hello and welcome back to nhk world "newsline." it's now 8:00 a.m. on thursday august 8th. i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. the operator of the fukushima nuclear power plant is about to make another attempt to try to get leaking ground water at the crippled facility under control. officials with tokyo electric

power company say they'll start pumping out contaminated groundwater on friday to stop it from spilling into the ocean. workers have been solidifying an embankment to prevent ground water from leaking from the plant into the ocean, but there are concerns that the tainted ground water has already overflowed the barrier. tepco officials say they'll bore a small-scale well nearby and pump out contaminated water. they say workers will then sink about 35-meter-long pipes into the ground along the embankment and pump out ground water from them as well starting next week. they hope to drain 100 tons of water per day. industry ministry officials estimate that 300 tons of tainted water is leaking into the ocean daily. tepco management admits that it still doesn't know the exact amount of water that's leaking. it's also failed to identify the cause of the recent surge in the radiation levels of groundwater in a well in the plant. the well was recently dug near an underground tunnel where highly radioactive water had

collected. a government panel will meet on thursday to discuss how best to deal with the contaminated ground water. the u.s. and russia are still at loggerheads over the decision to grant fugitive edward snowden temporary asylum. washington admits that decision was a factor behind the cancellation of a moscow summit between president barack obama and president vladimir putin. the one on one meeting was supposed to take place next month ahead of the g-20 summit in st. petersburg. white house officials say obama will go to the g-20 meeting. >> we were not at the point in our progress on a number of these issues that a summit at the presidential level was the most constructive step. >> she also cited the gap

between the two sides on missile defense, nuclear disarmament and human rights, but she says that the u.s. is committed to dialogue with moscow. she said her government will host a meeting of russian and foreign defense ministers on friday as scheduled. many senior u.s. lawmakers have supported obama's decision. washington says it will continue demanding snowden's extradition. putin's presidential aide is disappointed at the summit cancellation. he said the decision clearly shows the u.s. is not prepared to develop relations with russia on an equal basis. but he said the invitation for obama to visit russia still stands and that russian representatives are ready to continue working with their u.s. partners on all key issues. a u.s. drone attack in southern yemen has killed at least seven suspected al qaeda militants. it was the fifth drone strike by the u.s. in two weeks in the country. local media said the attack targeted militants in a

mountainous district of shabwa province. the u.s. government has been increasing its efforts to contain al qaeda-affiliated militants. they've shut their embassy and consulates in yemen since august 4th due to potential attacks by al qaeda. yemeni government officials say they prevented a terror attack on one of the country's oil exporting terminals. the united states and europe say they will continue to try to broker a solution. supporters of ousted president mohamed morsi are still camping out in cairo demanding morsi be reinstated. enjoys from washington, the european union and persian gulf countries have been engaged in mediation efforts since late july. they hope to prevent a showdown between the government and morsi supporters. the diplomatic intervention was sarkd sparked by the government's decision to

forcibly disperse the morsi protesters. the government blames morsi's support base, the muslim brotherhood for poor results. hazem al bevlavi will disband protesters according to the will of the people. senior member of the muslim brotherhood told nhk the world knows the government was installed but a military coup. he said there can be no more dialogue until morsi returns to the presidency. thursday a festival begins to celebrate the end of the muslim holy month of ramadan. now u.s. secretary of state john kerry and eu foreign policy chief catherine ashton have released a joint statement expressing concern about the crisis in egypt. the statement says they remain troubled that the government and opposition have not found a way to break the dangerous stalemate, but kerry and ashton

say they're ready to help in any way they can. people in tokyo are celebrating the remarkable life of nelson mandela as the former south african president gets treatment in hospital. they've put on an exhibition. some items there have never been seen outside south africa. nhk world's mitsuko nishikawa takes us there. >> reporter: the display is part of a disaster benefit art show by japanese personalities. the items related to the former south african president are a highlight. this is a copy of a note mandela wrote during his imprisonment. he was arrested many times for his anti-apartheid activities. he made headlines at his trial in 1964 when, instead of

testifying, he made a speech from the dock. he said he would risk his life to realize a democratic and nonracial society. >> translator: it's an ideal for which i have lived. it is an ideal for which i still hope to live and see realized. but if it needs be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die. >> reporter: another piece is a copy of a memo mandela wrote after his release from prison. viewers can sense the sort of man who made the effort to remember everything that was happening to him. the notes count his age when he was arrested and when he was

released over his long years of imprisonment. >> translator: it would be hard for me to describe mandela, but i can see he lives for a higher purpose. >> translator: i want my child to be able to fight fill of conviction, just like mr. mandela. i want her to stay strong with mighty heart. >> so this was written on the wall. >> reporter: visitors could also see a copy of the freedom charter written in the holding cell in which mandela once spent many hours. the charter became the platform of the african national congress which mandela once led. the new constitution of south africa, which was drawn up after authorities ended the apartheid policy, included many of the charter's demands. >> this year is nelson mandela's 95th birthday, a major milestone, that we thought this was important. so at the heart of this exhibition is to then say to the japanese community, we all have to contribute to make to help build a different and better world. >> reporter: mandela's powerful words and willingness to die for his beliefs continues to be a source of inspiration for people

around the world. mitsuko nishikawa, nhk world, tokyo. north korean authorities say they're ready to reopen a joint joint stone zone with south korea. the kaesong complex has been closed since april. north koreans work there for south korean businesses. it's considered a rare symbol of inter-korean cooperation. north korea's committee for peaceful reunification of the fatherland issued a statement. it says the failure of the kaesong complex would have a great effect on inter-korean relations. and it says leaders in pyongyang are responding to expectations at home and abroad for an easing of tensions. the statement goes on to say south korean businesspeople will be allowed to enter and leave the complex which is in north

korea. it says the north will assure their safety and that of their assets. north korean workers will return to resume operations. authorities in pyongyang withdrew 53,000 of them in april. they're protesting against joint military exercises involving u.s. and south korean troops. the north korean statement proposed holding talks on august 14th regarding the resumption of operations at kaesong. a spokesperson for the south korean unification ministry welcomed the decision. >> translator: we give credit to the north for its response. it has changed its attitude toward our demand for negotiations to solve the discord over kaesong. >> unification ministry representatives have indicated they'll consider north korea's offer for talks on reopening the industrial zone. delegates for the two koreas have already held six rounds of negotiations aimed at restarting operations at kaesong, but they failed to reach an agreement. cheese researchers found a

new strain of bird flu can jump between people but they say the transmission was limited but not stable. the h7n9 virus affected about 130 people in china this spring. 43 have died. the researchers published the study this week in the british medical journal. they looked at the case of a 60-year-old man and his 32-year-old daughter, who died from the infection in april and may. the team says virus samples from the two were almost genetically identical. the man was hospitalized after contracting the virus and his daughter stayed by his bedside. the researchers say she had no contact with poultry, and it's highly likely the virus came from her father. other family members who came in contact with him have stayed healthy. the researchers conclude the deaths were a clear case of limited transmission between family members. an annual forum that brings together politicians and scholars from japan and china has been postponed.

the chinese side says the forum will be rescheduled in october. officials from the japanese nonprofit group genron npo have been organizing the event jointly with a chinese government newspaper since 200537. this year's meeting was scheduled to begin in beijing next monday with about 100 people attending. but the chinese side recently said there was not enough time to make sufficient preparations. it decided to postpone the event until october. analysts say the reason for the postponement is the current strained bilateral relations. they say the chinese government wants to observe developments. ties between the two countries have soured over territorial dispute involving the senkaku islands. japan controls the islands, china and taiwan claim them. genron npo and the chinese newspaper released the results

of a poll this week saying more than 90% of people surveyed in both countries have negative feelings towards the other. that's the highest level since the poll began in 2005. outdoor classrooms in the philippines are creating new opportunities for children to discover that learning can be fun. it's a simple concept that encourages kids to reach for the stars. nhk world's catherine ocampo reports. >> reporter: most of thes redentsz on the outskirts of ma mill laare living in poverty. children in the philippines usually start a new school term in june but that's not the case for many of the children living here. the country is enjoying robust economic growth but the wealth gap divides the population. one in three children don't go to school. their parents cannot afford the fees. this kind of cart is used to sell merchandise around the

country, but here it's being used for a different purpose. the cart is pushed into an open area and quickly transformed into a classroom. children gather around. this push cart contains all the teaching materials like books and flash cards. volunteers from an ngo help children gain access to education. lessons are free. the classes meet once a week for six months. the children recite rhymes and draw pictures. the program has been running for five years. its founders want to show children that studying can be fun. they felt the best way to do that is to go directly to where poor children live. they encourage the children to

join regular schools when they finish the open air curriculum. >> i believe this classroom would make them realize the importance of learning and eventually will help them choose to which path will they go. >> reporter: 7-year-old jomar austria has been studying at the open air classroom since december last year. the curriculum isn't limited to the three rs. the children learned the importance of discipline and manners. they also receive instruction on basic hygiene, mastering tasks as basic as washing their hands. meals are served after class. this is the time that jomar looks forward to most. before joining the open air classroom, he was restless. he spent his days playing outdoors. but he has changed his behavior. he now offers to help his mother

collect water and look after his younger sister. >> translator: he's changed. he speaks more politely now. i'd like to send him to regular school as soon as possible. >> reporter: officials from the ngo are looking to expand their target audience. they want to teach parents the importance of sending their children to school. thanks to their efforts, over 90% of the children who have attended the classes have gone on to attend regular schools. the group now holds over 100 open air classes a week in manila and nearby districts. the government has started to

provide assistance. it gives families $7 per child each month to pay for the classes. the ngo plans to take its school room carts on the road, spreading the joy of learning to children throughout the country. kathleen ocampo, nhk world, manila. people in japan and some other nations spent tuesday remembering a dark anniversary. they marked the day the u.s. military dropped an atomic bomb on hiroshima. austrians gathered in front of st. stephens cathedral in vienna. they said nuclear weapons should be abolished. organizers delivered a speech calling for world peace. they used crayons to draw on a picture of a bomb and transform it to something else. a hundred people paraded through central vienna holding a banner

that read in german, no more hiroshima." >> translator: an atomic bomb killed many innocent people in one moment. i think such a tragedy should never happen again. >> they released lanterns on a pond to remember the victims of the bombing. hiroshima, nagasaki, the atomic bombings killed thousands of people in an instant and left survivors suffering in the ruins. "newsline" is looking back on what happened then and what's happened since. don't miss our special coverage "war to peace, lessons of 1945" through thursday august 15th. members of the young people's chorus in new york know about the power of song. they've inspired audiences

around the world with their voices. so when they planned a tour of japan, they asked to visit an area that's been through so much hardship in the last two years. nhk world's miki ebara has the story. ♪ >> reporter: this is ypc, a world renowned group of 400 children from 17 to 18 years old from new york city. ♪ [ applause ] america's east coast was hit by hurricane sandy last october. in new york alone, more than 50 people died and over 100,000 buildings were damaged. 1-year-old tohar shaniger is the one who wanted to share her disaster experience with

japanese children. >> i saw the destruction. and i spoke with families who had lost their homes even halfway across the world were trying to help and we're still lifting spirits, and we feel their pain. >> reporter: they chose "hana wa saku." a song dedicated to the people living in the disaster area. they learned the meaning of the lyrics from a volunteer. >> still there is a flower to bloom in the future. so that's the song. >> reporter: tohar is excited to sing the song for her parents at home before going off to japan. ♪

♪ >> i guess disasters do happen, but i could also feel the message of don't give up. >> how are you? >> reporter: in july, 40 members visited sendai. ♪ they gave a concert for children at a school. their energetic performers made the children smile and dance. at the end, ypc sang "hana wa saku" with the children. ♪

♪ >> translator: i was very happy. we were one in music.

>> realize now the flower did bloom. we were singing together. it was really nice. it was a great way to finish our build-up to the song. >> reporter: the children know singing can lift up people's spirits in difficult times and singing together is even more powerful. it brings together people living on opposite sides of the earth much closer. miki ebara, nhk world, sendai. people in northern vietnam are having to deal with a tropical storm that made landfall overnight. let's get more details from mai shoji in our weather forecast. good morning, mai. >> good morning, raja. tropical storm manguuht has made landfall over vietnam. it has brought rainfall and drenching rains from the hainan island. tropical storm manghuut pushed

its way from tuesday night to wednesday morning bringing strong winds and high waves. one of the hardest hit was an island southeast of hainan. the military was dispatched to the island to help the cleanup. the big picture again, well the storm has made landfall, moving over north veet them bringing stormy conditions around the areas, peaking gusts of 90 kilometers per hour. rainfall accumulation will be staggering about 200 millimeters additional of 250 in some localized areas which could trigger flooding and it will be bringing enhancement of the southwestern monsoonal flow so the flooding is going to be at high risk across the indo china peninsula. now to the bigger picture here across southwestern china and into northeastern china and north korea, this is the area

we're finding more precipitat n precipitation, about 100 to 150 millimeters could be possible in sichuan and yunan provinces. the extreme drought is still prevailing across southern china and the heat warnings are posted in asia. shanghai is reaching up to 40 degrees and the bad news is that it is going to be continuing. this ongoing heat will exhaust you. try to arrange your plans for the weekend if you are going to be having fun outdoor for the weekend because it's going to be very, very hot as you can see. please take precautions for heat stroke. now, across north america, the severe weather is still erupting across the central plains and into southeastern great lakes region. in fact, we have one tornado touchdown reported in texas from this system. tomorrow it's going to be widely spread across much of the eastern half all the way from texas/oklahoma panhandle into new england states.

the big apple, d.c., boston, these are the areas that you will find drenching rain that could lead to flash flooding and we can't rule out the possibility of tornadic activity. towards the south, still sizzling hot at houston, 38 degrees. although the humidity level is still very low, 35% in some areas and windy as well. so if the dry thunderstorms across this area ignites wildfires, that's going to be widely spread. extreme fire danger taking place again here. in europe the heat still prevails. the jetstream is still meandering down to the south in the west and to the north in the east. it is bringing severe weather across this area. this has already ignited funnel clouds in germany and hail have been reported, winds of has been reported in czech republic. it will be continuing this way. but we're still talking about the heat which is covering

eastern and central parts of the u.s. -- europe, excuse me. temperatures are in the 30s, and that's going to be continuing. so here as well, please, please take precautions for heatstroke. i'll leave you now for the extended forecast.

and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. we'll back in about half an hour so do stay with us on nhk world.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: america's frosty relations with russia grew chillier today. president obama scrapped a planned summit in september, with russian president vladimir putin. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the "newshour" tonight, edward snowden's asylum, syria and more are all weighing on u.s.-russia relations. we dissect what's behind today's diplomatic rebuke. >> ifill: then, a sweeping overhaul of the nation's mortgage finance system. margaret warner explores the president's latest housing plan. >> brown: many people with