it's 7:00 p.m. on a wednesday here in japan. i'm james tengan in tokyo. nhk "newsline" starts off with a quick look at the hour's top stories. a sweeping rebuke. an international tribunal rejects claims by beijing in the south china sea in a ruling filipinos are calling a victory. decommissioning plans.

experts are suggesting sealing off the crippled fukushima plant similar to a sarcophagus. and going for governor. getting a clear look at who's gunning for the top office at the end of the month. in a long awaited decision, an arbitration tribunal in the hague has dismissed claims in the south china sea. it's the first legal decision on any of the sea's multiple disputes. and could be felt around the region. the philippines filed the case in 2013. it karged that beijing's claim on almost all of the sea is contrary to international law. other countries in the region have their own claims there. they want the ability to exploit resources including rich fishing grounds and oil and gas fields. china boycotted the proceedings. it argued that disputes should be settled by the parties

involved. it has unilaterally declared the so-called nine-dash line and asserted historic rights over the area. the tribunal discovered there was no historical evidence that china had historically exercised control. the tribunal also said china is to refrain from aggravating disputes. it referred to the construction of artificial islands. the ruling is legally binding and cannot be appealed but there is no penalty if china violates it. the chief lawyer also hailed the outcome. >> it's really a total, complete victory for the philippines. >> despite china's vow to ignore the ruling, he says chinese leaders will eventually decide not to defy international law. >> i think that china's leaders are very wise and very mature

and they take the long view of things and they undoubtedly recognize that eventually there has to be a diplomatic settlement. and there can only be a diplomatic settlement if all sides agree. and the only way all sides can agree is if they feel that their legal rights are respected. >> u.s. president barack obama's adviser on asian policy says -- without coercion. >> we have made clear we have top national interests in the south china sea. just as china does. just as many other countries in the region do. and that we will not turn a blind eye to this vital waterway in exchange for cooperation elsewhere. >> the u.s. navy has been sending ships and planes through the area to highlight the freedom of navigation. the senior director stressed that will continue.

chinese leaders were quick to reject the tribunal's ruling. we report on the action there. >> beijing stresses the territorial claim will not be affected. they had a news conference on the south china sea to reiterate their opposition. government leaders say they've committed to settling the dispute with the countries jointly involved. not through third parties. >> translator: this is an unwarranted application of the law and the arbitration was based on flawed evidence and facts. the chinese people will never accept it. >> state run media have been running extensive coverage on the ruling. they call it waste. the media emphasizes that china's opposition is consistent with international law and the practice.

it all seemed to show that the government has been shrugged by the ruling. nhk has learned that before the ruling, more than 20 officials met to discuss how they would respond to an outcome like this. sources say some wanted an approach like taking over another piece of land. the second thomas shoal in the spra spratly islands. sources say one official expressed concern that the other countries may follow manila's example and file for arbitration. they have seized a number of chinese fishing boats in indonesia's exclusive zone in the south china sea. that public opinion china is

weighing heavily on the government. they say the ruling might trigger a fierce backlash. beijing pa will find a way to walk a thin line. southeast asian countries with their own disputes with china are reacting. vietnam welcomed the decision. a foreign ministry spokesperson said the country strongly supports settling by peaceful means. indonesia's foreign minister says all pararties shouldd resp international law. other asean members have been keeping quiet. the foreign ministers drew up a joint statement last month expressing serious cononcerns o the dispute. but they decided not to release itit after meeting with chchines offificials. exexrts say c countries likike cambodia will remain opposed to

any joint action by asean members that would defy china's claims. japanese officials have been struggling to find a way to -- the crippled nuclear plant. experts are for the first time suggesting the possibility of sealing the facility just like chernobyl. the government body charged with plans for the decommissioning released their latest report. it says one method to remove molten fuel depends on the condition of the reactors. it involves flooding the reactors to shield workers from high radiation. the review also introduces the option of building a sarcophagus without removing the fuel. that method was used at the chernobyl nuclear plant after the 1986 accident. the review still favors removing the fuel because of long-term

safety issues. it says further study of the reactors is needed. and urges flexibility of all available options. the government and the plant operator tepco say they will finalize the plan by next year. a trial over prolonging the life span of two nuclear reactor in central japan has opened. it's the first case of its kind. about 80 people from across japan are demanding that a decision by the nuclear regulation authority be struck down by the court. last month the nra okayed a request by the operator of the takahama plant. that allows the utility to run the reactors for 20 more years. they had already reached a 40-year limit that was brought in following the fukushima accident in 2011. at the trial, one plaintiff argued aging reactors need to be decommissioned quickly so that the disaster will not be

repeated. the nuclear regulators say there's no merit to that assertion and point out they've already given the go ahead. the utility has applied for extension of a third power reactor. they will scrap six. over the next ten years, 14 reactors across the country will reach their age limit. the election to replace tokyo's governor is just a couple of weeks away. in the leadup to the campaign kickoff, both the ruling and opposition parties had a tough time deciding who to support. asas nhk wowod's tomoko kamata explains. >> reporter: of the many who announced their bid to be tokyo governor, it's these four who got the most attention from voters and political parties. the winner will replace this man. yoichi masuzoe.

he was accused of using public money and political fund for private purposes. workers in tokyo have seen two governorors resigningg i i didi in just the last few years. masuzoe's predecessors naoki inose stepped down over an election scandal. he was in office for just over a year. for parties trying to decide who to resort, public trust is one of the main prerequisites. one high-profile candidate is yuriko koike. she announced last month b but e did so without consulting her party and is not being supported yet. support instead is being given to hiroroy aa masuda.

it will be the first time in 17 years for the ldp to have more than one candidatenn t tokyo's race for governor. then there's kenji utsunomiya. it's his thihird time running f the governmement seat.. he's doing soo without the backing of any pololitical part. on the oppppositn side, four parties, the democratic party, japanese communist party, social democratic party, and the peoples life party, decided to back shuntaro torigoe.e. he's a journalist who has a profile as a broadcaster. on top of winning back the pupublic'strust, the next governor also has the tall task ofof preparing for the 2020 olympic and paralympic games.

plus new measures are needed for social welfare in a society that's aging and having fewer children. the election is set for the 31st of this month. tomoko kamata, nhk world, tokyo. >> and here's a list of the other people who are planning to run. there are a total of 12 others who intend to run for tokyo governor. you're watching nhk "newsline" live from tokyo. government officials say the japanese economy may not continue as strongly as they had thought. gene otani joins us with more on that and other business headlines. >> japanese government officiais predicted in january that growth this fiscal year -- it's now down to 0.9%.

arised on global uncertainty due to the slowdown in emerging economies and weak consumer spending. for fiscal 2017, the cabinet office predicts growth of 1.2% in real terms. officials hopepe new stimulus measures to be drawn up by the end of this month will bring a boost to the economy. the chinese economy continues to show weak demand at home and abroad. marking a year on year drop. imports decline for the 20th straight month. customs authorities say total trade value for june came to about $313 billion. imports fell 8.4% to about $132 billion. a government official told reporters there are many uncertainties in china's trade situation. he said exports will slow further.

turning to the markets. tokyo shares turned higher. for all the details we go to giang nguyen. >> hoped a strong stimulus measures from the japanese government. let's take a look at the closing levels this wednesday, july 13th. the nikkei added 0.84% closing at 16,231. the topix rose 1.1%. exporters were on the yen's weakness. we saw minebea gain 5%. and fuji heavy industries up 4%. a few company's shares have come in for prorofit taking mostt notably nintendo. shares felll 4% after having risen more than 50% since the release of the pokemon go mobile game. the mobile partner also fell after touching theirir highest

level this year on tuesday. hopes of stimulus policies are boosting central market on thursday the bank of england will announce its policy decision and many analysts expected to cut rates. giang nguyen at the tokyo stock exchange. moving on to other markets. let's start with china shanghai composite. 3 3,060. some were cautious before the gdp release. but some bought shares on the hopes of stimulus measures. malaysia closed at 1,660. that's of the central bank unexpectedly lowered its interest rate saying uncertainties could weigh on the country's growth. hong kong's hang seng index advanced nearly 0.5% hitting a one month high. sydney's index also gained 0.7% on higher commodity prices.

here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. prime ministerer shinzo abe has indicated hehe'll seek approvalf the free trade deal during the extradite session in autumn. abe told business leaders in tokyo he wants to quickly realize the benefits of the deal. he said japan will take initiative in maintaining free trade within an international framework. he said the tpp will be a pillar of japan's growth strategy. organizers of an expo in tokyo are presenting some high-tech protection devicices. about 60 comompanies have gathed to proromote thehe latest in pu security. a beverage makerer is selling a vending machine intended to represent people acting nervously. an l.e.d. camera has lights inside. it's to take photos from behind a dazzling light. the security expo runs until

friday. nissan motors says it's launching a minivan with self-driving capability. it allows to accelerate, brake, and navigate by itself. drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel, but the van will maintain a safe distance by automatically controlling the pedals. it will be in showrooms by late august. the united states and cuba restored kploemtic relations almost a year ago but washington has yet to lift a trade embargo on the island. that isn't holding back companies from other countries including japan. nhk world's rosa sabrina reports on what's attracting their interest. >> reporter: this group including about 30 japanese companies is on a scouting mission by japan's main trade organization.

they start by meeting officials from state run firms. they've got lots of questions about doing business in cuba. masatatak ogura works for a refrigerator maker. he plans to open a branch in cucuba. >> translator: we need to meet people in cuba and ask t them wt they need and what their problems are. >> reporter: soon ogura is chasing down a lead. inside he is shown three cooling machines but only one of them works. >> translator: parts were removed from this machine so they could be installed in another machine that's working. >> reporter: this freezer stores chicken.

ideally the meat should be stored at minus 18 degrees celsius. the machine c can only manage minus 12. >> translator: our equipment is aging. i think we will need new freezing machines at some point in the future. >> reporter: ogura sees potential here, but his company will need to act fast. some big rivals s are eyeining same market. >> translator:r: we must lay th groundwork before u.s. companies come. we canan't compete unless we g a head s start. >> reporter: not all japanese firms are selling products. at least one of the visiting delegates is a potential investor. jackie shuromizo runs a cable tv channel that plays music from across the globe.

music lies at the heart o of cun culture. hiromizo is interested in the infectious dance music such as mambo, rumba and other classics. he wants to acquire broadcasting rights. >> translator: cuban musicians are highly skilled and the sound is dense. >> reporter: shiromizo is negotiatating for more than 150 tunes. they agree to discuss a contract. the doors are opening, but cuba's a socialist company and some major challenges remain. aging infrastructure and strict government regulations are at the top of the list. for the refrigerator maker, the first problem comes when trying to find an office to rent.

the places ogura is shown are either not suitable oror expensive. >> translator: there are so many business opportunities in cuba, but there's still a lot we don't know about contracts and payment. we'll just have to learn as we go. >> reporter: the difficulties don't seem to deter the business delegation or other international companies. cuba's economy expanded more than 4% last year. and in the world of growth, that's music to everyone's ears. rosa sobrino, havana. that's it for business news. i'll leave you with the markets.

here on nhk "newsline," we have some breaking news for you. nhk has learned that emperor akihito has been kelling close aides that he wants to abdicate in coming years and pass the throne to the crown princece. the emperor's 82 years old. sources say he wants to step down before he's too frail to carry out his duties fully. and they say he has already informed his family members. sources say the em peerl household agency is planning for the emperor to address the public. once again, nhk has learned that emperor akihito has been telling close aides that he wants to pass the throne to the crown prince. the emperor's 82 years old. sources say that he wants to

step down before he's too frail to carry out his duties fully. and they say he has already informed his family members. sources say the imperial household agency is planning for the emperor to address the public. now, sayaka mori from our weather desk joins us with this hour's world weather outlook starting with the torrential rain in japan. >> the kyushu region has been experiencing extremely wet conditions. the heaviest rainfall in 50 years in just 24 hours over 230 millimeters has fallen. out of areas of the kyushu tr j region, areas over 200 millimeters. there is a high risk for landslides for many areas and there's an extreme risk for landslides across the kumamoto region. this area was hit by the massive earthquakes in april. the ground is well saturated. right now heavy rain is falling

across the north of the kyushu region and the system will likely shift south into tonight. up to 250 millimeters for the north of the kyushu region. and up to 2 mieshlgtz lzs 2kshz 00 millimeters for t the south the region. watch for thunderstorms and gusty wiwinds as well. now, across the e eastern half japan, heavy rain is expected. which is not necessarily bad news for the areas that have been lacki ining precipitation far this season. across america on monday there were seven reports of tornadoes in minnesota. we have some footage coming out of minnesota. severe weather swept through the u.s. midwest tuesday bringing damaging winds and flash flooding. a damaging tornado ripped through the town and caused devastati devastation. rain was a big problem too. 250 millimeters of rain fell in

just 24 hours in minnesota washing out roads and damaging homes. now, the risk for severe weather will likely continue for the area from the great lakes down towards the north of the region. so watch out for that weather. we are seeing some cyclones form across the eastern pacific. there is a new system called darby. darby is a tropical storm at this moment but it will likely move towards the west at a speed of about 17 kilometers per hour. the system will likely head towards the west. then there's another system heading towards hawaii. so two systems are now on its way to affect these areas. now, we are seeing some swells continuing across the coast of hawaii for the next several days. however, rainy weather is not expected at least the next few days in honolulu. thunderstorms can happen in the next several days though. across the southern hemisphere, it's winter. heavy snow is falling across the

high elevations in peruru. we have e video from the inner areas of the country. extreme cold weather in peru's high andes is contributing to the death of dozens of animals. temperatures have plunged as low as minus 20 degrees celsius during the past few days. snow swept pastures and animals in the area are dying from a lack of food. right now a state of emergency is declared in inner peru and snow will likely continue in the high elevations as we go into the next several days. but temperatures actually not bad compared to what we saw over the past couple of weeks. all right. that's it for me now. up next is your three-day forecast.

be sure to watch "newsroom tokyo" at the top of the hour. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ó

>> david cameron will preside at lunchtime in the trouble to buckingham palace to seal this recognition. historicity that his successor within me to quickly formally become the u.k.'s second fema prime minister. her first asked being too enough the government, which faces a long list of tough challenges ahead. reporter: she is ready to steer the ship that david cameron is leaving. among her first orders will be the set the stage for the u.k. to leave the eu. a -- they need to negotiate the best deal for britain for leavine