. proclaimed a caliphate,