welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. u.s. commanders have expanded their offensive against islamic state militants. they've been attacking targets in iran. now pentagon officials say the u.s. and its allies have begun airstrikes against the militants in syria. the officials announced the first strikes on monday. a spokesperson said the u.s. and partner nations used fighter and bomber jets, and tom hawk missiles to attack.

the spokesperson said the operations are ongoing. he said the decision to launch the strikes was made earlier in the day by the u.s. central command. but explained the pentagon is not in a position to provide additional details. last month the military carried out 190 airstrikes against islamic state targets in iraq. militants with the group have increased their control over territory there, and in neighboring syria. president barack obama said earlier this month that he was ready to expand the airstrikes from iraq to syria. members of an algerian group claiming to have links to islamic states say they've kidnapped a french national. they posted a video on the internet to prove it. and they warned france's leaders to stop attacking id lambic state militants in iraq. the video shows a man who says he's from southern france. he says he was kidnapped on sunday. a masked man next to him says france must cease hostilities

against islamic state otherwise the french captain will be slaughtered. french foreign minister laurent fabius said the video is authentic. >> translator: france's attitude remains the same. we intend to do the maximum needed to free the hostage. >> president francois hollande said he spoke with algerian prime minister abdelmalek sellal and asked for help in finding and freeing the man. turkish authorities have seen a flood of refugees pour over the border from syria. they say since friday about 130,000 people have made the crossing. the refugees are fleeing fighting in northern syria between kurds and islamic state militants. the militants have seized control of many kurdish villages near the border. the turkish government has been closing border crossings and security forces have tried to push back kurds who approach triggering clashes.

the office of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees says the number of displaced people could reach hundreds of thousands. leaders from around the world are gathering at the u.n. head quarters in new york for the annual general assembly. but their presence brings risks. the islamic state group has called on muslims to kill citizens of all countries in the u.s.-led coalition. so new york is on high alert. nhk world's kurando tago reports. >> reporter: every year, the u.n. general assembly brings thousands of politicians, and diplomats, to the city. new york police department has beefed up security measures here at times square and other locations. i see police officers standing by at every corner. a recent post on an islamic state message board encouraged world lone wolves in america to attack new york.

some people are anxious. others say they're used to such stress. >> we can never be 100% safe. you just have to sort of, you know, be aware of your surroundings at all times and, you know, hope for the best. >> we're right in times square. there's no scarier place to have something like that happen. so, my opinion is pretty simple. i just hope they stay away. >> reporter: security officers are keeping a close watch on the hotel where u.s. president barack obama and japanese prime minister shinzo abe will stay. both leaders will join other leaders amid tight security. they'll be discussing pressing issues, including how to counter threat of islamic state group in the middle east, and ebola outbreaks in africa. kurando tago, nhk world, new york. the people in charge of decommissioning the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant haven't been able to stop radioactive

water from entering the ocean. tokyo electric power company officials hope a new kind of cement will stem the flow. highly contaminated water is flowing from the plant into a maze of tunnels under the facility. engineers believe it's mixing with groundwater and then leaking into the sea. workers started to build an underground wall of ice in april to stop the flow. they plan to start removing the water in july, and then fill the empty tunnels with cement. but the water still hasn't frozen. engineers are now looking into the idea of filling the tunnels with the newly developed cement before they're empty. tepco officials say there's little chance the contaminated water will leak into the ocean. they say, they'll first explain the plan to the nuclear regulation authority. they hope to start work in the middle of november, and finish it by january. japanese leaders want to attract more international travelers to boost economic growth to help make that happen the transport ministry is making

it cheaper for airlines to use tokyo's haneda airport. ministry officials will cut landing fees in half for carriers that start new night services to haneda. the change will take effect in november, and will apply to flights arriving between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. airlines now pay about $6,400 to land a boeing 777 passenger jet at the airport. under the new plan, they'll pay half that amount the first year, 70% in the second, and 80% in the third. haneda began allocating more landing slots to international airlines in march but landing fees are more than three times those of airports and other asian cities. only half of all available night time slots are filled. officials at a university in taiwan are encouraging scholars to study japanese author haruki murakami. they've opened a research center dedicated to murakami's works. an opening ceremony was held at

tankan university in the north city of new taipei. >> translator: our future goal is to found an area of study about haruki murakami. we want to provide a base for studying murre camry's writings in a range of specialties. >> researchers will look at how people in different country read murakami's works and analyze them from sociological and psychological perspectives. his writings have gained popularity in taiwan in the 1980s, especially among young people. a court in china has sentenced a well-known uighur academic to life in prison for separatism. chinese police detained ila ilan toti at his home in beijing. authorities accused him of harming national security and socialist stability. they say he collaborated withing we irseparatists outside china.

but he denied he was involved in secessionist activities or organizing a separatist group. the court ordered confiscation of all of his possessions. a lawyer says toti shouted his objection to the sentence when he was led out of the court. the lawyer says he will appeal. toti is a longtime advocate of uighur rights. he has criticized china's ethnic policy but he opposes uighur independence. the united states and other countries see the case as an attempt by china to stiffle the sect. they have asked the chinese government to release toti. more and more chinese tourists are encouraged to vacation on home soil. chinese government officials have unveiled plans to double revenue from domestic tourism by 2020. so enterprising firms are offering people a new way to understand their country by showing them the very thing that boosted the economy. nhk world reports from shanghai.

>> reporter: people flock to shanghai to see the historic districts and skyscrapers. historic places like this have long been popular with tourists. but not everybody. some people have something different in mind. these people are visiting a factory that's producing probiotic drinks. the government has -- visitors can take a firsthand look at the production process and sample the drinks. it's an experience popular with people who have grown tired of conventional tourist selection. each year, the plant welcomes 40,000 visitors.

probiotic daily drinks aren't common in china, so the tour guides explain the health claims in detail. company officials say it's a way to connect with consumers. >> translator: i felt worried about food safety. but after visiting the factory, i'm more at ease. >> translator: i hope more tours like this will be available. >> translator: it's important for us to communicate directly with consumers and show them the factory. it's an effective way to promote our product. >> reporter: the new industry tourism promotion center is working with travel agencies to design tours.

200 tourist factories now draw 10 million visitors a year. >> translator: if we can further integrate manufacturing and tourism, it will add to shanghai's appeal, and that will boost economic growth. >> reporter: another company is trying to boost its brand image by showcasing environmental efforts. the company makes water purifiers at this factory. visitors learn the products that can reduce waste by curbing consumption of bottled water. they also learn that the devices safeguard water resources. a project is under way on the roof of the factory. the company is using rainwater to grow vegetables.

>> translator: we're using an environmentally friendly method to grow naturally. >> reporter: visitors learn about organic farming. the project stresses the environment and human health. >> translator: factory tourism isn't just about us promoting our products. we want to convey our belief that health is linked to water, air, and what we eat. we don't want people just to observe. we want them to experience. >> reporter: manufacturing has long been the engine of china's economic growth. factory tours give people a close-up look at industry in action and gives the economy a further boost. daisuke azume, nhk world, shanghai., nhk world,

shanghai.a, nhk world, shanghai. curiosity can lead to expression and other forms of creativity. one photographer has been shooting pictures for years on some of the most creative people in japan. chinese-born canadian benjamin li has been based in japan for 30 years. nhk world visited his latest show and saw some of the evidence of his own creativity. >> reporter: artist kusama inhabits many of li's most memorable works. this exhibition in tokyo juxtaposes her persona with the view through his camera. as a subject kusama is a never-ending source of

inspiration. she seemingly preinvents herself in every moment. for a photographer that provides an opportunity to explore the known and the unknown. kusama is predictably unpredictable and li's pictures he transforms before our eyes. >> coming to new york, and enjoying the creative freedom that she had there, and coming back to the japan, and and being rebuffed by the society must have been very tough for her, but she, you know, kept painting. >> reporter: creativity is a magnet for benjamin lee. he is drawn to people who are not afraid to move beyond the status quo with whatever tools facilitate their expression.

one of his signature styles is a set of three shots of the subject. he calls it triptik photography. hiroshi teshigahara is the third person to lead the school of flower arrangement. he also is known as a film director. lee felt this was the best way to capture his image. to feature a bamboo arrangement that breaks away from the traditional approach to ikibana. >> to create a body of work, i mean, not just one year, five years, to build, you know, do that for 20, 30, 40 years. i try to be of the character and person through the place they live in, the place they create in. >> reporter: a recent photo shoot took place at the boutique of one of japan's most famous fashion designers.

she was the center of attention as lee set about finding a way to portray the image that she exudes. >> perfect. so is a modern-day cleopatra. that's beautiful. >> reporter: the result is a trilogy of koshono's career. >> translator: he seems to want to show both the creation, and the creator behind the creation. he's always searching for new people who inspire him to make his own artistry.

>> reporter: lee was important in china in 1947. his family left for toronto when he was four. his career is a far cry from the limits he would have faced in his country of birth. throughout his lifetime the governments of china have been wary of self-expression. >> the restraint, the awful time of cultural revolution, what it did, all art was kind of like just cut off, that there was no freedom of expression. >> reporter: lee has been creating pore tracts of chinese artists, many of whom survived hard times following their muse. they include a contemporary artist who lived through the cultural revolution and a male singer who's become famous performing female roles and merging dance with chinese opera. each is playing a part in testing the country's artistic

boundaries as its economic profile expands. lee's latest interest is photographing construction of the main stadium for the 2020 tokyo olympics. the size, design, and cost have cast it into the center of controversy. >> i think it's controversial, quite revolutionary building. it will be quite an important and interesting thing to follow. >> reporter: whichever way that turns, lee and his camera will be there. when creativity is involved, something is sure to develop, minori takao, nhk world. some farmers in northern japan are seeing more and more birds in the skies that they once tried to get rid of. they have supported government

officials to bring back crested ibis from extinction. but they're finding that their efforts are a mixed blessing. nhk world's midori aoki explains. >> reporter: crested ibises were introduced to japan using a peridot natured by china. they became the basis for an artificial breeding program. officials released the birds into the wild for six years. there are now some 130 wild ibises living in japan. but some local people see the birds as a headache. sado city promotes equal friendly production which uses fewer pesticides. this helps protect the environment which protects snails and frogs in the rice paddies. ibises gobble them up just after the rice has been planted.

and the birds trample the rice seedlings. ibises damage d yoshi tanaka's crops. >> translator: after the ibises trampled my seedlings the plants were buried in mud. >> reporter: rice seedlings die after they have been stepped on. tanaka replaced the damaged seedlings with new ones, but his harvest still failed by 10%. >> translator: i feel very divided about the birds. i want to shoo them away, but at the same time, i have to protect them. >> reporter: crested ibises used to be found all over japan. but farmers saw them as a pest because they ruined rice crops.

the ibis population was culled, until there were none left in japan. local officials in sado have been trying to find a way for some of the ibises together. they came up with the idea of selling rice from bodies where ibises have damaged the seedlings as a nature friendly alternative at about a 50% markup. they announced the sale of rice with a crested ibis seal of approval on the website. people from all over japan flooded sado with orders, and it nearly sold out. >> translator: we would appreciate it if our customers buy this rice as a way to help crested ibises return to their natural habitat. >> reporter: tanaka was one of the farmers who sold the rice last year.

she took a picture of two ibises walking in his rice field. tanaka showed the photos to city officials. they gave the seal of approval to the rice grown on his farm. tanaka no longer sees ibises as a threat. they add value to his rice. >> translator: this is a ray of hope for farmers. i really want humans and the birds to coexist and prosper together on sado. >> reporter: farmers are now giving the seal of approval to a bird they once saw as a pest. it's a win-win situation for the ibises and local people. midori aoki, nhk world, sado.

after bringing flooding rains to the philippines and taiwan, tropical storm fung-wong is causing stormy weather in eastern china. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us. >> this morning tropical storm fung-wong made landfall in china for the first time in 25 years. no one has been injured but 450,000 residents have been affected by the storm. we have the video just from the south of shanghai. fung-wong has caused torrential rains and fierce winds across the province on monday. over 100 kilometer winds and 200 millimeters of rain were recorded and many houses were destroyed. traffic was paralyzed because major roads were inundated. tens of thousands of people had to be evacuated. now the system is moving at a slow pace, right now 20 kilometers per hour. so it's still hugging the eastern seaboard of china. still bringing some windy

conditions for the coastal areas. the peak of heavy rain and winds will continue at least for the next couple of hours, and then the next stop is going to be south korea. the system will likely tap the southern portions of the country by wednesday afternoon local time as a tropical storm. heavy rain of about 40 millimeters of rain an hour could fall, and then it could move for central parts of japan by thursday afternoon local time. it should become a low pressure system but that doesn't mean rain will decrease. we're anticipating nearly 180 millimeters of rain for northern kyushu and nearly 100 million meters of rain for many parts of western japan which could cause flooding as well as landslides. as for tokyo, stormy weather could happen on thursday. now, across the southern areas, we're monitoring another tropical system, this is a tropical depression, you can see clouds already engulfing saipan and guam. thunderstorms are already occurring and stormy conditions are anticipated for the next couple of days, because it will

get very closed to these islands and will become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. now, across the u.s., we're looking at pretty gorgeous weather for the eastern half of the country. but it's not doing so for the west. because we are looking at a low pressure system to come in. this low pressure system will move in to the west coast of the u.s. and western canada by tuesday bringing some torrential rainfall for the coastal areas like vancouver as well as seattle. however, no rain is anticipated for inland locations where wildfires are growing. now to the southern areas after days of heavy rainfall finally rain will decrease in southern new mexico and across the rest of the four corners region. temperatures are as follows at 30 degrees in los angeles. with foggy weather in the morning. going to vancouver, rain mainly on tuesday. and finally getting back to 20s in chicago, as well as toronto and that's gorgeous weather for the eastern seaboard. washington, d.c. your high is going to be 22 degrees with

abundance of sunshine. all right, across in europe, we're looking at very bad weather for eastern areas of europe, like the black sea region, as well as the northwestern russia. very strong winds are blowing and there's the risk of hail, and excessive amounts of rainfall. but a high pressure system is set to move in to central parts of europe, bringing nice weather. but some heavy rain is anticipated for the southern areas of the iberian peninsula, as well as some light showers for the british isles, and the south of the scandinavian peninsula. temperatures will be cooling down across central europe on tuesday. here's your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. 1x1xxx

>> these are the headlines. airstrikes target the islamic state organization in syria. five arab countries have joined in the action to hit them in their syrian headquarters. the assault in syria comes despite a threat from a group linked to the islamic states who killed a french hostage if paris fails to stop there campaign against the i.s. a sit