hello, welcome back to "newsline" i'm miki yamamoto in tokyo. first, the headlines of this hour. india is celebrating success in space. the country has become the first indian nation to put a satellite in mars orbit on its first attempt. world leaders are vowing to do more to take care of the planet, as they gather in new york to attend the u.n. general assembly. and u.s. forces and their

arab allies carry out more strikes in syria as president obama warns the operation against islamic militants won't be quick or easy. indian space officials have marked a milestone. they've sent a satellite into orbit around mars. officials at the space research organization said early wednesday their satellite had entered orbit. they launched the probe in november last year. mars is around 650 million kilometers from earth. prime minister narendra modi celebrated the historic event with scientists at mission control. >> history has been made today. we have dared to reach out into the unknown. >> india is the first asian

country to complete a mission to mars. only the united states, europe, and the former soviet union have succeeded before. india has equipped its probe with an advanced camera and instruments for measuring atmospheric methane gas. the project so far is one of the cheapest space missions ever undertaken at only $74 million. analysts say india is now likely to increase its focus on the competitive space business. u.s. health authorities are warning about the spread of the ebola outbreak in west africa. they say the number of the people infected by the virus could reach 1.4 million. researchers with the centers for disease control and prevention conducted a simulation of how the disease might spread in liberia and sierra leone. they say the number of patients will double every 20 days. they cited world health organization figures as saying

4,800 people are now infected. they say that number could rise to 8,000 by the end of the month. but the researchers say the number of actual cases may be 2.5 times higher than the reported figure. and it could reach as many as 1.4 million by the end of january. cdc director thomas frieden said doctors may be able to get the epidemic under control by then. but he said 70% of patients will need to receive appropriate treatment. u.s. president barack obama has some harsh words for authorities in china. he's criticizing them for sentencing a uighur scholar to life in prison. ill han tohti was convicted on a charge of separatism. chinese security authorities detained tohti in january. on tuesday a port in the xinjiang uighur autonomous region handed him a life sentence. the court also ordered all his possessions to be confiscated.

obama called for the release of tohti and other imprisoned activists around the world. >> they deserve to be free. they have to be released. this growing crackdown on civil society is a campaign to undermine the very idea of democracy. >> secretary of state john kerry also criticized the sentence. he called it harsh, and said it appears to be retribution for tohti's efforts to promote human rights for china's ethnic uighur citizens. kerry said it's important to distinguish peaceful dissent from violent extremism. world leaders are vowing to cap greenhouse gas emissions, and to do more to take care of the planet. they've gathered in new york to attend the u.n. general assembly, and they're pledging billions of dollars to fight

climate change at a one-day summit on the issue. organizers touted the event as the largest gathering ever on climate change. more than 120 world leaders attended. the summit opened with a call for action by a woman from the marshall islands. she says her pacific homeland is in danger of vanishing in the sea due to climate change. u.s. president barack obama and japanese prime minister shinzo abe have both promised to work to ease the burden on the earth's environment. >> we can only succeed in combatting climate change if we are joined in this effort by every nation. developed and developing alike. nobody gets a pass. >> translator: ladies and gentlemen, global warming is unequivocal. let us take actions today. i will introduce japan's new actions for the sake of the cool earth, the keys are assistance

of developing countries, technological innovation, and the contribution to the international framework. >> government and business leaders announced a plan to commit more than $200 billion, including pledges to capitalize the climate fund by the end of 2015. that is when countries are supposed to finalize a new universal climate agreement. president obama is warning an operation against islamic militants in syria will be a long one. american forces and arab allies have carried out more airstrikes on the country. they're going after islamic state, along with another group they consider an imminent threat. nhk world's craig dale has details. >> reporter: ships fired off a flurry of missiles from the red sea and arabian gulf. and fighter jets took to the

skies to draw bomb bomb on syria. the damage on the ground was evident. syrian anti-government activists say dozens of militants with the islamic state were killed. military leaders in washington say attacks by the u.s. and five arab allies focused on raqqah, hasakah and abu kamal. they hit command centers, equipment and training camps. separately u.s. forces attacked aleppo, the stronghold of an al today linked faction known as the khorasan group. >> intelligence indicated they were in the final stages of plans to execute major attacks against western targets and potentially the u.s. homeland. >> reporter: u.s. warplanes and drones started hitting islamic state positions in iraq at the beginning of august. but president barack obama held off on attacking syria, where a civil war has been grinding on for more than three years. he's been wary of helping president bashar al assad in his

fight against anti-government forces. he blames assad for carrying out chemical weapons attacks and other atrocities. but obama decided the benefits outweighed the risks, and he assembled a coalition of more than 50 nations to join the fight. >> this is not going to be something that is quick and it is not something that is going to be easy. >> reporter: u.s. officials warned the assad regime before the operation began. syrian authorities didn't criticize the action, but said they support international efforts against terrorism, provided their country's sovereignty isn't affected. western leaders say they have no choice but to go after islamic state, regardless of borders. >> it has oil. it has money. it has territory. it has weapons. and there's no doubt in my mind, it has already undertaken and is planning further plots in europe and elsewhere. >> reporter: questions remain, though, about whether this operation adheres to international law. russian leaders say it doesn't. as do those in iran.

but most others agree the action is legal, provided the coalition exercises restraint. >> and minimizes civilian casualties. >> reporter: the focus now is, what comes next? some say ground forces are needed to capitalize on the gains made against islamic state. also known as isis. >> if you're going to defeat a group like isis you're going to have to defeat them on the ground, as well as through air power. >> reporter: president obama, though, has ruled out a ground combat role for american soldiers. so it would be up to other nations, specifically those in the region, to take on that responsibility. they all agree islamic state and other radical groups pose a serious threat, especially because they've recruited thousands of foreign fighters. the militants have killed, raped, and terrorized civilians as they swallowed up more territory. authorities in the u.s. and elsewhere are on alert for attacks at home. it's a multilayer problem that isn't expected to take months to

solve. but years. craig dale, nhk world. japan's prime minister shinzo abe and egyptian president abdel fattah al sisi have been discussing the threat posed by islamic state. the leaders met in new york on tuesday. abe spoke about the airstrikes in syria. he said he believes they're designed to prevent the situation from worsening. he said he hopes the attacks will weaken the group and lead to its destruction. sisi said he supports the international effort to tackle the problem. and he said comprehensive economic and educational assistance are also important in fighting terrorism. now, let's see what's happening in the world of business. ron madison is at the biz desk. ron? >> all right, thank you, miki. prime minister abe also took time from his visit in new york to talk about his economic policy, including japan's consumption tax. abe told reporters about a

possible increase in the sales tax in october next year, from 8% to 10%. he said he'll ask experts to examine the state of the economy. he said he'll also take into account gdp data for the july to september period. he'll then decide by the end of the year whether to go ahead with the increase. abe said the government has no plans to submit a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year during the upcoming diet session. well, chinese investors continue to pour money into the mainland markets. they remain pretty upbeat about a recent improving sign in the world's second largest economy. the shanghai composite saw gains of just about 1.5%, finished at 2,343. that is this year's new closing high. brokerage shares went higher on local media reports that the country's securities regulator would implement a policy reform. taking a look now at other markets across asia, they did finish mixed. some investors took heart from the positive momentum from china. others a bit cautious on heightened geopolitical risks.

the nikkei average shed a quarter percent to 16,167. that's the second straight session of losses. a pause in the yen's weakening weighed on market sentiment. index heavy weight soft bank became the biggest decliner due to profit taking. in australia the main index there has seen declines of a quarter percent, 5,373. banking shares under pressure. foreign investors pulled money out of high yielding assets like shares of australia's major banks, this is amided prospects of a tightening in fed policy. the japanese minister in charge of the trans-pacific partnership says a breakthrough with the u.s. will not be easy. but there is still room to resolve outstanding issues. akira amari spoke to reporters after spending four hours in bilateral trade talks with his u.s. counterpart michael froman in washington. topping the agenda are five agricultural categories. the two officials are expected to focus on conditions that would allow japan to temporarily restore tariffs on beef and pork

if imports increase sharply. the two officials also discussed tariffs on dairy products and the u.s. demand for japan to ease its regulations on auto safety standards. amari said that the discussions will continue at the working level. >> translator: both sides have figured out during the talks how much compromise is too much. >> amari and froman will meet again on wednesday in a bid to find common ground. japanese electronicsmakers shipped fewer home appliances to the domestic market in august and it was the fourth straight month of decline. and unstable weather may be to blame. officials at the japan electric manufacturer's association say about $1.5 billion worth of appliances were shipped. that's down 8.6% in yen terms from a year earlier. shipments of air conditioners, washing machines fell more than 13.5%. refrigerator shipments were down 7.5%. association officials say the august decline was smaller than

in july when shipments dropped more than 15%. that could mean the impact of the april consumption tax hike is starting to ease up. they say the numbers should begin to improve in the second half of the fiscal year, ending in march. the people who run major japanese electronics company sharp are looking abroad to help revive sales. they're trying to make inroads into the indonesian market, and they've been able to gain a competitive edge by setting their employees apart from the rest. >> reporter: sharp opened an electronics factory in the suburbs of jakarta two years ago. it makes low-priced twin tub washing machines and refrigerators with refridgerants inside to prepare for frequent blackouts. such products meet domestic needs. this approach has helped the firm take the lead in indonesia's home appliance market. >> translator: home appliances are still not widely used in indonesia. right now, only 40% of

households have refrigerators and a mere 17% have washing machines. so i expect the market here to expand both in the short and medium-term. >> reporter: but sharp is facing competition. in jack tar to's electronics retail stores much of the floor space is killed with korean products. korean firms invest heavily in advertising to promote their products, spenting more than ten times as much as japanese makers. korean companies target retailers in big metropolises so sharp is focusing on smaller cities. indonesia has 250 million people scattered over 10,000 islands. sharp's promotional campaign unit arrives in a regional city. the firm regularly hosts such events across the country to push its brand image. this repair service van always

comes to the events, offering a free repair service for its goods. its engineers quickly fix broken products on the spot. >> translator: the repair service is really handy. >> reporter: repair services are available at other times, too. the firm already has repair centers in 350 spots across indonesia. the company pushes its after-sales service as its strong point. furthermore, the company teaches its sales staff that japanese approach to service. sharp then sends them to each store once a month. the staff give the store employees detail the advice on the layout and display of the company's products.

>> translator: i don't think customers can see this tv well from here. so could you please move it down so they can see it more easily. >> translator: only sharp's sales staff come all the way to our store to provide useful tips when it comes to support services, sharp is simply the best. >> translator: korean companies don't have this kind of sales know-how. we want to take full advantage of our strong point, to move ahead in the market. >> reporter: to secure the indonesian market, sharp is carefully implementing a regional strategy to appeal to the country's huge, but disparate, population. >> okay that is going to do it for biz this hour. let's check in once again 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."

police in western japan have made a grim discovery. they found the remains of a 6-year-old girl who disappeared almost two weeks ago. authorities have arrested a suspect in the case. nhk world has the story. >> reporter: mirei a cue to hasn't been seen since september 11th. police in kobe city deployed hundreds of officers to look for her. investigators found her body on tuesday. her remains have been cut into pieces. and stuffed into bags. the bags were found in a wooded area just 150 meters from her home. >> translator: people who live in the area almost never go there, because the trees are so thick.

>> reporter: mirei left school with a friend on the day she disappeared. she returned home, and then went out again. >> translator: we had plans to play together. but she wasn't at home when i got there. >> reporter: mirei was spotted on a security camera at a convenience store at around 3:15 p.m. witnesses say they saw her walking alone, 700 meters from her home, at around 5:30 p.m. that's the last report of anyone seeing her. investigators have arrested a suspect. he is 47 years old, and lives in the same neighborhood. one of his i.d. cards was found with the remains. police have arrested him for abandoning mirei's body. the case has sent a chill

through the community. some parents are afraid to let their children walk to school alone. >> translator: i'm so worried. my child is worried, too. >> translator: our children are getting scared. we hope the case can be resolved as soon as possible. >> reporter: crimes against children have caused japanese people to feel that their communities are no longer safe. and mirei's case is no exception. tomoko kamata, nhk world. japanese doctors say they've broken new ground in surgery, and it could prove life saving for children. they've taken part of a mother's lung and implanted it into her 2-year-old son.

doctors at okayama university hospital say the boy developed acute pneumonia in april. by august, he was unable to get enough oxygen even on a respirator and needed transplants for both lungs. an adult's lung would be too large. so surgeons took the lower lobe of the mother's left lung. they divided it into the smallest unit that could still function. doctors say they performed the transplant at the end of august. they say the boy is now breathing on his own. >> translator: even now in japan, there are no organ donations small enough for infants. so, this technique will open the door for infants to get organ transplants. >> the doctors say the transplant is the first in the world involving such small lung units. they say the boy's the youngest person in japan to receive a new

lung. it's time now to check on the world weather. a tropical storm has changed to a low pressure system but it's still bringing heavy rains to south korea and western japan. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us for the details. sayaka? >> yes, miki. after causing flooding rains in both the philippines and taiwan, the system has now a low pressure system, the tropical storm has now low pressure system but that doesn't mean it is weakened. it's still packing a lot of energy. enough to cause more heavy rain and winds. now, clouds are ungulfing parts of the korean peninsula as well as japan. we have some pictures coming out of northern kyushu to show you how bad the situation was this morning. fung-wong is affecting western japan now. the picture coming out of nagasaki this morning. ferry services have been suspended. and authorities are advising people to watch out for floods, swollen rivers, and fierce

winds. again, heavy rain is anticipated for many areas of japan, as we go in to thursday. now, because of this low pressure system, southerly winds will flow in so the mountains facing the south will see especially heavy rainfall. we're expecting about 250 millimeters of rain for tokai region. 200 millimeters in kinki which is enough to cause flooding and landslides. and tohoku 120 mill meters. the peak of her very rain will occur in western japan today, while central japan will see the stormiest conditions by tomorrow morning. northern japan will see stormy weather as we go into tomorrow afternoon. on top of heavy rainfall, there's a concern for tornadoes, as well as gusting winds as we go into thursday. so please watch out for that. and in the south, we have a tropical depression, this is engulfing saipan and guam bringing some isolated thunderstorms and more stormy conditions are expected as we go

into the next couple of days, because this system will get very close to the mariana islands, and also it will intensify to a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. now talking about heavy rainfall, torrential rain is battering the west coast of washington, oregon and british columbia. about 90 millimeters of rain is anticipated for the south of oregon as we go into the next 24 hours. but that will improve the fire conditions in areas like gaston, oregon. but it's not doing so over inland areas where wildfires are growing because temperatures will rise and also winds are picking up making for very ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly. now across the eastern half of the u.s., we are looking at heavy rainfall for the southeast coast. this one will likely move up towards the north and reach new york by wednesday night and then boston by your thursday. meanwhile, looking quite dry for northern areas of the u.s., as well as central canada, as temperatures are looking like midsummer. take a look, regina up to 33

degrees on your thursday. it should be about 20 degrees during this time of year and then reaching the 30 degree mark on both thursday and friday. you'll see the return of summer this week. finally over towards europe, severe weather is happening over eastern europe such as belarus and ukraine. excessive rainfall, plus a risk of hail out there. meanwhile some rainfall for the south of the scandinavian peninsula and areas in and around italy. temperatures are much lower compared to where they should be this time of year for central europe. take a look, only 14 degrees in warsaw, 18 degrees in vienna, and much lower than that in kiev. 10 degrees despite sunny weather. here's the extended forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm miki yamamoto from tokyo. we'll have more news for you at

the top of the hour. xxxñ

as is -- and it is 1 p.m. here in paris. you will be watching france 20 -- 24 here. more airstrikes hit islamic state targets in syria. monitoring groups saying raids were carried out overnight next to turkish and iraqi borders. yemen is in danger of slipping into civil war, that is the morning from the president after rebels seized key areas of the capital. and joining the race delete, india has successfully launched a mission to mars