it's the top of the hour and it's a tuesday evening here in japan. i'm james tengan. welcome to "newsline." here are some of the stories we're following this hour. military and militia forces in iraq save a town from islamic state fighters as leaders in europe work to counter what they consider a global threat. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has set some new priorities and he's getting some new help to get the job done. and south korean managers have come up with some innovative ideas to get ahead in

the tough market for home electrical products. the outgoing prime minister of iraq is vowing to turn his country into a grave for islamic state militants. nuri al maliki visited a town that was just pried from the group's clutches. different forces have banded together to fight this insurgency and different leaders abroad have taken fresh action to counter the threat posed by islamic state. nhk world's craig dale has the details. >> reporter: a variety of forces united to break the two-month siege of a town. iraqi soldiers fought alongside kurdish peshmerga and shia militia who are backed by iran. u.s. air tribes over the weekend helped them overwhelm sunni militants with the islamic state. the militants have cornered thousands of shia turkmen, an ethnic minority. those people are safe for now. and they've been getting much-needed supplies thanks to

u.s. aid drops. a crowd cheered when outgoing iraqi prime minister nuri al maliki made a surprise visit. "i salute your steadfastness and patience against those beasts and killers," he said. maliki vowed to turn iraq into a big grave for islamic state fighters. the militants swept through the north in june, seizing territory and terrorizing residents. they've killed and raped those who won't convert to their strict brand of islam. they've been especially cruel to minorities, including christians and yazidis. united nations officials say over 1,400 people were killed in august alone. the vast majority of them civilians. nearly 4,200 died in june and july. but the officials note actual figures could be significantly higher. members of the u.n. human rights council say the islamic state has carried out odious crimes on an unimaginable scale. they agreed to send 11

investigators to iraq to document what they call massive human rights violations. german chancellor angela merkel says the suffering in iraq is immense. she defended a decision to send weapons to kurdish forces. opposition lawmakers argue the shipment breaks germany's policy of not arming fighters in conflict zones. >> translator: now we have a chance to save the lives of people and to prevent more mass murders in iraq. >> reporter: the leader of britain outlined his strategy to counter islamic state. prime minister david cameron wants to stop his citizens from joining the militants. an estimated 500 britons have flown to syria and iraq to take up arms. including the london man accused of beheading american journalist james foley. about half may have returned. cameron unveiled plans to give police the power to hold the passports of suspected radicals while they investigate. and he wants to block extremists from coming home. >> it is abhorrent that people

who declare their allegiance elsewhere are able to return to the united kingdom and pose a threat to our national security. >> reporter: more and more leaders are acknowledging the islamic state threat is a global one. the militants may have lost the fight for this town but they've got a firm grip on other areas. most agree the battle to end this insurgency will be a long one. craig dale, nhk world. pro-russian separatists have sat down for peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in eastern ukraine. they say they would be prepared to keep the country together if they were granted special status. they say that includes the right to firm a military organization. separatist leaders met in meansing, belarus, with medical ga delegates. they want to promote more economic integration with russia.

russian president vladimir putin called on leaders in kiev to engage in talks on what he called statehood in southeastern ukraine. the delegates have been trying to reach a cease-fire after months of fighting between the separatists and government forces. the separatists have refused calls for them to lay down their weapons. the delegates are scheduled to meet again on friday. japan's prime minister has had the same group of people by his side since he took office two years ago. now shinzo abe is set to make some changes. he's getting ready to reshuffle his cabinet and shake up the leadership of the governing party. abe's expected to name toshihiro niki chairman of the liberal democratic party's decision-making party. he leads the budget committee of the lower house of the diet and has served in the cabinet before. he has ties with many members of the ldp's coalition partner new

komeito. abe's expected to select anada to another key party post, chair of the ldp's policy research council. abe has been impressed by how she's worked to deregulate the farming and medical sectors. >> translator: i want to advance and accelerate our policies and invigorate my administration. >> abe's expected to appoint someone with a lot of experience in security matters to a new cabinet post. minister in charge of security legislation. eto chairs the lower house committee. he's expected to serve as defense minister. he would work on legal revisions related to collective self-defen self-defense. cabinet members decided in july to reinterpret the constitution to allow japan to exercise the right. prime minister abe has stressed it is important for japan to

update its defense policy to adapt to a changing security environment. his new cabinet member responsible for defense and national security legislation is in charge of putting his plan into action. >> reporter: the development of the chinese military is a top concern for japanese defense officials. they say china is using corrosive measures in an attempt to alter the status quo. the number of chinese patrol vessels entering japanese waters increased in 2012. it reached a peak after japan nationalized some of the senkaku islands. japan controls the territory. china and taiwan claim it. a year later, government officials in beijing announced they established an air defense identification zone over the

east china sea, covering the senkaku islands. they said the military forces would take emergency measure if aircraft entering the area did not follow their instructions. >> translator: china will not compromise or make deals on territory. or allow the slightest violation. >> reporter: japanese government officials tried to set up a security hotline with china to prevent an unintended clash. but the chinese were reluctant. as relations worsened, prime minister abe sought to reaffirm ties with the united states. >> and the cornerstone of our strategy and the foundation of the region's security and economic progress is our historic treaty alliances. including with japan.

>> translator: on china, we agreed that we clearly oppose changing the status quo by force. >> reporter: later this year, officials of the two nations will revise their guidelines that stipulate how they would cooperate if japan came under attack. the revision is meant to reflect the shifting security situation in east asia. that includes north korea's nuclear and missile development. authorities in pyongyang launched ballistic missiles into the sea of japan in march, june, and july this year. this was another reason why prime minister abe announced a fundamental change to a decades-old policy. his cabinet approved a

reinterpretation of the constitution, allowing japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense. that means it could defend a closely related country under attack. >> translator: with this decision, japan could strengthen its deterrence and contribute to international peace and stability. and also ensure japan's security. >> reporter: but abe needs to amend more than ten domestic laws to make the change a reality. so he's creating a new cabinet post devoted to that job. 58% of people who responded to nhk's latest survey said the prime minister and his cabinet have not fully explained the issue of the right to collective self-defense. the new ministers will be

expected to convince the japanese people their leaders made the right decision and also cope with the rapidly changing security environment. here on "newsline," more international and domestic stories ahead. but let's take a look at the latest developments on the business and financial fronts with ron madison. >> thank you, james. investors appear to be pretty upbeat over the scheduled reshuffle of prime minister abe's cabinet. they're hoping the new team will produce fresh policies that boost the financial markets. japan's major benchmark rose to the highest level since late january. some are also speculating the bank of japan may soon provide additional stimulus as the next policy meeting is drawing closer. let's get a check of other asian markets now. most of them did finish higher. seoul however declined. the shanghai composite extended its recent winning streak on policy hopes. the shanghai composite seeing gains of 1.4%, 2266.

that's the level we haven't seen since june 2013. investors speculating that the chinese government will unveil measures to support the shipping industry. shares of port operators and related transport stocks got a boost. in seoul, the kospi down .8%. 2051. that's the lowest close there in more than a week. some locked in profits on recent gains, on the records were worried about declining demand among south korea's trading partners, they include china and europe. shares of major exporters took a hit. officials at the bank of japan are trying to get more money flowing through the economy and their efforts are paying off. they say the amount of currency in circulation combined with deposits at the central bank hit a record high for the first time in two months in august. the monetary base had swollen to more than 243 trillion yen, roughly $2.3 trillion, by the end of august. that's up about 0.1% from july in yen terms.

the monetary base is a total of the cash in circulation plus deposits that financial institutions have at the central bank. the monetary base previously reached a record high in june. now since last year, the officials have been pumping trillions of yen into markets. they expect the monetary base will grow to about $2.6 trillion by the end of this year. chinese leaders have been urging nations to throw their support behind a proposed international financial institution. the asian infrastructure investment bank would fund projects in developing countries in asia. but japan's foreign minister has questioned the need for such a lender. >> translator: there are international financial institutions already, including the asian development bank. i doubt whether a new institution would add any value to the existing ones. >> kishida also said if china accounts for a large chair of the bank's capital zation it

could not be run fairly. kishida pointed out the asian development bank already provides financial aid for infrastructure projects in the region. japan is one of adb's largest shareholders and all its presidents have been japanese. japanese business lobby wants to bring the two countries closer together. a delegation of about 20 corporate managers will soon be packing their bags for china in a bid to help mend strained bilateral relations. the chairman of the japan association of corporate executives hasegawa says the group will leave next monday for a three-day visit to beijing. >> translator: i hope private businesses can contribute to improve bilateral ties as much as possible. >> the delegates will sit down with their chinese counterparts and discuss the economic conditions and the challenges both nations face. they may also meet government officials, including ones from

the national development and reform commission. executives at japan's mitsubishi corporation are planning to have talks to launch a new airline. they want to operate regional routes that major carriers consider unprofitable. the executives will meet as early as this week with officials from mitsubishi aircraft and the government-backed development bank of japan. they'll study the feasibility of offering short-haul flights between small airports. the plan is to raise the profitability of these routes. they would use small jet planes being developed by mitsubishi aircraft. the executives will ask their counterparts at japan airlines and all nippon airways to take part in the project. they say they're also looking at the possibility of flying to china and south korea. managers at some south korean firms have seen dark clouds over their businesses. over the last month the strength of their currency, the yuan has pushed down exports. managers at other firms are enjoying a bit sunnier times. they've got innovative products that have attracted consumers

both at home and abroad. >> reporter: a hit product at this electrical store is this robot vacuum cleaner. it's not only racking up sales at home but exports are soaring. it may look like a typical robot vacuum cleaner. but it has an additional function. it moves and sucks at the same time. the secret is the water tank.an. the secret is the water tank.na. the secret is the water tank.an. the secret is the water tank.mo. the secret is the water tank.pa time. the secret is the water tank.sa time. the secret is the water tank. a time. the secret is the water tank. that's something the conventional cleaners don't have. the tank feeds moisture which wipes up dirt which can be soaked up. the robot's inventor is the mid-size manufacturer monol. established just ten years ago, the firm's annual turnover is about $1 billion.

monol opened new headquarters this july in the miss hub of jeju island. the firm prides itself on developing innovative products quickly. it regularly wins design awards at appliance shows in the u.s. almost 90% of sales are abroad. there's no big marketing department or sales network. instead, the staff focus on research and innovation. of the 240 employees, some two-thirds are in development. >> translator: i'd say we come up with about 300 new ideas every year. and we commercialize them way faster than our big rivals. >> reporter: another success story is a company that carved out a new market using technology it has pioneered over

decades. a mid-size manufacturer runs this cafe to show off its appliance. a special fruit and vegetable juicer. the company says it spent 40 years developing the technology to extract juice while retaining as much nutrition as possible. the main feature is a slowly rotating screw inside the machine. by steadily pressing the ingredients, he says it minimizes the friction and heat that destroy nutrition and enzymes. and because the pulp is removed from the liquid, the result is an even smoother juice. he says it holds 90% of the domestic market for juicers like this and exports to 53 countries. >> translator: we sell well abroad without any special marketing because we really

focus on developing the best extraction technology. >> reporter: one secret to their success is the ingenuity these smaller companies bring to existing technology. patient years of research and development have also paid off. the challenge is whether they can continue to perform and expand their presence further. anna jung, nhk world, seoul. all right, that is going to wrap it up for "business hour." let's check in on the markets.

every morning, investors turn their attention to asia. the tokyo market leads the way. and markets around the world follow. >> from the decisions that could change the course of an economy. >> to the companies at the forefront of change. >> up-to-the-minute market reports. >> and analysis by specialists from around the world. >> get all the latest business news and insight every day here on "newsline." a bus carrying tourists in bolivia has run off a highway and overturned. most of the passengers were visitors from other countries. at least ten people were killed. media reports say the bus was carrying about 40 people. it veered off the road early on saturday morning. the accident happened about 300 kilometers south of the capital la paz.

authorities have determined that eight of the people killed were visiting from abroad. they include travelers from italy, switzerland, and australia. traffic accidents are common in boliv bolivia. one reason is rough roads. the bus was traveling to the capital from solar de uni. the salt flat is a popular tourist destination. tokyo officials are working hard to identify the source of a dengue outbreak in a city. they've installed traps to catch mosquitos in a park where 30 people are thought to have been infected. japan's health ministry has confirmed 12 more domestic cases of the virus. all 34 people infected so far were in or near the park last month and are likely to have been bitten by mosquitos there. officials with the tokyo metropolitan government are draining pond water in the park to prevent mosquitos from breeding and they began installing traps at ten locations inside the park on

tuesday. the traps contain dry ice that emits carbon dioxide and a fan to help lure the insects. the officials will collect the first catch on wednesday and bring the samples to a laboratory for tests. now for weather. persistent heavy rainfall has plagued southern china for months. but the fallout from the latest downpours is having deadly consequences. our meteorologist jonathan oh is here to explain. jonathan, it seems like landslides are occurring quite frequently in east asia. we had the one in hiroshima about two weeks ago. what are some of the conditions for landslides? >> james, one of the most important things that we point out when it comes to landslides is a very saturated ground when there is persistent rainfall, enough to where the ground literally turns into mud. that's when you have the

downpours coming in right after that that trigger landslides. and unfortunately down toward the southern portion of china, a landslide took place once again because we've been talking about this frontal boundary. this monsoonal setup for weeks. even months now at this point. and that persistent rainfall is now also ushering in those downpours because of a low pressure system that developed. i want to show you video coming out of this area to give you an idea what the scene looks like. look at this flooding taking place because of drenching rain since sunday. we see the landslides in chongqing. at least eight have been killed in this latest situation with 24 others missing. the missing includes 11 coal miners. about 500 rescue workers have evacuated more than 7,000 residents. the economic loss is said to be $11 million in just that county alone. surrounding areas have been hit by massive flooding, landslides, and traffic disruptions. so yes, the weather situation

has really led to some very devastating flooding effects in southern china. now as we look at the forecast, the forcing mechanism for those downpours has now shifted toward the east and so by wednesday i think we're going to see a little bit of a loosening in terms of the amount of rainfall, which is what is desperately needed. that doesn't mean you won't see some showers. but at least the downpours, i think that focal point will shift toward the east. and so the korean peninsula and western japan, this is going to be the next area of precipitation. you can see here as we go into wednesday, rainfall expected for north and south korea into the eastern portions of china. and once again, western japan looking at the possibility of some rain. hiroshima also, people are wary because of the rainfall that has been falling in that part of japan. and it looks like that's something that officials will need to monitor going through the next couple of days. here's a look at the forecast for asia. again, seoul cooling off because of the rain. high of 22. shanghai 28.

chongqing, you're going to be relatively dry. may see a few showers. high of 28 degrees. in tokyo we are seeing temperatures moving into the upper 20s. and this is a rebound in temperatures. during the weekend, temperatures fell as low as the lower 20s for highs. but now we're seeing temperatures moving closer to 30 degrees by friday and saturday which is average. yokohama, hiroshima, nagano, temperatures moving closer to average for this time of year. take a look at the forecast for north america. you can see the bright white clouds located in the central plains moving into the ohio river valley. this was the focal point of severe weather on labor day. and because of that, numerous tornado reports, a couple of them over into michigan. and then a few more down toward kansas. this cold front will continue to push toward the east and it will destabilize the deep south so we're looking at the possibility of some strong stores even into the northern porings of the appalachian mountains. a quick look down over in mexico. a tropical storm named dolly has now formed. it is moving to the northwest at 17 kilometers per hour.

as we go throughout tuesday afternoon expect the winds to pick up and yes the rain is going to be a big part of the story, up to 100 millimeters in parts in the next 24 to 48 hours. also looking at the possibility of some rough surf. again, unstable weather pattern expected for the deep south. you see rain and thunderstorms from atlanta to d.c. as we go through tuesday. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook.

that does it for this hour's "newsline" but there's more to come here on nhk world so stay right there. p1utt

>> you are france 24. -- watching france 24. in eastern ukraine pushed government troops aback as nato says it needs to upgrade its presence in the region. takeback two towns. a new report from amnesty international claims to pass three months of fighting and have provoked ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. an emergency meeting in parliament over the ongoing crisis.