it's time for this hour's news roundup here on nhk "newsline." i'm james tengan in tokyo. rescue operations in central italy following wednesday's massive earthquake are being hindered by ongoing aftershocks. authorities say the death toll has risen to 267. prime miminister matatteo renzi spoke at a news conference in rorome on thursday. >> translator: the government has declareded a state of emergency for the quake-hit

areas and authorized 50 million euros to respond to the disaster. >> the magnitude-6.2 quake caused extensive damage to the town of amatrice and surrounding areas. the town is a popular tourist destination in the summer, and police believe foreign travelers may be among the victim. rescue teams are racing against time to find people under the rubblele. there have been over 900 aftershocks, including one with a magnitude above 5. >> the earthquakes have continued very frequently. it's a really dangerous situation. >> police and firefighters are using drones to search for survivors, but experts believe it'll take more time to grasp the full extent of the destruction. turkey has sent more ground troops across its border into northern syria. it's part of an apparent move to stop kurdish fighters from expanding their territory. turkrkish troops began a milita offensive on wednesday that pushed islamic state militants

out of the syrian town of jarablus. the operation was cacaied out together with syrian opposition forces. but turkish officials say the military offensive is aimed at both islamic state militants and kurdish fighters. they cononsider the kurdish fors to be part of a terrorist organization. kurdish forces recaptured the northern syrian town of manbij from thehe islamic statate earl this month.. by expanding its military operations, turkey is signaling it intends to keep kurdish fighters from seizing more territitory in northern syriria. turkish h officials sesent in m tanknks on thursrsday as reinforcements. the u.s. has previously backed kurdish fighters, but u.s. vice president joe biden said that washington intends to cooperate with turkey. biden was speaking in ankara where he held talks with the turkish president. erdogan.

officials at japan's public pension fund are reporting investment losses of more than $50 billion for the april to june period. they say the blame lies with plunging global stock markets triggered by britain's vote to leave the eu. officials at the government pension investment fund report $52 billion in losses wiwith an earnings ratioio of minus 3.88%. more than $22 billion were in japanese stocks. $24 billion in foreign stocks and $15 billion in foreign bonds. the funds japanese bonds portfolio posted a profit of $9 billion. the fund was also in the red in fiscal 2015. it reported losses of about $53 billion. that was mainly due to a global stock market plunge due to an economic slowdown in china.

>> translator: the losses resulted from short-term valuation and will not affect pension payouts. the funds policy of long-term holding of good assets will steadily increase its assets. it's looking increasingly unlikely that the transpacific partnership deal will get approved by the u.s. congress while president obama is still in office. u.s. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell has said the senate will not vote on the approval of agreement before the end of the year. mcconnell met with an agricultural organization in the state of kentucky. u.s. media reported that the republican senator told the participants that the current tpp agreement has serious flaws. earlier this month, house of representative speaker paul ryan also expressed dououbts about bringing the free trade deal up for a vote. mcconnell reportedly suggested that congress may approve the deal if the next administration

revises it. but both republican presidential candidate donald trump and his democratic rival hillary clinton oppose the tpp deal. it's unclear if the next u.s. administration will proceed to approve the trade agreement. now, turning to the markets, tokyo ended lower for the second straight session. our business recorder giang nguyen has the details from the stock exchange. >> investors lacked trading cues throughout the week. they had some reason to sell today. japan's core consumer prices for july fell for the fifth straight month, down half a percent from a year ago. meanwhile, investors refrained from taking any risks ahead of a key speech by u.s. fed chief janet yellen. let's look at the closing lelevs this friday, august 26th. the nikkei lost 1.18% ending at 16, 360. the broader topix fell 1.25%. shares fell across most sectors, but consumer cyclicals saw the biggest declines. department store operator isetan mitsukoshi was down 2.7%.

some companies rose on share buybacks, however. kao corporation climbed 2.1% after the company said it would buy back up to 10 million shares. investors are now keen to pick up any clues from janet yellen's speech in jackson hole, wyoming. about the timing of the next fed rate hike. i'm giang nguyen reporting from the stock exchange. all right. let's see how the markets are doing. here are the latest figures.

a newly elected governor in southwestern japan has taken an unusual step. he's asking a power company to halt operations at a nuclear plant in his prefecture to re-evaluate its safety. the plant's two reactors went online last year. they were the first to do so under stricter regulations established after the 2011 fukushima a disaster. the kagoshima governor met with kyushu electric power company y president on friday. >> translator: residents have been uneasy since earthquakes damaged neighboring kumamoto. so i want to ask you to suspend the plant's operations and re-evaluate its safety.

>> kumamoto prefecture was hit by a series of earthquakes in april that killed more than 80 people and destroyed scores of buildings. he asked the local power company to help draw up evacuation plans in the event of an emergency. uriu vowed his company would address the matter. the the two reactors at the plant are currently scheduled to go offline for inspections starting in october. governors in japan have no legal authority to shut down a nuclear plant. japan has 42 reactors at 16 power plants, and many plant operators have applied for screenings under the new requirements. so far, the nuclear regulation authority has approved the restart of seven reactors at three plants. two of the reactors that have won approval are at the sendai plant. four others are at the takahama plant. in fukui prefecture.

one is at the ikata plant. one of the reactors at the sendai plant went back online in august, the other in october last year. two of the takahama reactors were restarted earlier this year, but a local district court ordered an injunction, ordering them to shut down. residents sought the injunction over lingering safety concerns. the reactor at the ikata plant was restarted in august. the ikata and the two at the sendai plant are the only reactors operating in japan. ahead of the event, a japanese aide official addressed a symposium explaining the potential of geothermal power generation. the official from the japan international coopereration agey pointed out that some areas in africa have geological formations that make it easy to acquire high-temperature steam from under the ground. the official said japan has many volcanos and can utilize its geothermal power generation technology developed over many

years. meanwhile, japanese and u.s. government officials have exchanged a memorandum to jointly develop the alternative energy source in east africa. police in japan suspect a 16-year-old male found dead earlier this week was the victim of group violence. his naked body was partially buried in a river bed near tokyo. tsubasa inoue's body was discovered on tuesday. the cause of death was drowning. he lived about ten kilometers from the site where he was found. some of his friends say he had quit school and was working at a convenience store. > translator: he was such a nice, outgoing boy. >> two minors reported to police that they had heard their friends attacked him until he stopped moving. police say a text message admitting to the attack was sent by an acquaintance of the victim. they also discovered a video that appears to show him being assaulted and forced to swim in

the river. police have arrested five males between the ages of 14 and 17. some of them told investigators they held the victim under the water. one said he killed inoue because he had lied and ignored phone calls and text messages. a similar incident occurred last year when a 13-yeaear-old boy w murdered near tokyo. that victim was forced to swim in a river in the middle of winter and was repeatedly slashed with a box cutter. the incident prompted discussisions on how adults can identify and helelp young peopl who might become victims of violence. japan's all nippon airways says it will cancel more than 300 domestic flights of its boeing 787 dreamliner fleet over the coming weeks. they cite a problem with the plane's engine p parts. ana says tururbine blades theh 787's engines manufactured by uk-based rolls royce could

corrode and break after a certain number of hours of use. they said the problem occurred three times between february and august, eachch time forcing g at down of f the engines. the incidents have forced an emergency landing at a nearby airport. the company plans to replace the turbine blades of all 50 dreamliner jets it owns. it says the procedure is likely to force cancellations of about ten flights every day through the end of next month or later. in the global fight against hiv/a.i.d.s., perhaps the most high-profile epidemic is in south africa. there are millions of people living with hiv and a generation of children who lost their parents to the disease. now, an ngo is trying a unique approach in raising awareness for the caretakers of these orphans.

nhk world has more. >> reporter: a sporting event with a difference. all the participants are grandmothers. held in a township outside durbin, the name comes from the word for grandma in the local language. this is the sixth time what they call the granny's olympics have been held. 600 of them are participating. the grandmothers are divided into teams that compete against each other in various events, but with all the singing and dancing, it actually feels more like a party. >> dance, be happy. you know, just play like children. we're very happy, very excited. >> reporter: the event is organized by a local ngo that supports grandmothers who are bringing up their grandchildren.

this situation is not unusual in south africa, where many of the women have lost sons or daughters to a.i.d.s. >> you get most households being headed up by grandmothers you see here. it's also an effort to celebrate their grandmothers. >> reporter: this 68-year-old is one of the participants. her five children all died of a.i.d.s., leaving their young children behind. now she has 15 grandchildren and great grandchildren living with her. there are now about 2.5 million a.i.d.s. orphans in south africa, but public support is very limited. and grandmothers like her often find it hard to make ends meet. >> translator: i work all day long. when i go to bed, my body is hurting, and i'm exhausted.

>> reporter: at the olympics, she can take her mind off the hardships of her life, singing and dancing with new friends. >> translator: i'm very happy to be here. i want to come back next year, definitely. >> reporter: despite the festive atmosphere, the olympics place another more serious role to raise the issue of a.i.d.s. orphans and its impact in south africa. taro mitamura, nhk world. indonesia's fight against poverty is one of its major social challenges. a nonprofit organization is trying to help homeless children and those living in squalid conditions to find a way to a better life using an unlikely resource. nhk world's yusuke ota has the details.

>> reporter: thanks to the economic growth, you can see a lot of cars in jakarta. but on the other hand, you can still see a lot of street children. about 34,000 children are said to be on the street in indonesia. these young people were once among them, but now they've seized on opportunity for a better future from trash. the nonprofit organization helps them make new products from the things people throw away. the ngo set up a workshop four years ago. interested childldren can recei an 18-month training course on how to fashion material goods from glass bottles and other

materials. they hope the training will provide them with the skills to stand on their own. their products are on display at the hotel lobby and other places. these are egg holders made from wine bottles. the necks of the bottles have been turned into wine glasses. this vase was made from a fishing lamp. >> i think it's really good that we do recycling because of the global problems. it's particularly nice that children are doing it. >> it's very nicely done. >> reporter: the prices of the things these children make have more than tripled over the last three years. the npo pays them between $12 and $24 a month. >> translator: it's the happiest

thing that many people buy our products. i'll try to improve my skills and make even better things. >> reporter: he joined the workshop in may. he likes to draw and says workshop activities are good for design. he's thinking about becoming a photographer. >> translator: i want to s save enough money to buy a camera. i'll keep learning and trying to realize my dream. >> translator: they have great potential. i want them to learn at this workshop and change their lives. >> reporter: this luxurious jakarta hotel uses their products. the management appreciates the skills of the members and hired

one of them. >> translator: making bread is similar to what we do at the workshop. the experience of making products from glass and plastic now helping me in my job. >> reporter: the learning of skills gives street children a different future. the product they're making will help them realize their hopes and dreams. yusuke ota, nhk world, jakarta. the japanese art of bonsai aims to replicate nature in a plant pot. demand is shrinking here but grows overseas, so producers are creating new types of bonsai for foreign enthusiasts. nariko has the story. >> reporter: this exhibit is

called an air bonsai. the tree is levitated using magnets. the floating pot represents the importance of ecology. and this is a dry bonsai using a dead tree. that's a brand new idea that relieves the owner of the need to water the plant. a japanenese man demonstrates bonsai making inin belgium. he represented his country at this event in january. with his hands, the tree drastically changes shape. he turns it into an artistic bonsnsai. >> beautiful. [ applause ] >> reporter: his creations have

won him many fans abroad. he has received invitations to perform in france, g germany, t u.s., and seven other r countri. he was born into a family of bonsai farmers. he said he started going abroad because he had so few opportunities to use his skills at home. the family's customers grow older. domestic sales have fallen by more than 30% from their peak. >> translator: many customers haveve passed awaway, and some too oltoto connue.e. it n now aompleteldifferert world to wt t it w in n th past. i thk everybody in the indudust has a sense of isis, so wt shoulde do? thanswer forost ofy generaon is overseas. fear thate'll be nished iforeign dand collaps.

>> reporter: he accepts foreign students. he wants to promote bonsai across the world and turn this traditional japanese practice into a global one. this man from spain came to japan fourur years ago becauses admired the skills. >> translator: there's a thick branch here. you want to bend it, don't you? did you try to bring it here? >> translator: through to here? >> translator: so think about what you're doing. do you need this if you make this a main one? >> translator: yes, i want to improve my skills. >> reporter: he returned home in june after four years after training. he will open a bonsai farm in madrid. >> translator: i hope for his

success in spain, europe, and beyond. i also hope recognition of bonsai will increase overseas, and that will help us rediscover its appeal in japan some day. >> reporter: bonsai artistry is crossing borders to find new places to grow. the new trees planted by artists like urushibata are now attracting new fans across the world. nagiko hasumi, nhk world. you're watching nhk "newsline" from tokyo. sayaka mori standing next to a typhoon now joins us from the weather desk. typhoon lionrock could become a major threat for central and eastern japan early next week. how bad does it look for us here in tokyo, sayaka? >> it looks like it's going to be dangerously stormy as we go into late monday or into tuesday. if lionrock hits the konto

region, it could be the strongest typhoon observed in the kanto region. the sea surface temperatures are about 30 degrees, which is quite warm, enough to intensify the system. the system will likely move into the northeast, but temperatures are over 27 degrees. so still warm. that means the system will not likely weaken significantly. right now lionrock is a very strong typhoon, packing wind gusts of over 215 kilometers per hour. the system has changed direction towards the east. the system will likely make a change of direction towards the north as we go into monday, which is quite bad too. then the system will likely hit japan into the tohoku region. if it hits the pacific side, it is going to be a first-time event. we've never experienced this in history. now, the system is shifting

towards the east because it's moving along the rim of the high-pressure area. as we go into next week, the jet stream will likely deepen, so the jet stream will take the system towards the north. that's why lionrock will likely change direction towards the north into next week. we are expecting quite stormy conditions from late monday to tuesday in many portions of eastern japan, including the tohoku area. please do be prepared for the stormy conditions. meanwhile, rainy weather is expected for western side of japan into the next couple of days. right now there's a frontal system located from the hokkaido region down towards the kyushu region. it's bringing extremely heavy rainfall. for example, iwata prefecture had over 70 millimeters, or 55 millimeters of rainfall in just one hour. that's the record rainfall. now, the system willll likelelyd towardrds the sosoutheast,ut ase go into monday, more heavy rain is expected for weerern poioions japanan. so significant rain is expected

into the weekend and also into next week dudue to l lionrock. now let's go to north america. we're looking at quite a bad sisituation across the cenentra portions of the united states. kansas will see e flooding rainfall through the next 24 hours. there's a possibility for tornadoes, thunderstorms, and large hail from the southern plains up towards the new england states. now, down towards the south, high-pressure system is gripping the southeastern corner of the united states. more rain is expected for the southern portions of texas, as well as louisiana, where people are still leading with the recovery efforts from the historic floods. across the west, it will be mostly dry. more w wildfires could gw dudueo dry and windy conditions. temperatures arere going to be quite high across the west. once again, heavy rain is expected for the sthth of texax and also louisiana. very bad new an additionanal 80 millimeters rain could fall into the next three days or so. temperatures are going to be

quite hot in washington, d.c. 36 degrees for the high with abundance of sunshine. but behind a cold front, quite chilly for this time of year. only 24 in chicago on your friday. all right. here's the extended forecast around the globe. visit our website and click

on contact us for your thoughts and comments. thanks for watching this hour's nhk "newsline." x

>> welcome to the "france 24" newsroom. italy declares a state of emergency. work aroundue teams the clock to find earthquake survivors two days after the death toll stands at 267. a suicide truck bomb targets police in southeast turkey. we crossed to