tv Newsline LINKTV July 8, 2015 5:00am-5:31am PDT
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to this hour's "newsline." here are some stories we're following this hour. opposition parties in japan have drafted a bill in an effort to counter the government's national security legislation. chinese stocks continued their slide wednesday. investors dumped both small and big cap in attempt to stabilize the markets. prosecutors have freed
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former toyota executive julie hamp for drug smuggling. and a legacy in the battle of okinawa. the son of an army officer retraces his father's steps 70 years later. japanese prime minister shinzo abe is facing resistance in his bid to broaden the role of the self-defense forces. he's been trying to push through security bills for collective self-defense. but two opposition parties have drafted their own bill in an effort to block that move. leaders of the democratic party and japan innovation party submitted their bill wednesday to the lower house. it proposes an alternative to the government plan for responding to so-called gray zone situations. the term refers to infringements of sovereignty that did not amount to armed attacks. the two leaders agreed to collaborate to prevent next week's votes on the government
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bill. >> translator: it's important that opposition parties team up to debate the bill thoroughly. >> translator: it is very inconsiderate if parties submit similar bills separately. we shouldn't cause any trouble to the diet even if there is tension between us. >> the committees had separate bills because they couldn't decide on whether to set a deadline for voting. senior officials of the coalition say they're sticking to their plan putting their proposed bills to a vote thursday next week. but they also agreed to hold additional meetings in the special committee to discuss the opposition's bill. china's land reclamation work in the south china sea has sparked concern from neighbors and from the united states. the leaders of the u.s. and vietnam say no country should act unilaterally to settle disputes in the region. u.s. president barack obama met
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with n guy phu trong. he is the first vietnamese leader to visit the u.s. >> we discussed the importance of resolving maritime disputes in the south china sea and throughout the asia pacific in accordance with international law. >> the leaders shared concerns about recent activities in the region. u.s. officials have called on china to halt construction work on reefs in the spratly islands. this year marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the vietnam war. and 20 years since normalization of diplomatic ties between washington and hanoi. trong said vietnam and the u.s. were once enemies but have become partners. he's convinced relations will continue to grow. judges at an international court are deciding whether to get involved in one of the south china sea disputes. they're hearing a case about whether china has the right to
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exploit natural resources in the waters. the proceedings began on tuesday at the permanent court of orb trags in the hague. a delegation asked the judge to arbitrate its issues based on the u.n. convention on the law of the sea. the delegates told them china has made a unilateral claim to exploit the sea's natural resources. they said the only way to settle the dispute peacefully is to bring it before the court. china says the two countries should work to resolve the dispute on their own. >> translator: china will neither accept nor participate in the unilateral arbitration proceeding. >> the hearing is scheduled to continue until monday. if the judges decide the court has jurisdiction their next step will be to examine china's claim. despite beijing's aggressive moves over the weekend to boost its markets, performance has
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seen better days as gene otani from our business desk tells us. >> james, what a free fall. big drop in the chinese market is overflowing to others. hit the shanghai stock market from the start. that's despite measures taken by firms to support share prices. the shanghai composite fell 5.9% finishing at 3,506. stock prices in shanghai had been surging since late last year. but they took a downturn in the middle of last month. the shanghai composite lost about 30% in the last three weeks. on the shanghai markets, they are looking for trading on the shares. more than 1400 companies have suspended trading or applied for a halt. they say it's an unprecedented move and involves more than 50% of listed companies. trading is normally suspended
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before companies make important announcements on matters such as mergers. market sources say more firms are requesting suspension to minimize the impact of plunging stock prices. investors are puzzled. >> translator: i'm totally disoriented. >> cnese commentators say the effects of countermeasures are only temporary and investors continue selling stocks they bought with borrowed funds. chinese central bank officials say they're going to give funds to a state-owned lender to help securities firms deal with the market plunge. the officials at the bank of china says they will ensure ample liquidity. the institution is the largest trading service provider. a central bank statement says it will be willing to give the corporation loans and it will
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help the institution issue bonds. the officials say the unconventional measure is aimed at achieving stability in the stock market. they also say they will hopefully monitor the market to make sure it is stabilized. fears over china are boosting the yen and rattled japanese stocks. the nikkei took a dive to below the 20,000 mark. the benchmark hit its largest setback for the year dipping 3.1%. it lost ground toward the end of the session. the nikkei 225 finished at 19,737. its lowest point in more than seven weeks. hong kong's heng seng fell. asian markets across the board are in the negative. indonesian and malaysian stocks extended declines from the past two days. shares of air asia malaysia's
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budget carrier fell over worries its affiliate could be grounded due to lack of fund. the kospi hit its lowest point since march 16th closing down 1.2%. japanese and u.s. trade officials are set to resume their talks on the transpacific partnership. the meeting will get underway in tokyo on thursday and it's aimed for concluding a bilateral deal. high on the agenda will be the question of when the u.s. would remove its tariffs on japanese autoparts. washington wants more than ten years to eliminate the duties on engines, gearboxes, power steering, and other parts that compete with u.s. products. but for most other parts, both sides are already making arrangements to abolish tariffs within five years after the tpp agreement takes effect.
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officials are also expected to discuss measures in case either the u.s. or japan are in violation. they are negotiating to allow japan to impose tariffs on imports. officials at the office of the u.s. trade representatives say a meeting will be held from july 28th to the 31st in hawaii. it is to conclude the free trade pact as soon as possible. this will be the first such meeting since november last year. that's when trade ministers from the nations gathered in beijing. a survey shows that retail clerks, taxi drivers, and other service workers in japan are less optimistic on the economy. officials at the cabinet office asked more than 2,000 workers each month to give their
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outlook. the economy watchers index stood down more than two points from a month earlier. the second straight month of decline. a figure below 50 suggests more people are pessimistic about business conditions. some retailers say consumers are cutting back on spending due to higher food prices as the yen weakens. they also say poor weather has discouraged people from going out shopping. the index predicting economic conditions a few months ahead was also down. the figure fell a point from the previous month to 53.5. the first decline in seven months. the cabinet officials maintain their assessment of the economy saying it continues to be on a moderate recovery path. eurozone leaders and greece are approaching a critical juncture. the officials have given athens a new deadline to submit a debt plan the end of thursday. the eurozone leaders wrapped up an emergency meeting in
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brussels. they decided how to deal with greece after voters rejected austerity measures. european council president donald tusk said they had asked for a bailout package but he says alexis tsipras must submit a structural reform plan. >> all sides of the negotiation shared responsibility for the status quo. i called on us to try to find consensus which will be our common success with no losers or winners. >> the leaders of eurozone nations and 28 european union member states will hold separate talks next sunday. they'll study greece's proposal and discuss their response. that's it for business news. i'll leave you with the markets.
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prosecutors have released former toyota executive julie hamp after suspending her case for drug smuggling. authorities suspected the american of importing 57 pills into japan through an international delivery service. investigators say the pills contained the narcotic painkiller oxycodone. tokyo prosecutors said hamp needed the drug to treat knee pain but they say she knew the drug is restricted in japan. prosecutors decided to release her after taking her motive into account. they say she suffered enough damage to her career. she resigned from toyota after
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her arrest. people familiar with the case say she brought the same pills with her to japan in april when she took up the job. hamp was toyota's first female executive. officials at a japanese nuclear plant are pushing ahead with a plan to put a reactor back online despite public concern. they took it offline after the accident in fukushima. but they have met strict new rules for safety. more from nhk world's kia yamagishi. >> reporter: the sendai nuclear power plant. plan they are planning to restart one of the reactors next month. on tuesday workers began loading fuel into the reactor. they're transferring more than 150 fuel rod units but they're being stored in a pool in a building next door. they'll spend four days moving
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them into the reactor one by one. but not everyone agrees with the restart plan. protestersd a rally. >> translator: the disaster in fukushima happened after years of saying nuclear power is safe. we're going to continue to protest. >> reporter: some business leaders are welcoming the move. >> translator: this move is legitimate. there's a big difference for us between no nuclear plants operating and one restarting. this is a giant step forward. >> reporter: the operators of 15 power plants nationwide have asked the nuclear regulation authority to carry out examinations on their reactors. the application is a prerequisite for putting the reactors back online. besides the sendai facility
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regulators have confirmed two at takahama plant make the new requirements. officials at kansai power electric company were planng to restart them in november. but judges of the district court said they are not sufficient to ensure the plant's safety. unless the court decision is overturned, the reactors will stay offline. the restart of the sendai plant is also encountering some differences. officials have come up with an emergency plan that calls on all residents within a five kilometer radius of the plant to evacuate. the residents will use their cars but not everyone can drive. so officials must keep a list of sick and elderly people who would need assistance. they've been trying to compile
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that data but are having trouble keeping up. >> translator: the condition of people needing nursing care changes day-to-day. so keeping this information updated is a serious matter. >> reporter: and this expert says there is more concern. he says the reactor has been offline more than four years and equipment may have degraded. >> translator: there is a need to actually send steam into the turbines to check for any abnormal vibrations or noises. it's important for inspectors to move carefully forward. and they must confirm there are no anomalies during each stage. >> reporter: some experts say no nuclear plant can ever be made 100% safe. they're urging companies to hold regular emergency training drills for their employees.
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and they say they must keep the lessons of the fukushima accident in mind. chie yamagishi, nhk world. >> and we'll keep you up to speed on this issue. thanks, chie for that report. prime minister abe says he'll consult before finalizing his statements on the 70th anniversary of the end of world war ii. komeito's leader says he wants to reach an agreement on the content. abe and chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga met with both groups. yam released the minutes of their june 25th meeting. they were divided over whether the government should try to build a consensus among the public about perceptions of the country's history. some said it's unnecessary and
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that everyone is entitled to their own views. others said the statement should be aware of the importance of building a consensus even if it's kept to a minimum. 70 years have passed since the battle of okinawa, but memories of the fighting remain. more than 200,000 died both members of the military and civilians. the son of a former officer who survived retraced the footsteps of his now-deceased father. nhk world's jun takahashi reports on his story. >> reporter: through his dad belongings, he found a book he had written descriptions of the battle. >> translator: don't die. do your best. survive and go home.
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>> reporter: he was only 23 when he was in the japanese army. he filled 150 pages of the notebook with what the troop it is went through. many in anguish over their death. he had 140 men at the beginning of the ttle. at the end he was one of only ten who survived. >> translator: i've pictured the battle sites, but i'm not sure how i'll react when i actually visit them. >> reporter: using the notebook as a guide, he went to the site where his father had fought. one person in the area showed
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him a cave where the platoon had taken shelter. >> translator: is this a cartridge case? >> translator: yes, it is. 20 millimeters. >> reporter: yasuo himself was seriously injured. he was taken to another cave that had been set up for first aid. students had been called out to take care of the wounded. this woman was one of those nurses. >> translator: i could hear them moaning, it hurts, it hurts. whenever they saw me they asked me to help them right away. >> translator: the circumstances were grueling. if those students were in high
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school they must have been just 15 or 16 years old. they helped me with everything. i'm deeply grateful. >> translator: i'm moved to learn he was thinking about us too. i wish i'd known this before when he was still alive and well. >> reporter: he also visited the peace memorial site built on the site of the final battle of okinawa. this stone monument is engreyaved with the names of those who lost their life. he recognized one of the names from the notebook. it was a member of his father's platoon. his father had ordered a soldier to carry a bomb and crawl underneath an american tank. a suicide mission.
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>> translator: it's as though my father killed him. i feel very sorry. i think my father probably wrote about this because he wanted to pass on his story. i must share this with members of the next generation to teach them what happened here. >> reporter: he now has a deeper understanding of his father's experiences in okinawa. he says he will mourn the victims of the war and hope for peace for the rest of his life. jun takahashi, nhk world. while the northwest regions of the u.s. bake in searing temperatures thunderstorms are inundating other parts as jon jonathan oh tells us. >> we are keeping an eye on this interesting system in place.
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a couple of systems contributing to a pretty active scenario across the united states and even extending into canada. over towards the west we have a system that's creating the disturbance but then look at the clouds connecting from texas through kentucky all the way into canada. and this means that we're going to be monitoring the storms as we go forward in time. already produced some flash flooding concerns. let me give you an idea what it looked like on the ground level. many storms soaking the u.s. this week resulting in these flash floods. this coming out of kentucky where homes became submerged following intense rainfall tuesday. travel impacted after several cars were swept off the road. over in texas here firefighter had to rescue a woman after a vehicle became stuck on a road following heavy rainfall. then the strip in las vegas resembling a river front instead of a desert on monday mostly
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because of of the monsoon firing up in the afternoon with thunderstorms. but thankfully no buildings were damaged. but drivers still dealing with the problems because of the wet roadways. as we look forward in time we're going to see an extended period of rainfall from the great lakes down into texas along with a couple low pressure systems that are going to slowly drift towards the east. and that extends into canada. we'll see the portions there. meanwhile back to the west a monsoon set up along with cold air will create instability. looking for a chance for thunderstorms as we go throughout the day wednesday. here's a look at the forecast. los angeles, 24 degrees. 23 in denver with the thunderstorm extending to winnipeg with a high of 21. then miami, atlanta all looking at active weather throughout the day wednesday. as we look at the forecast for east asia we're monitoring three tropical systems.
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let's begin in linfa. slowly moving pushed to the west. it will weaken into the weekend. it will be a tropical depression. but because it's moving so slowly we are concerned this system will be a big flood concern for the southern coast of china. and then we have to keep an eye out for another typhoon. moving to the west setting sights for the southeastern portions of china. because of the rainy season we already have plenty of moisture in place. we're concerned with strong guest gusts. waves up to 13 meters as chan-hom moves towards china. we'll be keeping an eye on this as we go into the weekend because that's when the impact is expected to be high. now as we look at nangan teetering on the ability to stay strong here. expect this system to turn to the north by the weekend.
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keil look at the impact it may have on larger land areas as we go into next week. again, very wet here. we're keeping an eye on the rainy season. quick look at some of these cities. we're seeing rain for these locations as tropical systems approach the region. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook.
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we here are "newsline" would like to hear from you. send your comments and thoughts to us. log onto the nhk world website and click on contact us in the upper right-hand corner. we look forward to hearing from you soon. and while you're at it do watch our special reports and feature stories. from all of us here on the show, thanks for watching.
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from europe's bailout fund. athens has to follow that request with a detailed plan by thursday of how the government plans to reform its economy if it is to get more money to stave off bankruptcy and a possible exit from the euro. reese has been told it has to have a deal in place i sunday, when the leaders -- greece has been told, effectively, it has to have a deal in place by sunday. it made an appeal to the european parliament, asking for it to rethink the way it has been dealing with the greek debt crisis.
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