it's a thursday night here in japan. glad you could join us here on nhk "newsline." here are some of the stories we're following this hour. new additions. the international olympic committee adds five sports to the tokyo 2020 games. pyongyang condemned. japan, the u.s., and south korea call for more pressure on north

korea over its latest missile launches. and people in nagasaki have sent a letter to u.s. president barack obama asking him to make a historic declaration. sports fans will have a whole lot more to cheer for at the tokyo olympics in four years' time. the international olympic committee has approved five additional sports. baseball and softball, surfing, karate, and sports climbing. they're hoping the events will attract younger fans. >> translator: you get to meet a lot of good looking guys. >> translator: i skateboard. i hope more and more people will be interested in skateboarding. >> reporter: people in japan are enthusiastic about the five additional sports approved by the ioc.

officials agree a world class competition on the waves would add a new dimension to the games. a seaside town near tokyo is one of the places nominated to hold the first-ever surfing competition. >> translator: there are good waves, so i'd be proud if the olympics took place in chiba. >> reporter: the organizers also picked a home grown sport, kara karate. >> translator: karate has never been contested at the olympics. i've been waiting for it. >> translator: i want to win the gold medal. >> reporter: baseball and softball haven't been a part of the olympics since the 2008 beijing games.

one of the reasons they were withdrawn was the absence of north america's major leagugue players. but for tokyo, officials are discussing including them. which could boost the audience numbers. >> translator: the last two olympics were difficult and disappointing for us because we couldn't take part. but we're delighted today that we'll be allowed back. >> reporter: the organizers thought skateboarding would fit the ioc's emphasis on new sports. and they described climbing as an emerging sport. all five categories will supplement rather than replace events. officials still have a few details to work out including where the venues will be. those decisions are expected in december.

the ioc says it's time to attract young people to the olympics. so it hopes that by introducing new sports, it will help inspire new fans and athletes for not only the tokyo olympics, but for generations to come. nhk world, tokyo. >> thanks. people at the world's largest automaker are struggling to steer their business through some rough terrain. gene otani joins us from the business desk with more on that and other headlines. >> executives at toyota motor have released their earnings forecast for the year through march 2017. they project a decline in both sales and profits. it would be the first time in five years that both decline. the executives are blaming the downgrade on the rise in the yen. their revised forecast put sales at 26 trillion yen or about $255

billion. that's down $4.9 billion from earlier expectations. $15 billion for profit down by $980 million. they also released consolidated results for the april through june period. operating income was down to about $6.3 billion. toyota says another big factor was the partial suspension in production due to the earthquakes that struck kumamoto in april. investors are looking for clues about which way the bank of japan may go at its september policy meeting. they were paying close attention when deputy governor spoke with business people in yokohama. iwata said policy makers will take another look at their large scale easing program and see if there are any factors that might be limiting its impact. he said it's unfortunate that the bank hasn't achieved its goal of getting inflation up to 2%.

iwata said policy makers will talk about what they can do to hit that target as soon as possible. checking the markets. tokyo stocks closed higher on thursday. the nikkei average snapped two days of losses. our business reporter giang nguyen reports from the tokyo stock exchange. >> after opening higher on the bump in oil prices, tokyo shares were buffeted -- fell below the 16,000 level for the first time in more than three weeks. but investors bought back export-related shares after the dollar gained in the afternoon. the nikkei rose about 1% closing at 16,254. the broader topix gained nearly 0.9%. share prices on c companinies m on cororporate news. suzuki motor moved 6.8% t thank to sales increases in india and europe. and as we've been reporting here on nhk "newsline," a proposed

merger of oil wholesaler idemitsu kosan and showa shell -- shars were downn 7%. other r energy players rose, howewever, as benchmark crude futures staged a rebound overnight. inpex and japex added nearly 3% as oil continued to rise during asian trading. now investors are wawaiting for u.s. jobs numbers out on friday for clues about the federal reserve's interest rates plan. i'm giang nguyen reporting. others in the asia pacific region ended positive on higher oil prices. but gains were limited before the bank of england policy decision. hong kong rose by 0.4%. singapore up by 0.15% as we see there. in china the shanghai composite

gaining by 0.1% finishing at 2,982. property shares led the gains there on hopes of support from that sector on the government. australia up 0.18%. they were cheered by the sharp rebound in oil prices. here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. employees at japan's biggest firms have pocketed an average summer bonus of more than 900,000 yen or about $8,800 for the first time in eight years. the japan business federation surveyed companies on the first section of the tokyo stock exchange with 500 or more employees. the recent strengthening of the yen is beginning to hurt corporate earnings but they expect the upward trend to continue in the short-term as

many companies have already set their winter bonuses. people in moscow have sampled a selection of cuisine from japan's kyoto. hundreds of diners packed into the palace to taste specialties prepared in different ways by japanese and russian chefs. guests enjoyed appetizers of vegetables and steak washing them down with sake and green tea. aspiring craftsmen who dream of building their own things are often thwarted by lack of money and tools. but now many are getting cheap access to the high-tech equipment they need to bring their dreams to life. we look at a trend that's changing the face of japanese manufacturing. >> reporter: a workshop open to everyone. the operator opened this do it yourself space in april. among the 50 digital tools is a 3d printer. it can be used to create just about anything.

and a laser cutter with a price tag of $190,000. membership of around $175 a month entitles customers to use any tool as many times as they want. miyuki comes here a few times a week. she used to design clothes for a major manufacturer. but she decided to strike out on her own with original accessories and bags. working with plastics can sometimes be tricky, but these digital tools make it easy to shape the material. she says the appeal of the workshop is it focuses on tailoring rather than mass production. she sells her products at shops and events. she plans to expand her lineup

after getting more feedback from customers. >> translator: it now takes less time to make something from scratch. i can do things by myself that once could have only been done by manufacturers with machines. that's revolutionary. >> reporter: small businesses also benefit from sharing their resources. ththis metalal processing facton tokyo has 40 workers. for years it has handled ordrde from big companies. but demand is shrinking. two years ago the owner set up a workshop in the corner of the factory to explore new demand from individual customers. >> translator: i want to make the workshohop a a keyey sourcr income to keep our business going. without being dependent on major

firms. >> reporter: in addition to having access to tools and devices, customers can consult employees on product development. today a customer is getting advice about a wind powered generator. >> translator: finding ways to reduce resistance is a challenge. >> translator: how about fitting the generator with winglike features to cope with the strong winds. >> translator: their knowledge and expertise is incredible. it's like having a teacher right beside me. >> reporter: the factory has already developed ties with more than 200 companies. the owner says the arrangement is a mutually beneficial one. >> translator: by working with start-ups, we absorb their

technical know-how. i'm sure we can eventually develop products ourselves that can contribute to society. >> reporter: open access workshops are allowing people to explore unique ideas and products and helping to nurture a new generation of entrepreneurs. some believe they may be the future of manufacturing. nhk world, tokyo. and you can catch our report again online together with a a full transcript. look for nhk world and business wrap. that's a look at our segment today. i'm going to leave you with the markets.

north korea's missile launches on wednesday have people in the region taking a closer look at its missile technology. a u.s. government official says pyongyang likely used mobile launchers which make it difficult to detect signs prior to launch. the u.s. and south korean militaries believe two nodon missiles were launched. they say one blew up immediately after launch. the other flew a thousand kilometers before falling into the sea of japan. the official says this shows the country is increasing the capability of its ballistic missiles posing a major threat to the region. in response to the launches, japan, the u.s., and south korea requested an emergency meeting of the u.n. security council. the closed door session ran for about two hours on wednesday.

>> i just want to stress the necessity of a strong and swift response from the security council and a reminder that this missile landed incredibly closely to japan. >> china's ambassador to the u.n. stressed the importance of dialogue in dealing with north korea. >> three objectives remain essential. denuclearization of the korean peninsula, peace and stability on the korean peninsula, and also resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiations. >> the security council is expected to draw up a press statement criticizing north korea. it is believed china's input will influence its wording.

as we near the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombings in hiroshima and nagasaki, we're bringing you stories of their legacy. president obama's visit to hiroshima, hiss wish was for a world without nuclear weapons. a group said it felt overlooked so it sent obama a request. >> reporter: the head of a group from nagasaki sent a letter to u.s. president barack obama. it request he make a visit to the city. >> reporter: 73 years old, the

leader of the citizens group. as a doctor he dedicated decades of his life for curing for a-bomb survivors. he was two years old when the bomb devastated nagasaki. as he got older, he learned about the long-term effects radiation from the bomb was having on people. >> translator: i became very interested in the fact so many survivors were developing leukemia. why were there so many cases? >> reporter: along with other experts, tomogona has pushed for the ban of nuclear weapons. he's used data from his research to inform the international community about the struggles of a-bomb victims. many who are still suffering more than 70 years after the bombing.

obama's visit t to hiroshimama met with mixed feelings by theh people of nagasaki. >> translator: it was really significant that he visited hiroshima. but as a citizen of nagasaki, i can't understand why he didn't come here as well. >> reporter: tomoganana w who h for years been part of the peace movement says the people of nagasaki feel overlooked. he said obama needs to make a stronger statement. >> translator: president obama said he can't see the abolishing of nuclear weapons in his lifetime. he said it again and again. he said it in hiroshima as well as in prague. >> reporter: so he decided to send obama a letter. he said part of obama's speech in hiroshihima gave him m hope. >> ordinary people understand this, i think. they do not want more war.

they would rather that the wonders of science be focused on improving life and not eliminating it. when the choice is made by natitions, when the choices mad by leaders reflect this simple wisdom, then the lesson of hiroshima is done. >> translator: when he talks about the need for humuman wis, i think he may be thinking about taking a step towards the abolition of nuclear weapons as he nears the end of his term as president. if our letter touches his heart strings, maybe he'll say, okay. i'm going to nagasaki. >> reporter: tomonaga realizes that the path to eliminating these weapons will not be easy. at the end of his letter, tomonaga had another request for the president of the united states.

>> would you not then be able to declare to the world your resolution and call out for nagasaki to forever be the last site of an atomic bomb. >> reporter: the letter s said such announcement could usher in a new statage of human wisdom a achieve a miracle. a world without nuclear weapons. nhk world, nagasaki. a court in china has sentenced a prominent human rights lawyer to s seven years prison.. he was cononcted of subverting state power. fung helped citizens file claims against local governments. china's s state run media say t court ruled that he destilized society sking opposion t

the ste. they say he pleaded guilty and agreed not to appeal. last year police detained or questioned more than 200 human rights lawyers and activists. on wednesday activist was sentenced to seven years and six months in jail. they have been cracking down on those with links to human rights, freedom of speech, and religious activities. the u.s. republican party is lashing out at the obama administrationon's cash paymento iran branding it a ransom payment. "the wall street journal" reported that the obama administration secretly air lifted $400 million to iran soon after the release of five americans in january. a "washington post" reporter who had been detained by tehran since 2015 on spying charges was among them. the release coincided with the lifting of international sanctions againstst iran in acaccordance with a deal s stru

with six world powers over the country's nuclear program. house speaker paul ryan, a republican heavyweight released a statement accusing the obama administration of paying a ransom to iran. republican presidential nominee donald trump blasted his democratic rival former secretary of state hillary clinton. he accused her of launching the talks to send the money. trump declared the transfer a scandal. white housee spokesperson josh earnest brurushed aside the criticism. >> we would not -- wee have not we will not pay ransom to secure the release of u.s. citizens. that's a fact. that is our policy and it is one we have followed. >> he said the $400 million was part of the money paid into an account in 1979 before the resolution to buy military equipment and the funds had been

frozen due to the fall of the dynasty. you're watching nhk "newsline" coming to you live from tokyo. sayaka mori from the weather desk joins us for this hour's weather update. >> yes. baking hotot weather will likel continue. early august is the hottest period of the year. now, there's a high pressure system which is originated in the pacific blanketing much of japan. this is called the pacific high. on top of that, there's another high pressure area over the upper atmosphere. that's called the tibetan high. there are two pressures blanketing much of japan. now, tomorrow's high could be 34 on friday. today was 33 degrees. it will stay the same as we go into the next three days or so. kyoto will see oppressively hot conditions. temperatures will stay 36 degrees into the weekend. in seoul you see the high of 35 on frididay. it could feel like 40 degrees on friday. please take care of your health. now, further down t towards the

south, there is a tropical system located near guam bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds at this moment. right now this is a tropical depression. but the next 24 hours this may become a tropical storm. it may become the fifth of the year so far. the system will likely hit towards the n north and could affect japan directly or indirectly as we go into next week. so we'll keep you posted on the progress. now lelet's go to india then. heavy monsoon rains are causing quite severe flooding across the western portions of the country with some pictures coming out of the west. an old bridge which was built in the 1940s collapsed in western india on tuesday because of strong river currents. two buses on the bridge were swept away and two people were found dead and 22 others are still missing. more than 100 rescuers and divers are searching for survivors, but this is the monsoon rain seseason. more rain is expectet eed for t west so that could h hinder

operatioions across the area. then let's go to belize. this is hurricane named earl. earl is now making landfall over belize spreading heavy rainfall and strong winds and storm surge. much higher gusts and moving at 23 kilometers per hour. it could move over guatemala and then affect much of the south of mexico as we go into the weekend. so heaeavy rainfall probably upo 500 millimeters across some areas in the areaea, so please watch out for life threatening floodingng as wewell as landsli. winds are going to be quite strong. now let's go further down towards the south and talk about what's happening across brazil. now, on thursday night japan's soccer team will face nigeria on thursday night in manaus. the high could be 34 degrees, so quite hot during the daytime hours. but during the night the temperature could go down to 20.

then on the following day in rio de janeiro, the opening ceremony for the olympic games will be taking place. the high could be 28 degrees, so that's pretty normal for this time of year. temperatures are going to be 33 on saturday. it's going to be warming up. but as we go into the next three days, things will quite stay dry. so no precipitation is on the menu for the next three days or so. that's it for me now. up next is your three-day forecast around the globe.

every summer people in cities and towns across japan put on festivals in the hope of getting bountiful harvests. today we bring you some images from one of the biggest. the lantern festival in northeastern akita city. performers use their palms, foreheads, shoulders, even lower backs to balance bamboo poles. the heaviest structure weighs 50 kilograms.

thousands of people come to thid