hello and welcome back to "newsline," i'm shery ahn. a japanese official has lodged a protest against his chinese counterpart over an incident above the east china sea. a chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to two japanese self-defense force airplanes. defense ministry officials say the chinese su-27 came as close as 30 meters to one of the japanese reconnaissance aircraft, and 45 meters to the other. a photograph of the chinese jet shows a white missile-like

object beneath its left wing. no damage to the japanese aircraft was reported. the sdf planes were patrolling the area where the two countries air defense identification zones overlap. japan's defense minister itsunori onodera criticized china's action. >> translator: it was an extremely dangerous action for the chinese jet to fly so close to the japanese air self-defense force planes over international waters. we've protested through diplomatic channels. >> chinese fighter jets approached sdf aircraft on two separate occasions last month. the incidents prompted the japanese government to protest what it called extremely dangerous acts. there are no signs of progress in efforts by japan and china to avoid territorial contingencies. people in vietnam are reacting angrily to news that a chinese ship collided with a vietnamese fishing boat. they say it was a deliberate attack, the latest of many.

most have occurred in the disputed waters in the south china sea. this one happened in the gulf of tonkin, more than 500 kilometers from the islands claimed by both nations. nhk world's mayuko ambe has more. >> reporter: vietnamese newspapers quote the captain of the boat as saying the chinese ship charged without warning. he said the chinese sprayed his crew members from a water cannon. three of them were hurt. tensions between china and vietnam have been simmering since a chinese state-run company put an oil rig in the south china sea just over a month ago. they placed it in waters near the paracel islands, which are claimed by both china and vietnam. ships from the two countries have been involved in several collisions, and confrontations around the islands. the gulf of tonkin, the area of the latest incident, lies off

the coast of china and vietnam. the two nations agreed 14 years ago how to demarcate territorial waters in the gulf. vietnamese media say there's no dispute about who controls the waters where the collision took place. vietnam. officials from both countries have been trying to drum up support at the united nations. chinese delegates wrote what's called a position paper outlining their stance. they accuse the vietnamese of illegally and forcefully disrupting the oil rig operation. they've asked u.n. security general ban ki-moon to circulate the paper to all member states. delegates from vietnam submitted documents defending their position three times last month. a u.n. spokesperson says ban is ready to mediate if the two sides ask him to. officials in other countries have begun voicing concern.

japanese foreign minister fumio kishida is arranging a meeting with his vietnamese counterpart. kishida says he wants to convey japan's support for vietnam's policy to resolve the dispute through dialogue. mayuko ambe, nhk world. prosecutors have arrested a former employee of the japanese drugmaker novartis. they say he allegedly manipulated clinical data to highlight the benefits of a drug. know uo shirahashi was arrested on suspicion of violating japan's pharmaceutical affairs law. prosecutors say shirahashi provided false data about the drug pressure drug to university researchers. clinical study results were used by novartis pharma in its advertising. shirahashi told nhk before his arrest that he didn't alter the data. authorities in tokyo raided the

pharmaceutical company and the university in february after receiving a criminal complaint from the health ministry. they'll continue investigating to find out if university researchers were also aware of the suspected tampering. an official from japan's foreign ministry has briefed the united states on last month's government talks with north korea. asian and oceanian affairs bureau chief junichi ihara was in washington to meet with glenn davies. he renewed his three-day talks in stockholm with north korean officials. he relayed pyongyang's promise to conduct a full investigation into the fate of japanese adductees and japan's agreement to ease some sanctions when the probe begins. he also commented on other north korean issues. >> translator: japan and the u.s. have reaffirmed the importance of coordinating policies with south korea,

concerning north korea's nuclear and missile programs. japan and the u.s. will continue working to the. >> ihara noted that japan remains firm on pushing for a comprehensive resolution to the abduction issue and missile and nuclear programs. a japanese scientist has been facing global scrutiny over what appeared to be a breakthrough in the study of stem cells. now, two groups of researchers say they've found another contradiction that raises doubts over whether stap cells exist. the groups are the latest to question research by scientists, including haruko obokata of riken institute. her team claimed in january to have found a quick way to create cells that can develop into any type of tissue. they called them stimulus triggered acquisition of pl pluripotency or stap cells. but the researchers say they analyzed genetic data which obokata's team provided. they find the genetic

abnormality in almost all of the cells. the disorder creates an extra copy of a chromosome. they say mice with the abnormality usually die in the fetal state. the finding contradicts obokata's explanation that she produced stap cells from mice about a week old. they also say such genetic disorders often occur when another pluripotent cell called an es cell is cultivated for a long time. the two groups conducted separate gene analyses but reached the same conclusion. now, an expert on gene analysis says the new finding raises suspicions that what own caught to identified were, in fact, es cells. he says obokata and her coresearchers should address the matter properly. let's now get the latest business stories from ron madison. >> thank you, shery. government officials and policymakers at the bank of japan have been working to pull the country out of deflation. new figures from the central bank show prices of goods traded among companies rose faster than

at any time in the last 5 1/2 years. bank of japan officials say the corporate goods price index rose 4.4% in may compared to a year ago. they say the consumption tax hike in april pushed up the prices of a wide range of products but even without counting the effect of the tax hike, prices rose 1.6%. officials say one reason was rising demand for steel frames used in the construction sector. they also point to higher prices for electricity, gas, and water. on to the markets now. investors in asia not making major moves amid a lack of fresh trading cues. major benchmarks finished out the day like this. only limited price fluctuations were seen across the board. investors showed a muted reaction to news that the world bank trimmed this year's global growth forecast to 2.8%. now the nikkei average rose half a percent and finished at 15,069 rebounding from a one-week low that it hit on tuesday. some investors bought back recent decliners such as

telecoms and pharmaceuticals. trading volume was pretty light. the kospi also seeing gains. it was up just over a tenth of a percent, 2,014. supported by buying from foreign investors today. the index provider msci decided not to give south korea developed market status removing the country from the review list. many investors appeared to shrug off that news, though. the shanghai composite seeing gains of over 0.1%, 2,054 adding to tuesday's 1% gain. investors continue to focus on weather chinese authorities will take additional steps to ease monetary policy. the people who make computer and video games see virtual reality as a game changer for their industry. fans tending the world's biggest show for electronic games are getting a firsthand look at the latest gadgets and software that take them to virtual worlds. about 200 firms from around the world are taking part in the electronic entertainment expo in los angeles. gamers were eager to check out virtual reality goggles that u.s. venture firm oculus vr has

developed. users feel like they're in a completely different world when they put on headsets and play video games. the goggles aren't on the market just yet but many firms are already developing software for them. many gamemakers say virtual reality is the ultimate goal of computer and video games. and the technology is certain to become the mainstream in the industry. other companies are showing off their latest products, sony computer entertainment prernted software for its playstation 4 game console and microsoft introduced new games for its xbox1. japanese people haven't had much of a choice when it comes to bieg the electricity they use in their homes. but a new law gives them the power to choose where they purchase power. big utility companies have controlled retail electricity sales for 60 years. and now lawmakers have approved a bill that liberalizes the nation's electricity sector, and it's worth billions of dollars. the revised electricity business law allows companies and households to choose power suppliers from the year 2016.

lawmakers did include a provision that will let the government continue to set the rates major utilities charge households. they're worried excessive competition could cause the supply of electricity to become unreliable. the revised law requires utilities to maintain supply capacity. government officials say the retail electricity sector is worth about $73 billion, with more than 84 million users. analysts expect fierce competition as communications companies and trading firms try to enter the market. trade officials from japan and the united states have been trying to find common ground in the automotive sector. they haven't been able to bridge the gap that divides them. but they say they're getting closer to reaching a deal. negotiators pushed ahead with their part of the trans-pacific partnership free trade agreement during two days of talks in washington. the two sides have been discussing auto issues since last year. the main topic was whether to ease safety and environmental standards in japan that would

make it easier for u.s. automakers to sell their cars. >> translator: japan won't do anything to endanger our people's safety or the environment. that's the principle we have to stick to. >> the officials say they'll meet next in tokyo. researchers in western japan are pushing the boundaries of science. they're developing artificial muscles that are thinner than any developed before. they hope one day to help lift those who can't lift themselves, and they're drawing on some local know-how. >> reporter: this is the model of a skeletal leg that's being operated with artificial muscles. the technologies behind it are being developed at okayama university. the translucent tubes on the calf are artificial muscles. they expand and contract, just like real muscles.

this factory is now cooperating in the development of artificial muscles. it has about 30 employees. this man runs the factory. workers at the factory make braided cord such as shoelaces, by twining several fibers together. they make a variety of other products, including straps, cords, and ropes for handicrafts. the artificial muscles they've developed consist of special fiber that's braided over a silicone tube. he says the company's braiding know-how was essential in developing the technologies. >> translator: the cord is pliable. it expands after it contracts. so when air is put into the silicone tube inside this, the cord contracts. when air is removed, it expands. because those moves are similar to that of muscles, the technology can be used for

artificial muscles. >> reporter: seita's team and researchers from okayama university came upon a big opportunity two years ago. a global electronicsmaker based in south korea asked them to join it in researching ways to put artificial muscles into practical use. they aim to create the world's thinnest artificial muscle. seita conducted thorough research from the choice of materials to the number of fibers needed. he says the most difficult part was finding the best angle at which to braid the fibers. >> translator: a difference in braid angles changes the rate of extension. a slight change in angle may affect the muscle's extension or contraction. >> reporter: seita conducted

numerous tests by changing the conditions little by little. finally, he succeeded in creating an artificial muscle measuring only 0.8 millimeters. he says it's the thinnest in the world. okayama university and the south korean company have jointly applied for patents for their technologies. they're now trying to put the new technologies into practical use in a tiny medical apparatus to be inserted into the human body. >> translator: without the braiding know-how we wouldn't have been able to develop the thinnest artificial muscle. >> reporter: the project team has high hopes for the superthin artificial muscle. it envisions the technology being applied to nursing care equipment, and exo skeleton body suits that could assist people who have lost their muscle strength.

>> okay. that is going to do it for biz this hour. here's a check of the markets. engineers demissioning the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant are facing challenges. they need to figure out how to

remove fuel debris from the damaged reactors. engineers in the united states may be able to offer some insight. 35 years ago, a reactor at three mile island melted down in an accident. nhk obtained special permission from the u.s. government to access 1,000 videotapes that recorded engineers removing fuel debris from the plant. this edition of "nuclear watch" takes a look at what the footage tells us. >> reporter: three years after the accident, the decontamination had reduced radiation levels enough to allow engineers to work inside the plant. >> today is july 21. the tmi-2 inspection team is now on top of the tmi-2 reactor vessel, and about to attempt to make the first inspection into the tmi-2 reactor vessel proper. >> reporter: they insert a camera into the reactor for the first time since the accident. >> we're now approaching three

feet. we are approaching four feet. we are approaching five feet. we're now five -- >> got something. >> we are now five feet into the core. boy, a lot of debris. >> something that looks like rocks becomes visible. it's debris that has melted beyond recognition. the debris is solidified molten fuel. when water is pumped into a reactor after a meltdown, melted fuel cools down and solidifies. experts later found more than 100 tons of fuel debris. engineers began removing debris six years after the accident. they set up a platform above the reactor. from there, workers remotely controlled a robot arm and tried

to grab the debris on the bottom of the reactor 12 meters below. to avoid radiation leaks the reactor had to be filled with water. the footage shows the many challenges that workers faced. >> you got it. it's under it now. >> all right. all right, let me take you up here. >> okay it's out of the can. >> i'll come back in. >> engineers were in for some surprises. >> there's a bug. >> heat inside the reactor caused microorganisms to grow there. that reduced visibility and slowed down the work. engineers prodded the debris with iron bars several times. but nothing happened.

they found the debris to be extremely hard. they had to scrape the debris off with a special drill before taking it out little by little. five years later, they removed almost all the debris. william austin was in charge of the work. he thinks the situation at fukushima is a lot more challenging than three mile island. the fuel at fukushima daiichi has melted through the reactor cores, and has dropped to the bottom of containment vessels. >> it's a magnitude worse. i mean, i can't conceive of how much difficulty you've got. >> reporter: the operator at fukushima daiichi wants to start removing fuel debris in 2020.

but engineers at the plant are still looking for a way to do that. engineers have to fill the reactor containment vessels with water. but the vessels have many leaks. on top of that, engineers at fukushima have to deal with three reactors, not just one, like at three mile island. >> the slow nuclear cleanup is a reason only a small fraction of rice farmers have resumed planting in the area, even after restrictions were lifted in the spring. following the accident, the central government restricted rice farming in 12 municipalities near the plant to prevent radioactive contamination. radiation levels declined and they lifted officials bans and self-imposed suggestion pensions this spring. farmers were given the green light to grow crops again on about 5200 hectares of land in six of the municipalities. but nhk has learned that planting resumed on only two percent of the fields. officials say insufficient decan tamm nation of rice fields and

irrigation canals is one reason the fields are not growing crops. the central government says it wants to speed up the decontamination work. officials say other issues that need addressing include decreased features. "nuclear watch," only on "newsline." the world cup just around the corner, but the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating. our meteorologist jonathan oh joins me now. jonathan, what are soccer fans in brazil facing? >> hey, shery. looks like they're going to be dealing with a lot of wet areas, because even though the rain may not be falling for the moment, it looks like that the rain from earlier this week is causing a lot of issues. let's take a look at some video coming out of southern brazil where severe flooding took

place, and unfortunately has also left nine people dead, and 3600 people stranded just days before the start of the world cup. the rainfall totals for the month of june in the state of brana are already 150% above normal. 75 cities have declared a state of emergency in the region. a popular tourist attraction, the iguasu falls was also closed on tuesday due to the rapid rise in river levels. i want to show you what we're going to be expecting for the next 24 hours. like i mentioned, it doesn't look like we have any precipitation for the moment. and at least for the next 24 hours, it's going to skirt around the area giving a little bit of a window of drying. but it looks like the possibility of seeing some rain return to the area for the next few days. that's definitely possible here as you take a look. the good news is kuritiba i think you're going to be dealing with mainly a drier forecast for the next few days so i think that should give a little bit of a time period for the drying

period to take place, hopefully, so that the soccer fans will be able to enjoy the games that are starting off. we take a look now at the forecast in the americas. and we have a low pressure system that continues to destabilize the weather situation for the eastern half of the united states. and now, even affecting parts of canada into ontario and quebec. this system has already had a history causing a lot of problems in virginia and in d.c., and so that's something we'll be looking out for. you can see here rain expected from chicago, into toronto, and all along the eastern seaboard. highs anywhere from 23 in new york to 31 degrees in miami. we switch gears now and take a look at east asia, and of course, this is the rainy season. so a lot of wet weather to talk about from southern china, and now most of japan seeing more rain now moving in to the picture. however, we had a tropical depression that is now a tropical storm, and is now slowly moving toward the north and east. it's not going to have a particularly long life span.

we are expecting the system to be absorbed into the monsoonal rain front. but that is going to bring some impacts for the western island, okinawa, of japan, and it looks like the rain influence will expand into tokyo as we go later on this week. and, of course, the rainy season, i said that the named system will be moving away from the philippines, but that does not mean that the effects from it, the rainy effects, will continue to linger especially for the northern island of luzon. taipei, manila into hong kong and bangkok, you'll be seeing rain and even thunderstorms. tokyo also dealing with some wet weather as we go into our thursday. we take a look now at india where the heat wave continues for the northern portions of the country. but you see here a spinning system. this is cyclonic storm nanauk and it's expected to stay in open waters. it is expected to intensify as it approaches omen. so definitely want to keep an eye out as we look forward into the weekend. you see here the center of

circulation slowly pulling away. however the rain from the southwest monsoon continues to affect the southwestern coast of india. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's a look at your extended forecast.

and that's all for me today. gene otani will bring you more updates at the top of the hour. thank you for watching. a

>> those are the top stories this hour and also coming up in the program, brazil is ready to host the world, so says president dilma rousseff. the world cup tournament kicks off tomorrow. bowing action against sexual conflict, angelina jolie and william hague push for the end