hello, welcome to nhk "newsline." it's trsday,eptember 20. i'm caerine kobayashi in tokyo.

the vice president said the japanese need to stop undermining japanese sovereignty. his comments follow more than a week after the purchase of the senkakus islands. xi met in beijing with leon panetta. xi criticized the nationalizatioof the islands. he said t purchase was a farce. xi urged u.s. leaders not to intervene. the islands fall under the scope of the security treaty. the treaty should not apply to the territory. a senior u.s. defense official quotes panetta as saying u.s. officials won't take sides. panetta is urging diplomats to keep talking to resolve the issue diplomatically and peacefully. japan's coast guard officials are keeping a close eye on government ships in waters off the senkakus islands. there's no sign of a chinese flotilla. they have spotted 16 chinese

patrol ships around the area since tuesday. they are fishing monitoring ships and vessels. at least six of those ships have now left the area. two were cruising near japanese waters on thursday morning. earlier this week, 1,000 fishing boats were heading for the area around the islands. but the coast guard says it hasn't spotted the flotilla. police in ja paz may be looking into hacking. someone tampered with the websites of at least 19 government organizations. officials with the national police agency say the website include that of the supreme court. images of the chinese flag appeared on saturday on the website of the tokyo institute of technology and someone stole the personal data of more than 1,000 people who applied for an event at the facility. the websites of the defense ministry, the internal affairs

and communications ministry, and nine other offices were inaccessible for up to 15 hours because of the cyber attacks. police agency spokesperson say chinese users have posted more than 4,000 messages on hacker websites and message boards. the mess annages call for cyber atax on japan. the police say 300 organizations were identified as possible targets. iranian leaders are demonstrating friendship with a regime with few friendthese days. iran's minister pledged their support for the syrian government. salahi met with president assad. salahi was quoted as saying serious conflict is best resolved within the country. it is interpreted as assad to end the civil war. the leadership in tehran wants to prevent the collapse of the administration.

western nations and arab nations allied with the united states condemned the government accusing it of supplying weapons to the assad regime. he met earlier in cairo with the foreign ministers of egypt, turkey and saudi arabia. he demand that other nations stay out of the country's domestic affairs. egyptian and turkish leaders demand that assad step down. a british newspaper syrian government leaders have given serious thought to using chemical weapons against their own people. the allegation appeared in an interview in the times newspaper. the newspaper quotes a former army officer who was in charge of syria's chemical arsenal. he held the post until three months ago. the unnamed official said he took part in a meeting where military officials discussed

using chemical weapons. he said they considered using them as a last resort if government forces lost control of key areas. the officials said the discussions touched on how and where chemical weapons wou be used. he said the participants were aware of the possibility of civilian casualties. syrian government leaders say they will only use the weapons in the event of a foreign invasion. egypt's prime minister agreed to enter free trade talks with the head of the islamist group hamas. he met in cairo this week. >> translator: specific discussions between experts from both sides will determine how the free trade scheme should be

implemented. >> he said the deal is aimed at improving the living standards of palestinians and gaz is a. mubarak restricted people and goods crossing the border. that policy s seen as a gesture ofupport for israel waington is expected to express strong concern over the free trade plan. egypt has not officially announced that the meeting took place. morsi appears to be avoiding a possible diplomatic rift with the united states ahead of a planned visit there next week. even one of the fastest g w growing economies in the world has got caught up in the global slowdown. what's happening? >> katherine, it is showing that people around the world are putting less mey into ina. it slightly a different story for japan investors. it fell in august for a third

straight month. but japan invested heavilily in the the country before the protests. a spokesperson at china's commerce ministry said investments were down 1.4% from a year earlier. the decline was due to the global impact stemming from the european debt crisis. the european union invested about 4% less from january to august of the previous year. investments from the united states fell almost 3%. meanwhile, japan's direct investments into the first eight months of the the year rose over 16% from the year before. but that was before the anti-japan demonstrations this month, which saw rioters attacking japanese supermarkets and dpe stroiing factories. it's uncertain whether investments from japan will continue to rise. many japanese firms are reassessing the risks of doing business in the cntry following the protts.

> now let's gt a check of the markets. u.s. and european markets ended higher after further monetary easing was announced. how are things kicking off this thursday morning? >> good morning. u.s. and european investors were cheered by the bond buying measures and positive housing data in the u.s. helped market sentiment there. let's look at how tokyo stocks are move iing this thuday rning. e nikkei is down .7%. and the topix is down .56%. that was after yesterday's high closing. that came after the bank of japan announced monetary easing. we did see some buying of china shares yesterday amidst simmering tensions. we'll see if the trend continues today. just in this morning, we have

japan's latest trade data. it was in the red for the second straight month. a dicitf $9 billion. we'll see how that impacts shares to date. we do have kicking off today also the tokyo game show and will be keeping track of how that moves markets. overnight we had a drop in oil prices and that may lead to a decline in the mining sector and drilling sector. >> let's take a look at the currency market because of bank of japan's easing. we saw stock prices lift on wednesday, but it looks like they are moving hher thi morng. what can you tell us about that? >> the yen did lose some steam in the pre-u.s. trading hours. let's look at the exact levels right now. as you can see on the screen, the dollar/yen is 78.37. the euro/dollar is 1.305 1.

and some concerns of when spain will request aid from the european union. so it may put some pressure on stocks. other market movers, data from china and the eurozone, which will be closely watching out for. >> thanks for that update. japan's leading mobile phone carrier is showing off futuristic technologies. a smart phone that can be operated by gripping the hand set. they presented their advances to the media on wednesday. it enables users to start up features by applying pressure to sensors in the hand set. the company also showed off a hands-free tablet with eye-tracking technology. this allows users to scroll using eye movement only. the technology will benefit

people with disabilities. they will be able to turn the pages pages without touching the screen. they also introduced a new head set that can be used as a video phone. the company has not set a release date for the new technologies, but it hopes to one day commercialize the products. south koreans he been rking hard to woo tourists from china, their biggest trading partner, and that work has paid off. it makes you have the largest group of foreign visitors. their go-to destination is a place they are changing with purchases big and small. >> reporter: it's a popular des mags r for tourists and honeymooners alike. it's in doubt with a mild climate and beautiful nature. some 3,400 chinese visitors were aboard this it luxury cruise ship. it arrived at the island from

sheng high in late august. four years ago, the island became the only place in south korea that accepts chinese tourists without a visa. the number of chinese visitors has tripled over the past three years. shopping is the highlight of their trip. they buy all kinds of brand name goods from watches to bags. >> translator: i bought souvenirs. >> reporter: chinese businesses are making end roads too. the president of a real estate development firm, it's parent company is located in eastern cho china. his firm will be the first among chinese businesses to build a large resort on the island.

getting prov for proje like this usually takes about two years, but thanks to special consideration from the local government, his company received a go ahead in just ten months. it plans to invest $250 million into the project. construction of a hotel and other facilities is slated to begin in autumn. >> translator: large chinese companies are watching us closely to see how our project will turn out. of course, we are confident it will be a success. >> reporter: chinese businesses and people are now becoming an important part of the island's economy. the local government offers special treatment exempting them from land acquisition and corporate taxes. >> translator: chinese capital can help develop the island

further. we'll make it easier for chinese firms to invest on the island. >> reporter: in august south korean government officials announced a plan to ease visa requirements for chinese travelers visiting other parts of the country. they are stepping up their efforts to learn more chinese tourists and investments. >> that's all for now in business news. here's a look at the latest market figures.

a popular and successful entrepreneur is trying to shake up politics in south korea. he put an end to speculation by confirming he ll run as an independent in decembes esidentiallectn. he is the third major candidate to officially join the race. here's more from seoul. >> reporter: it's moment people in south korea, especially the media, have been waiting for. he walked into the news conference in seoul and the nation paused to listen. >> translator: i hereby announce my candidacy for the 18th presidential election. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: he is considered the bill gates of south korea. the 50-year-old is a former software entrepreneur well-known for his developmental and virus software.

he has never been a politician and has no ties with either of the country's two main political parties. >> translator: let's walk along together. we can change our lives only when politics changes. >> reporter: that could help him attract many young voters. >> translator: he can do a great job because everyone's so disappointed with our present politicians. i want politics that creates a fair society. >> translator: he will bring a fresh wind into politics. it could be a chance for the middle class to have a better life. >> reporter: his candidacy has turned the presidential election into a three-way race. he is up against the front-runner in the polls.

she is the ruling party's nominee and the daughter of a late president. moon jang is another main candidate. he represents the democratic united party. he was once an aide to late former president. ang is trying to set himself apart from his opponents by emphasizing his political independence. >> translator: with this election, i'd like to unify the national spirit that's calling for change. new change will begin when the people make their choice. >> reporter: ahn is a late entry to this presidential race. his candidacy is expected to give the result south koreans will decide which direction they want to go in. when they vote on december 19th.

nhk world, from seoul. earlier, gene spoke with nhk world's kengo okomoto who is covering the presidential election. what prompted ahn to get into politics? >> ahn started holding dialogue meetings in the middle of last year with people across the country. he's been listening to young people's complaints about employment and other problems. published a book in july expressing his sympathy for youth and sending messages to them. he wrote things such as everyone should be given an equal opportunity to try things under the same conditions. many young south koreans are disillusioned at the state of politics and sheer belief that

that society is unfair. ahn is politically inexperienced. the very reason voters are hoping he can bring about political change. >> how is the presidential election expected to play out? >> yes, some have suggested and is trading just behind the front-runner. but ahn's support base overlaps with the candidate, moon jae-in. neither ahn nor moon would benefit if they keep on fighting for the same votes. they might have to incorporate if they want to beat park, but that could end up costing ahn support. ven he's casting himself as an independent. someone who is outside the establishment.

a french magazine published cartoons of the prophet muhammad sparking fears of a backlash. the publication follows a wave of anti-u.s. protest over the u.s. vid dismaiming the prophet. the cartoons hit the shelves on wednesday. one portrays the prophet naked. another depicts a movie winning the best anti-muslim category at a film festival. they come with a caption, calling on readers to laugh away the satirical intense. >> translator: religion should accept criticism and satire just like philosop. >> france's foreign minister has expressed concern about the impact of the cartoons. the government has ordered 20 of its embassies across the world to shut down on friday when

weekly muslim prayers take place. the french prime minister has banned a rally in paris this saturday against the u.s. film. a france-based muslim group condemned the decision but is calling on its members to respond calmly. the trial of the man at the center of china's biggest political scandal in decades has end ende he was police chief and an aide to commmunist party official bo xily. he tried to defect to the u.s. he said he fled because he feared bo. he pled guilty tuesday to multiple charges including defection, abuse of power and bribe taking. he's awaiting the verdict. the trial says he tried to cover up the murder of british businessman neil hayward. last month bo's wife was found guilty of the crime. a state run news agency says he

reported the involvement to the head of the communist party committee. wang was fired four days later. he fled to a u.s. consulate saying his life was at risk. his trial is expected to play a role in determining the fate of bo. many expected bo to ascend to the top ranks of the communist leadership at the party's congress this fall. but he lost his post after wang's defection and his revelations. most people prewish they could predict the weather, but it could be life or death when living in an area prone to natural disasters like vietnam. it has a coastline hit by too foons. it lacks its own weather satellites and forecasting technology, but that's all about

to change. work has begun to build a space center in the capital. a ceremony to mark the occasion took place on wednesday. in the future, the center will collect and analyze data from weather satellites. the project is being supported by official development assistance from japan. >> translator: this is an important project for the development of vietnamese society as a whole. >> several japanese companies are competing to build vietnam's first weather satellite. the government will choose a supplier by the end of the year. the launch is scheduled for 2017. a second satellite will be developed by vietnam with japanese support. japanese companies hope the move will boost their exports in the space industry where they trail their western rivals. it's mid-september and tokyo residents are wondering whether there will be any relief from the heat and humidity.

rachel ferguson joins us now with the world weather forecast. it's mid september and we are still feeling the heat and humidity. are we going to get some relief? >> i can't believe it's mid september already. yes and no. we'll feel some relief but it willtill be a hot y. we have dry air coming from the continent. this will be a nice dry air. looking for 32 in tokyo today. but it should be much less humid and sticky. we are going to see showers moving into central portions of china. most of this is going to be moderate to light rain. further to the south, it will turn heavier. some parts of hunan province at 95 millimeters of rain in the last 24 hours. you could see more. seeing rain here. northern vietnam, the pink shows you where the southwest monsoon is very active. parts of thailand as well as back toward the bay of bengal. you could see flooding issues with the ongoing heavy rain in certain places. locally heavy rain also targeting the philippines today.

taking a look at temperatures starting to cool down as we head into autumn. 25 in seoul. warmer in tokyo. 32. we are also clinging to the low 30s in the tropics. all right. to north america now. it looks like a clear day across much of the continent from mexico up through canada. dry and bright skies. however, a few things to mention. we'll see moderate showers and gusty winds moving through ontario into the great lakes region. most of this big mess, some severe storms coming off the front line yesterday. a lot of that pushed into the atlantic, but it will be wet for you in parts of quebec and the tail end will be lying over florida. you will see more showers today. you will certainly notice though it's dry that it will be cooler in the east. you could see frost thursday morning in new england and temperatures in the single digits in the morning. further out toward the pacific it will be warm. 23 in seattle.

you're getting up to 28 in portland, oregon. still hot, 31 in los angeles. all right. headed into europe, we have storms here targeting the alpine region in italy headed to the balkan peninsula bringing the potential for hail, damaging winds and thunderstorms. as it heads in towards nohweste russia it will be showers rather than the severe storms. much of western and central europe will be seeing a nice dry autumnal day. there are showers through the british isles. a steady stream of moisture looks like it will come over the next 24 to 48 hours across denmark, germany and scandinavia. looking at seasonal temperatures though. mid teens across a wide spectrum. further to the south in athens, 31. 29 in madrid and lisbon. you will get another blast of summer. we're ei lbon heating up to 34 degrees by sunday. here's your extended forecast.

that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.