okyo. welcome to this hour's "newsline." the outbreak of mers in south korea is not an emergency of international concern for now. but they've called on countries to take precautionary measures assuming an outbreak could occur anywhere. they held an emergency meeting at their headquarters in geneva. they were joined by teleconference with experts from around the world. they reviewed the situation in south korea and agreed it does

not constitute a public health emergency of international concern. they say the infections have occurred at health care facilities and have not spread to local communities. but w.h.o. experts say the outbreak is a wakeup call. they say all nations should be prepared for an outbreak of mers and other infectious diseases. and they're calling on governments to take prekags nar measures like cooperating with airlines to prevent the spread. concerns about the outbreak are spreading beyond south korea. authorities here in japan are taking steps to make sure they're prepared for any potential cases. toesh now wa nam bu reports. >> reporter: hundreds of health officials gathered outside tokyo to discuss the risks posed by mers. their concern, the airport is nearby. it handles around half of japan's international passenger traffic. last year about 5 million people

traveled between japan and south korea. experts told participants it's believed the fatality rate for mers is about 40%. they went over procedures for dealing with suspected patients. >> translator: staff at hospitals, community health centers, and local governments must stay in close contact to stop the spread of the virus. >> reporter: airport operators throughout japan have been asking travelers to report any fevers or coughing they've had in the past two weeks. they're using machines to check the temperature of people as they arrive. officials in coastal areas are also on alert. this is a training session at a hospital in western japan. the region has connections to

south korea via air and sea. >> translator: i understand the need for preparation and to pay attention to the latest information from south korea. >> reporter: officials at the health ministry say they're checking the condition of around five travelers following their return from south korea. they say none of them came into close contact with infected patients. the officials believe the risk of the virus entering japan is very low. but they say they continue efforts to keep the public up-to-date with relevant information. toshinao nambu, nhk world. >> thank you for that update. the foreign ministers from japan and south korea will sit down for their first talk in four years. and their meeting will take place ahead of the 50th anniversary of full diplomatic

relations. officials with japan's foreign ministry say yun byung-se will arrive for a two-day visit. he'll meet with fumio kishida. anniversary events will be held a day later in tokyo and seoul. they will mark half a century since the signing of a treaty to normalize bilateral relations. yun will be the first to visit since president park geun-hye came to office in 2013. kishida and yun are expected to explore ways to improve strained relations over the perception of history. and they are expected to discuss nuclear missile development. they're also expected to speak about a possible one-on-one meeting between shinzo abe and president park. the two leaders have yet to hold a summit. stories involving recalls have been making the headlines of late. gene otani is here to tell us how one japanese automaker is

trying to gain back trust. >> this time we're talking about honda. executives at the auto company have apologized to shareholders over a series of recalls that caused the first slump in profits in three years. about 1900 people attended honda's shareholder meeting in tokyo. the president said he was sorry for the automaker's performance for the business year that ended in march. honda issued recalls for its fit models due to problems with its engine control software. it also filed for recalls of vehicles with air bags made by troubled japanese firm takata. the moves led honda to announce it would revise its earnings reports downward. >> translator: i want honda to be able to react quickly to such recall problems. i hope the company retains its high standard of technology. >> reporter: honda executives said they'll re-examine their

manufacturing processes from development to mass production. and they said they'll strengthen quality control through ensuring closer contact between honda's in house divisions and outside parts makers. the officials later decided at a board meeting that president ito will be replaced by hacigo. a record number of visitors came to japan last month, many of them drawn by the weaker yen, easier visa requirements, and more international flights. the latest data shows over 1.6 million foreigners visited in may. that's up nearly 50% from a year earlier. it's the second highest number of travelers to japan for a single month since data collecting began in 1964. the record was set this past april. visitors from mainland china rose more than 130% from may 2014. those from hong kong rose about 70%. and numbers from south korea were up over 60%.

japanese officials expect the trend to continue and may even pick up further with the coming summer holidays. they have also indicated they're closely watching the mers outbreak in south korea for its effect on the region. many republicans in the u.s. are in favor of a bill that would give the president more authority to push the transpacific partnership or tpp through congress. but it seems they will need some patience. they have decided to delay the revote of a related bill until the end of july. the house approved the trade promotion authority last week but it rejected related legislation on aid. they aimed at having the revote on tuesday but they scuttled that plan. >> the president and i had a conversation yesterday. as a matter of fact, we had several yesterday. trying to find a way to move

ahead. no decisions have been made. >> boehner says his party is committed to getting the tpa done as soon as possible. japan's minister in charge of tpp talks says the move in the u.s. house has affected progress on the free trade deal. he says it is now very difficult for 12 countries participating in trade negotiations to hold a ministerial meeting as planned by the end of this month. >> translator: the u.s. has played the key role of tpp talks. i want american leaders to act responsibly and with a sense of commitment to secure the early enactment of the bill. >> amari said it is an important mechanism that could set global standard for trade in this century. checking the markets, investors in tokyo were cautious ahead of the u.s. federal reserve policy meeting. the nikkei average closed down about 0.2% ending at 20,219.

market players are expecting some clues from fed chair janet yellen about the timing of a rate hike. other markets in the asia pacific region ended higher. seoul's kospi rebounded from three days of losses. sydney ended at a two-week high. indonesia gaining by 1.5%. hong kong recovered from its two-month low. the index ended up up 0.7% at 26,753. shares in telecommunications and financials led the rise. analysts say gains were limited due to concerns about the vote on a beijing-backed electoral plan. finally shanghai composite rose 1.6% ending at 4,967. the government will announce a reform plan soon for major estate enterprises. they hope the plan expands the

role of private shareholders. prices on the shanghai stock market hit a seven-year high last week. they have been boosted by monetary easing which has unleashed more money flowing into the market. and deregulation in april has allowed people to trade with a larger number of securities companies. we talked to some small investors to find out what's got them so excited. >> reporter: a crowd gathers in a shanghai square. they're stock investors. they come here every weekend and there's only one thing on their mind.

>> reporter: one man has a product to sell. >> translator: a yellow line means buy. a white line means sell. it's simple. it only takes a minute to master. >> reporter: he's pitching software he claims can predict share prices. his sign says guaranteed profits. >> translator: just go with your hunch and buy back the shares. >> reporter: individual investors are driving china's stock market. they account for some 80% of trading volume. and every day more people join them. about 8 million new brokerage accounts were opened in the first three months of this year. that's up more than five times from a year earlier. this man works for a real estate agency. he is looking to build a nest egg for his family.

with property prices turning sluggish, he has put his savings in the stock market instead. he started with about $32,000. three months later the shares he bought are worth 70% more. he now has most of his assets invested in stocks. about $80,000. >> translator: i bought at this line. now it's here. the price is up 70% to 80%. share prices are rising right now, so i opened an account. i'm confident i can make money in stock market. >> reporter: prices are rising and so is the risk taking. some people are putting more money than they own into stocks. this brokerage lends money to customers who trade stocks. this allows their clients to borrow up to four times the amount of collateral they have

put up as long as they're willing to pay a high interest. buying stocks with borrowed money can mean bigger profits, but that's only if share prices rise. falling prices can inflict huge losses on the investor. >> translator: the market is doing well so many people want to borrow money. we don't have enough to lend to everyone. >> reporter: this man is one investor betting on a rising market. he has more than $140,000 invested in stocks. less than $30,000 of that is his own. the rest is borrowed money. that's costing him thousands of dollars in interest every month, but he says the potential gain makes it a risk worth taking. >> translator: if you want to make huge profits, you have to take big risks.

i don't want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. >> reporter: that kind of talk alarms some analysts. they're warning about an overheated market. a warning that for now is hard to hear on the streets of shanghai. game players will soon be immersed in a whole new technology. virtual reality is stealing the spotlight at a game show in las vegas. about 260 major computer and video game makers are taking place. sony has set up a booth where people can test special goggles. the world changes as they move their heads. the headset allows two people to enter the same world. microsoft unveiled a system that offers so-called augmented

reality in which objects in the real world blend with the virtual. another company showed off its virtual reality breakthrough is aculus. that's it for business news. i'll leave you with the markets. in women's world cup soccer japan has emerged from the group stage undefeated. the defending champion wrapped

up the top spot of group c with the victory over ecuador. japanese fans are hoping the team can make a deeper run as the tournament shifts to the knockout stage. nhk world's hiroshi nakajima has more. >> reporter: japan had already booked a spot in the next round with wins in its first two games. yukio had a chance and didn't miss. [ cheers ] japan showed its tactical skill in the 16th minute. but ecuador goalkeeper denied midfielder mayma.

a striker shot right over the cross bar. [ cheers ] a substitute blasted one in the 85th minute, but they were again up to the challenge. japan moves on from the group stage with three wins and no losses. >> reporter: other teams have japan in their sights since its

world cup victory four years ago. >> the opponents they're coming up again are far better organized to deal with them. now japan may be feeling that the pressure from the opposition. obviously the japanese media, japanese supporters and people from other countries know they're a team they have to expect things from. i think japan is having to come to terms with that at the moment. >> reporter: he also gave us his thoughts on which team will come out on top. >> i think in general the level is really improving. it's not just the traditional big teams, but other countries, too, are now becoming forces to be reckoned with. but it's difficult to look beyond germany, i think. germany are just so strong. and with the men also being the reigning champions at the moment, they will be very keen to make it. the men and women are both holding the world cup trophies. as we saw in 2011, you never know. >> reporter: 16 teams have qualified for the knockout stage beginning on saturday. they'll be vying for a spot in

the championship games. hiroshi nakajima, nhk world. a man who survived the atomic bomb attack on hiroshima seven decades ago has dedicated his life to abolishing nuclear weapons. last month he turned 90 and he shows no signs of giving up on his campaign. nhk world's uzo ota reports. >> reporter: last month a party was held to mark this man's 90th birthday by his junior high school students. they still remember him speaking every year on august 6th. the anniversary of the hiroshima atomic bomb attack about that fateful day. >> translator: even now he's on

the front lines. it's amazing. >> translator: since i'm turning 90, i've been thinking about giving up many things but i've always said never give up. so that means i'll never stop working for this cause. until the day i die, i will work to abolish nuclear weapons until my final breath. >> reporter: tsbui was walking in the center of the city barely a kilometer from the epicenter. this photo taken after the explosion shows a crowd of people. he happens to be one of them. he suffered burns over much of his body. it continues to drive him on in his efforts to abolish nuclear arms.

>> translator: it was just one explosion, but in that instant, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. all nuclear weapons must be banned. >> reporter: after retiring as a teacher, he worked with survivors. now he's a chairperson of a group in hiroshima. as part of its efforts to abolish nuclear arms, he has traveled to more than 20 countries. in the u.s. he took part in protests of the nuclear test site in nevada. in recent years, he has been forced to limit the scope of his activities. every two weeks he has to go to the hospital to get treatment for two types of cancer. his life depends on being hooked up to an intravenous drip. but he continues to push his strength to its limits.

he gives talks to young people who have no understanding of war. he spoke to students from tokyo. it was the first time they'd heard a personal testimony about a-bomb. >> translator: the victims of the atomic bomb had their dreams and ambitions. you want to become this sort of person or maybe have this kind of marriage. and all that ends in an instant with an explosion. you lost your happy life in a split second. that's what war is about. >> translator: we must carefully listen to what he's saying. it must be passed down for future generations. >> reporter: he talked for an hour without sitting down. he always finishes his talks with the same words.

in that himself as well as the children. >> translator: once you've set out to do something, see it through to the end. do it until you die. do it even if you're alone. never abandon what you're doing. that is to say never give up. >> reporter: 70 years later, there'll still be no progress to abolishing nuclear weapons. now there are few people left who lived through the atomic bomb attack. despite his fading health he shows no signs of giving up his life's work. yuzo ota, nhk world, hiroshima. >> thanks for that inspiring report. sporadic showers is the forecast for us here in tokyo with a current temperature reading of 23 degrees celsius or 73 fahrenheit. sayaka mori is here with this hour's weather update. >> we may see a return of rain

tonight but not as intense as what we saw this morning. the skies suddenly became dark and we saw extremely heavy rainfall outside. take a look at this video near shibuya where our studio is located. tokyo residents were surprised at the sudden burst of showers this morning. 30 millimeters of rain fell in one hour in yokohama. several trains were delayed due to the rainfall. very heavy rain affected many areas this morning. more heavy rain is actually falling in the northern areas of japan at this moment. in fact in iwate, you are hit by drenching rainfall. hundreds of houses were without electricity this afternoon. across the west steady rain is falling due to a frontal system that has dumped heavy rainfall. in fact, kagoshima, you had nearly 900 millimeters since the beginning of june. more heavy rain likely into

tomorrow. and the rain will also spread to the northern portions of kyushu as well. across china, the seasonal rain band is affecting this area. the strongest areas will be across the yangtze river basin. sunny weather will return to seoul on thursday with 31 degrees. and 24 in tokyo. even down to 20 degrees as we go into friday. very hot in taipei. 35 degrees. now let's go to the americas. floods are a very high risk across the southern portions of the united states. tropical storm bill made landfall in the east coast of texas on tuesday. and it is still packing lots of energy. now, the system caused nearly 100 kilometer per hour gusts. it has weakened enough to cause flooding as well as tornadoes. there is a concern for nearly

200 millimeters of rain for the eastern areas of texas for the next several days. in fact, over 500 millimeters has fallen since the entire month of may. the ground is very well saturated. additional rain is definitely not good news. it will also spread to the south of the gulf lakes region as well as into the weekend. temperatures will be down to 23 degrees in oklahoma city. that's more like may. 29 in houston. the risk of rain will continue into the weekend. very hot conditions are still affecting the southeast and southwest. in the southeast your high will be 36 degrees in raleigh on thursday. and 37 degrees across georgia. and across the flip side of the united states, temperatures are reaching 50 degrees on wednesday and 51 degrees on thursday in death valley. this area holds the world's highest temperatures on record. 56.7 degrees. under such conditions heatstroke could happen so please drink plenty of water and

stay inside if you can. very different story across the southern hemisphere. heavy snow is likely to fall across the southern areas of new zealand. some areas in the mountains will see nearly 100 centimeters of snowfall. all right that's all for now. here's your extended forecast.

for all of us here on "newsline," thanks for watching. more to come here on nhk world so stay with us. ?çqoq

announces new migrants measures, but eu states want to share the burden of asylum seekers. tensions are running high in hong kong. the bill will decide how the financial hub chooses its next leader. and the palestinian unity government is expected to relying -- to resign later today. that is according to president mahmoud abbas. we cross to our correspondent for the latest. also coming up this hour, we have got the story of a french mail-order firm tha