here in japan it's a thursday night. i'm james tengan. welcome to nhk "newsline." authorities in taiwan have wrapped up their investigation into a deadly plane crash and they say it could have been avoided. >> translator: we have determined that the crash was caused by pilot error. >> the crash occurred in

february last year. a transasia pasassenger plane flipped upside down minutes after takeoff and crashed in downtown taipei. 43 people died. aviation officials said one of the two engines lost power and the captain mistakenly reduced power to the other. they said the plane was capable of flying with one engine. they said transasia hadn't trained its pilots well enough. they're urging the airline to improve its flight safety programs. the chief of japan's self-defense forces says he's worried that the chinese military is stepping up activity around japan. he says more and more aircraft are flying towards japanese air space. admiral kaouano said they flew 190 times between april and june. that's over 80 more than the same period last year.

>> translator: there's been an escalation of activity by the chinese military both at sea and in the air. and the range of these activities has been expanded. >> kawano says they've observed extensive activities near the senkaku islands in the east sea. japan controls the islands. the number of scrambles against unidentified planes totaled 873 for the fiscal year that ended in march. more than 500 of those were carried out against chinese aircraft. a senior u.s. marine says his country will boost its military presence in the pacific. creating a new unit focused on the western pacific region. lieutenant general john wissler said there'll be 2,000 marines in the new unit.

>> whether those marines come from the continental united states, whether they come from hawaii, whether they come from the unit deployment program unit in japan, all the details are being worked out. the idea is to create additional presence particularly in southern asia. >> wissler said in the future a base in okinawa will main in northeast asia. he said it'll likely happen in two or three years. the u.s. has stationed marines in northern australia since 2012 since the pivot to the asia pacific region. the new unit is to put pressure on china. that pressure comes as the u.s. and asian countries closely watch beijing's actions in the disputed south china sea.

an international court is set to rule on one conflict there. a case filed by the philippines over china's waters. the court of arbitration said the ruling will come on july 12th. the philippines maintains that china's argument is groundless. china says its claim is based on control over the waters over centuries. also believes artificial islands build by beijing cannot grant the country maritime rights including an economic zone. chinese officials have repeatedly stated the country will not accept any decision by the court. beijing said the dispute should be resolved between the parties. he has said he may shelve the dispute if china offers financial aid for infrastructure developments.

north korean leader kim jong-un gave himself a new title in pyongyang. the title is yet another top leadership role for kim. and it comes a week after the country successfully tested a ballistic missile raising concerns in the international community. earlier we spoke with an expert on north korea for more insights. >> it is to show off to the world, particularly to the united states and south korea, that they now possess the capability to fire nuclear warhead to south korea, u.s. military targets, and also parts of japan. kim jong-un ordered to continue actions to improve the ability to fire test of re-entry of nuclear warheads through the atmosphere. and its explosion. so they're now putting them into

reality. at this supreme peoples assembly, they changed the constitution and gave kim jong-un another important title as the chairman of the state affairs committee. this committee replaces the former north korea's national defense commission created by kim jong-il. vice chairmen were selected. frfrom this formation we can se that kim jong-un will rule the country with a a full grip of military power. and the economy is not yet his priority and leaves it to the cabinet and prime minister. the rise of foreign affairs officials is also very important.

north korea pointed out very clearly in their workers party congress their new strategy of rearranging external relations with outside as a self-imposed nucleaear power. so i'm afraid they will rescind with all otother. frfrom north korean foreign miministry,, insisted at talkskd in beijing that without denuclearization of the world there will never be giving up on the site of north korea. and six party talk is no longer live. their foreign policy including towards south korea would be more dangerous in come years. turkey's prime minister says the deadly terrorist attack at

istanbul's airport was carefully planned in advance. it's likely the islamic state militant group is responsible. >> translator: one blew himself up outside and the other two took advanantage of thehe panic createted during the shootoutut got inside and blew themselves up. >> the attack left at least 42 people dead and at least 200 others wounded. local media quoted investigators saying the three attackers appeared to be from outside turkey. security remains high at the airport where repair work is already under way. shattered ceiling panels and glass are being replaced. so far no group has claimed responsibility. but the islamic state group has called on people to wage attacks across the world during ramadan which ends on july 5th.

european union leaders say that if britain wants access to its single market, eu workers must be allowed to move freely. the leaders of 27 eu nations excluding britain wrapped up two days of talks on the decision to leave the block. the eu says in order to access its common market, four freedoms must be maintained. those being the movement of capital, goods, and services, and the movement of workers. >> we have made it crystal clear today that access to the single market requires acceptance of all four freedoms. including the freedom of movement. there will be no single market a la carte. >> british prime minister david cameron was back in london wednesday addressing parliament. he addressed the issue will be a major sticking point in future negotiations. >> on this issue of immigration

versus the single market, he's right. this is frankly the biggest and most difficult issue to deal with. >> cameron previously told eu leaders that the issue of unrestricted free travel was the tipping point for britain's vote to leave. eu leaders say the you nighted kingdom's vote to part ways with the block has done nothing to dent their solidarity. now they face an uphill battle to chart a new course without a key member. our brussels correspondent has this wrapup of the two-day eu summit. >> reporter: eu leaders gathered in brussels on wednesday for the second day of their crisis meeting. british prime minister david cameron was notably absent. it was the first time eu leaders have met without a representative from the uk. they released a joint statement repeating their commitment to staying together. and they agreed to keep pressing britain to start negotiating on

exit as soon as possible. >> leaders are absolutely determined to remain united and work closely together as 27. >> reporter: cameron attended the first day of the summit. he explained to his counterparts that brexit negotiationss will have to take place under his successor. >> as i say, a positive, constructive, calm, purposeful meeting about how we should now take forward this agenda of britain leaving the european union but wanting to have the closest possible relationship that we can in future. >> reporter: the other leaders indicated they may be prepared to wait until britain chooses a new leader. but some are worried drawn out talks may give way. the leaders will meet again in september. they have no guarantee that the eu will file a brexit

notification by then. they can't expect an easy resolution to this any time soon. nhk world, brussels. officials from around the world are trying to snap out a practice that costs billions every year. gene otani joins with us that story and all the business headlines. >> representatives from countries and territories worldwide are gathering in kyoto. they're meeting amid revelations and panama papers about the way people use offshore taxes. the two day gathering, representatives from the oecd's 34 member coununtries are attending. delegates from emerging and developing economies are also taking part. they'll have a framework to share bank accounts owned by foreign people and firms. they've also agreed to compile a

blacklist of countries that don't join the framework or aren't willing to fight avoidance. specifically targeting multinational enterprises that try to avoid paying tax, taking the membership to 81. checking the markets, many asians ended in the positive after the brexit. nikkei extended the winning streak to a f fourth day. our business reporter has the details from the tokyo stock exchange. >> we saw traders regain some appetite for risk, but some sold their shares to book profits. the nikkei sedged positive. but the topix fell 0.1%. the nikkei is down 18%. and down for the year 9%. taking a look at individual

stocks, shares of japanese i.t. company dena rose 4.8%. and ntt docomo to develop driving technology. and sharp is higher on the news they will expand cell business in asia. but mazda fell 2%. so another positive finish for the nikkei. some analysts are expecting tokyo stocks to rise more on the hopes of further stimulus measures. but others are encouraging cautious trade. and moving on to other markets of the asia pacific region, let's look at china. the shanghai composite down to 2929. some investors booked profits from yesterday's three-week high. others stayed cautious. let's take a look at the

philippines. 7796 is the closing number after climbing to a 14-month high. many investors bought stocks after the inauguration but gains towards the close. seoul's kospi raising up 0.7%. financials led the rally in hong kong. and in singapore, up by 1.73% returning to the level it was at before the brexit vote. global auto makers are worried about the decision to leave the european union. for exporting their products to other countries. the executives gave their views at a meeting in london held by britain's auto industry association. about 300 people showed up. they included representatives of car makers from japan and the

united states. political and economic expertst popointed toto possiblble fallom a brexit. they said if tariff-free trade is not maintaineded, i it woulde an i impact o on the auto indus. many saidd they are worried abot the fate of their operations. >> really disappointed. i can't believe that we've done this. it's going to make working across europe so duflt. . >> some also said they're worried because their sales come from exports. researchers say they've come up with a new material that can be blended with other matter to make it much more useful. they predict t theirew type o o nanocarbon will have applications in evererything fr robots to wearable devices. the researchers say the material can be mixed with plastic and rubber to give them new

functions. nanocarbon materials are stronger than steel but light and flexible. they have electrical conductivivity superior to copp. nec says starting next april they plan to provide samples to manufacturers and universities. they hope to put it into use within a few years. herere's a look at some of e other business stories we're following. japan's industririal output in y was down 2.3% frorom the previo momonth. it's t t first decline in t thr months government officials point to a decrease in production of semiconductor parts for pc's and tablets. there was also a drop in manufacturer of cosmetic items for the domestic market. mitsubishi and mazda and others have called for recalls with takatata air bags. they apply to 75 models..

in japan alone automakers have so far recalled nearlrly 15 million vehicles with the potentially faulty air bags. researchers in japan are exploring an alternative to regular sugar they said could help people stay healthy. it's called rare sugar and some businesses are hoping it will become a new tool in the fight against diabetes and obesity. >> reporter: a lot of people love to eat sweets. but they don't love what it can do to their bodies. this bakery makes confections for people who want to have their cake and be healthy too. one of the ingredients is rare sugar. and it's a also showing up in a sorts of other mass market products including pudding and jelly. >> translator: i'm wondering if it's healthier than regular sugar. >> reporter: kagawa university in western japan is a leading

researcher into the health effects of rare sugar. ththey've been investitigating type of r rare s sugar called dealulose. it's found in a variety of natural materials such h as plas and microbes. it helelps control glucose and body fat. these two rats had the same amount of fun. one drank ordinary water and then other with rare sugar. they thin measured what happened. the rat that drank water with rare sugar had 20% less sugar in its blood after eating than the other one did. and over time it had 30% less visceral fat. the doctor determined that rare sugar has the same effect on humans. glucose molecules pass into the blood stream through so called gates in the lining of the small

intestine. rare sugar molecules can block it. t translator:r: rare sugar changeges the way sugar flows through ththe body. it can help return to normal. >> reporter: one company is developing technologies to mass produce rare sugar. this starch processer. the company extracts liquid sugar from starch and heats it. the original process was expensive and time consuming, so production was limited. then researchers developed a new system using a chemical reaction that can p produce a large quantity of rare sugar quicker and cheaper. three years ago, the firm pioneered the development of rare sugar syrup. and now lots of food producers are using it.

>> translator: it might sounund arroga arrogant, but we believe it could help makake people healthier. >> reporter: rare sugar is also finding fans in nursing homes. people often give up sweets as they age due to health concerns. staff at this facility decided to use rare sugar to reacquaint residents with the joy of eating. >> translator: i may be old, but i have plenty of years left. >> translator: oh, it tastes good. >> reporter: lifestyle related illnesses a and obese i did are growing problems for many countries an the world. with rare sugar, japanese ventures aim to satisfy people's sweet tooth and stay healthy too. all right. that's a look at business news. i'm going to leave you with the markets.

the kyushu region of southwestern japan continues to struggle with landslides as heavy rain batters the area. several people were killed last week. an nhk camera captured the dramatic moments a house was destroyed in nagasaki. the house tumbled down a slope and broke into pieces on thursday. the ground was already loose from a landslide that hit two

days earlier. and the ongoing rain tipped the balance. >> translator: the house was making soununds. thenen it rolled down the slope and broke apart in an instant. >> city officials say no one was injured. the neighborhood had earlier been evacuated and police are keeping the area sealed off. as we continue to monitor the situation in southwestern japan, let's get the latest from sayaka mori. >> this year's rainy season has been extremely different from usual. we have seen heavy rainfall almost every day. in kagoshima we're at about 27 days we saw heavy rainfall in the south of kyushu. and in fact, parts of miyagi prefecture over 500 millimeters of rain. and in nagasaki, we saw heavy rainfall. 620 millimeters since the

beginning of june. that's twice the amount what we normally see during the entire month of june. so flooding and landslides have been taking place in many portions of kyushu. now, we still have land slide advisories posted. the frontal systemm is now sinking towards the south. as we go into the next couple of days, we are looking at rain easing. that's good news. and as we go into saturday, drier conditions are expected. and at least for seven days we will see sunny weather to continue. that's good news. as for tokyo, starting friday it's going to be sunny and temperatures are going to be summerlike. even reaching 32 degrees on sunday. so we will see a nice break in the rainyny weather.r. and osaka will see persistent dry weather into next week. across chinana the same seasona frontal system has been dropping tremendous amounts of heavy rainfall. the system will sag towards the south while weakening.

but there'ss a problem. this low pressure system wilill likely move towards the east. and this one has already caused rain and additional 300 millllimeters of rain is likely for t the next couple of days o so. it will spread to the shanghaha area. also thundersrstorms, gusty win, and more tornadoes could happen. if you remember last week, a deadly tornado hit jiangsu province. now, across the southern hemisphere you can see a lot of clouds engulfing the southeast. there's your front and low pressure system moving through the area. now, it's causing quite strong winds. sop we had about 125 kilometer wind gusts in south wales. it's dragging f from the south. so temperature in the morning hours, minus 3.6 degree was recorded. quite low temperatures across the southeast. asas we go into tomorrow, windy

conditions will likely persist but rain should ease into friday. and temperatures not too cold to what we saw thursday. and in canberra about 0 degegre the e next few days. and snow is expected for parts of victoria. now, across north america it's been dry and quite windy so wildfires are scorching the ground over parts of california. hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze and dry conditions will likely persist. meanwhile, there's a chance for thunderstormacroross the four corners region and heavy rain for r kansas as well as oklahom. maybe up to 130 millimeters could fall so please watch out for flash floods. and more rain's expected for the southeast. temperatures are going to be as follows. 32 in new york city. as we go into the independence day weekend, things will be dry in los angeles as we go into monday. that's it for me now. up next is your three-day forecast.

and that was this hour's news and weather from tokyo. more to come here on nhk world, so stay with u

♪ >> you are watching "france 24." these are the headlines. brexit campaign. johnson says he will not run to replace david cameron. the first possible british prime minister to throw their hat in the ring. for us until may has announced her bid to be the head of the conservative already. the death toll from the terrorist attack at thepo