hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm keikichi hanada with the latest at this hour. prime minister abe says the government wants to listen to a wide range of opinions on the abdication. the 82-year-old emperor publicly expressed concern last month

that itt m may become difficultr him to carry out his duties as his physicical condition declcl. however, there are no legal provocatioions for abdication under japanese law. so the government will have to take legal measures for that to happen. speaking to reporters at the asean summit in laos, abe said the government takes the emperor's message to the public seriously. abe noted many people are saying the government should do something and added the government is aware it needs to. he said it wants to hold thoughtful discussions based on the views and said it will carefully consider the matter. the tokyo high court has upheld a life sentence for the former member of a cult. the case is the last in a series of trials that began 21 years

ago after group members carried out a deadly attack on a tokyo subway line. it changed the lives of victims and family members forever. nhk world has one of their stories. >> reporter: for over two decades, takahashi has gone to court. she sat in on the trials of various former members of the cult. but despite attending 500 sessions, she still doesn't have closure. >> translator: we couldn't hear the accused's words about how he felt about the case. i want to know what he thinks about the attack. i am not convinced. >> reporter: in 1995 members of the religious cult released gas on tokyo's subway system during morning rush hour. 13 people died and over 6,000 were hurt.

takahashi lost her husband who worked as a station official. she wants to know the real reason why the cult members carried out the attack. and also how they feel about the victims. >> translator: my life was not supposed to be the way it is now. it has been totally screwed up. >> reporter: she kept records throughout the trials to document them. during the 70th session, she even listened to the group's leader matsumoto. but none of it gave her what she wanted. lawyers and judges focus on the facts in situations. takahashi was looking for the chance to hear the feelings of the accused. three years after the attack, though, she was able to get some of that outside of court.

toyoda was sentenced to death for the attack. he was expressionless during the trial. he apologized but didn't reveal what he was really thinking. takahashi sent him a book about how survivors and families had to deal with the aftermath. >> translator: i wanted toyoda to know that the family members of victims are suffering so much. >> reporter: unexpectedly he sent a reply to her. he explained why he hid his emotions in court. >> translator: i believe that it's the minimum responsibility for a person on trial to refrain from making remarks or taking attitudes that would increase the anger and sorrow of the victims and bereaved families. this may have given the impression that i showed no

emotions. i am deeply sorry if my attitude offended you. >> reporter: the letter was realization for takahashi. she felt she was finally able to understand some of his thinking. >> translator: now i understand why he looked emotionless. at the same time i realized how much he regretted the crime. this letter made me think if i speak to them face-to-face, i might be able to hear more of their true feelings. >> reporter: she contacted the government and they responded by creating a system to allow crime victims to take part in trials. she asked questions to former members. but unlike toyoda, many didn't open up. with the latest trial over, takahashi no longer has the authority to face those in

court. 13 are awaiting execution and meetings with them are strictly limited. takahashi is now trying to get in to see them. she hopes talking with them could help prevent similar crimes in the future. and help her get the closure she strives for. nhk world. there's been intensive speculation about what japan's central bank will do at its next policy meeting later this month. on thursday market watchers got another potential clue. gene otani from our business desk has the details along with other business headlines. gene? >> the bank of japan deputy governor has hit it on policy. says they won't rule out deepening the rate as they pursue their price target. >> depending on the situation for economic activity, price,

and financial conditions, further measures might still be deemed necessary. >> he said rejecting a cut in the interest rates to protect profits for financial institutions would not be the right approach. he declined to comment on speculation the boj may purchase foreign bonds to deal with the stronger yen. to achieve price stability, not to affect. rates. they will hold their meeting from september 20th. apple has unveiled their new iphone in a bid to keep sales moving. >> it's the best iphone that we have ever created. >> the iphone 7 is water resistant. it also features a new camera system that lets users shoot photos and video at night. apple officials also announced the launch of a pay service in japan from late october. users will be able to commute or shop at stores byy t touching t

sensors. iphone sales have been struggling amid h heated competition. sales worldwide in january to march fell from the previous year. the first quarterly decline. the iphone 7 will go on sale worldwide on friday next week. attention is focused on whether it will give a big boost to sales. tokyo shares drifted lower following a lackluster finish on wall strtreet andnduncertainty r the bank of japan. giang nguyen reports. >> tokyo shares logged a second day of losses. as t they s struggled to predice boboj's next pololicy move. deputy governo commented that the bank would not rule out deepening negative interest rates, but it had little impact on the market. the nikkei 225 lost one-third of a percent ending at 16,958. the big news of the day was all

about apple's new iphone. we also saw that a super mario title will be released on apple's app store this december. shares off nintendo ended the dy 13% higher. nintendo collaborated with dena on the game. their stock was also up 10% making it one of the top performers. ininvestors also had their eyeyn the european central bank's policy decision announcement. central bank moves are going to be a focus of the markets in the near future with the bank of japan and the u.s. federal policy decisions coming on the 21st. giang nguyen reporting. moving on to other markets in the asia pacific region. shanghai composite ended up a fraction to 3,095 to higher close. gains were limited as some investors speculated that encouraging trade data for august would make further

government stimulus less likely. taiex endsed up by 0.04%. up for the fourth day. major apple suppliers there ended lower on profit taking. hang seng gaining by almost 0.8%. . investments from china -- from mainland china boosted the benchma benchmark. and in sydney, dropping 0.7%. falling iron ore prices dragged down resource companies. japanese workers who took part in a government survey say they're f feeling moree positiv about the state of the economy. more than 2,000 people participated in the economy watchers survey. respondents including retail clerks and taxi drivers. they were asked how they feel about the economy compared to three months earlier. it came in at 45.6.

up 0.5 point from last month. the index has increased for two months. respondents across a range of sectors said they expect more business from some customers. caused a spike in orders for drinking water. others noted an increase in public works as the government pushed projects ahead of schedule. cabinet office has upgraded of the economy. previously said there were signs of recovery. but now says there's a move toward recovery. here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. chinese customs officials say imports were up 1.5% in august climbing to $13838.5 billion. that's the first year on year rise in 22 months. the officials say china imported from japan and southeast asia. that was a partly due to apple's

decisision to manufacture phone in china. weak sales of clothes, shoes, and precious metals were to blame. japanese telecom firm softbank is targeting. it will slash the cost of its 20 gigabyte plan by half. lowering from 16,000 yen to 6,000 or about $60. 20 gigabytes is enough to stream about 90 hours of video. the announcement is likely to spark competition pricing with its rivals. athletes and businesses alike are working hard to prepare for tokyo's 2020 olympic and paralympic games. some companies are using i.t. to zrasticily change the way spectators experience the sporting events. they're redesigning stadium technology to make it smarter. >> reporter: at this japanese professional soccer game, many

fans have their eyes glued to their smartphones b before and after matches or during half-time. they are using a service designed for stadiums. it enabled viewers to watch video of all the matches played this season. it a also helps fans learn more about the players. another service here allows spectators in some sections to order food and have it delivered directly to their seats. these services take advantagegef a state of the alert wi-fi system that's an integral part of smartrt stadium design. >> translator: the wi-fi is fast and the original content is fun. >> translator: we can use the service to look up results from last year. >> reporter: this was one of the

first teams to install the technology. club officials thought it would help attract spectators. they worked with a major communicications firm to put th plan into place. this month they'll launch a service using multiple cameras that will let visitors watch replays from numerous angles. >> translator: by the time the 2020 olympic games get under way, i think what we're doing at our stadium will be common at other stadiums too. if we can be pioneers, that will make us very happy. >> reporter: their partners in the communications firm have started developing their own original content as well. it includes something called free viewing point image technonology. when data from cameras installed in fouour corners of the stadiu and distance measuring sensors are synthesized, an object can be seen from 360 degrees.

even parts that the cameras couldn't see. currently the cameras can only capture a four square meter area. but the developers hope one day spectators would be able to view images from any point in the stadium. >> translator: people will be able to watch realistic looking scenes together. at that stage spectators will find free video viewing techchnology indispenenable. >> reporter: as it catches on around the world, businesses already working hard to improve their game. you can catch our report again online together with a full transcript. look for nhk world and business wrap. that's a look at business news. i'm going to leave you with the markets.

a woman has appeared in a tokyo court accused of breaking into the home of one of japan's most p popular enterertainers. singer and actor fukuyama was out when the defendant allegedly entered the residence. she said she wanted to see his guitars. prosecutors demanded the one-year prison term on the opening day of her trial. the defendant works part-time as a cowaretaker for a company. she waited until he and his wife were out then used a spare key to let herself in. the defendant's lawyers say she's deeply sorry. they're asking for a suspended sentence.

the court will deliver its verdict at the end of this month. a group of climbers scaling japan's mt. fuji has had a lucky escape. they were forced to make a damage to safety after some boulde boulders came crashing through their trail. a man who captured video of the incident said he heard the rumbling sound. he looked up and saw the rocks one to three meters in diameter tumbling down the mountain. an expert on the volcano says widening lava cracks triggered the fall. he states in the latest incident the rocks fell as far as 1.5 kilometers. >> translator: it's quite rare for rocks of this size to fall on this part of the mountain. but in summer, minor rock falls happen every day. >> many climbing routes on mt. fuji closed in early september.

he says climbers should take care and wear helmets. mountain climbing isn't just risky for people. in the nagano prefecture, the hundreds of thousands who flock to the ranges are putting the natural environment under stress. >> reporter: japan's northern alps. especially in summer climbing conditions are good. and the views of 3,000 meter mountains spectacular. >> translator: this is exactly what i wanted to see. it's therapeutic. >> translator: mountain climbing unleashes my emotions. >> translator: it's magical here. i don't want to go back down. >> reporter: for many of the climbers, once isn't enough. the environment entices them to come again. and again.

that amount however is changing the landscape. the spread of invasive species is a major concern. for example, jerusalem artichoke are not native to thihis ar. plants herere are making their y through the mountains of nagano. visitors may be bringing the seeds in on their shoes and their cars. >> translator: the plant grows like crazy. >> reporter: aruga knows the land. he's been involved in mountaineering here for some 30 years. in recent times he's seen invasive species asserting themselves. >> translator: the native plants will probably die. their sunlight is blocked. these outside species grow rapidly and harm the ones that belong here. >> reporter: another change is the direct result of human

activity. >> translator: these holes were all made by hiking poles. they stab at roots and push them further into the ground. the roots are exposed. eventually that will affect the trees. >> reporter: the mountainsides are now pitted with evidence of sharp pointed hiking poles. nagano prefecture is trying to make climbers mindful of their actions. it includes an event with examples of how the environment may suffer. visitors are asked to sign to protect the environment that includes being on the trails and not harming plants. >> translator: we've been encouraging visitors to cover the tips of their poles. >> translator: leaving them

uncovered makes it easier to grip the ground though, doesn't it? >> translator: but if they puncture the ground, even minor rain can cause trail erosion. we encourage visitors who enjoy climbing these mountains to work with us to protect the environment of the nagano gion. >> reporter: the prefecture also hopes visitors will pitch in to carry lumber for maintaining the trails, root out invasasive species, a and keep the mountai in peak condition. nhk world, nagano. a bullet train driver in japan is in hot water after being calught with his feet pressed against his train's windshield. the train was in motion at the time. the railway company suspended

the driver after a picture was on twitter. he said he wanted to stretch his legs and get comfortable. he said his legs were up for about ten seconds. drivers must always face the front and have a hand on the brake. rail company officials say there was no immediate danger. the train has an automatic braking system that kicks in if it exceeds the speed limit. but they apologize for what they say was extremely inappropriate behavior. with the u.s. presidential election only two months away, hillary clinton and donald trump each presented their qualifications to lead the american military. their pitches came as the latest polls showed trump gaining on clinton. the candidates each faced questions from veterans of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. clinton went first. she emphasized that she had the

necessary characteristics of a commander in chief. >> an absolute rock steadiness and mixed with strength to be able to make the hard decisions. because i've had the unique experienence of watching and working with several presidents. >> but she struggled with repeated q questions about how e handled classified information when she was secretary of state. when it was his turn, trump was grilled about his claims that he knew more about islamic state militantnts than americacan generarals. he blamed thehe current administration for weak military leadership. >> i mean, the fact is we have had the worst -- and you could even say the dumbest -- foreign policy. our results are so bad. >> trump then went on to praise russian president vladimir putin for his leadership. a recent poll showed the gap between clinton and trump at just three points. early last month clinton was leading by around eight points.

close contests expected in the states of florida, north carolina, and ohio. the two candidates in three debates late this month and next month. it's time now for the world weather withth our meteorologis sayaka mori. >> yeah. it wasas ab normally dry in central japan in summer. but now they're dealing with excessive amounts of he haavy rainfall. let's go to video. weather is extremely unsteady in the prerefecture e today due to southerly winds. warnings for landslides, floods, and heavy rain have been posted in central japan. even torornadoes are not out of question. even record-b-breaking heavy rainfall has fallen in several places. 90 millimeters of rain fell in one hour in yabu.

this is all caused by the remnants of tropical storm malou. the system is now a low pressure system but still bringing ample moisture, still bringing tropical moisture to many parts of jan.n. the syemem will likelely move u towards the north aiming for the tohoku region or hokkaido where significant flooding is already taking place. from tonight into tomorrow morning, you'll see tremendous amounts of heavy rainfall once again. so kushiro will see rain on friday. we did see heavy rainfall today and tomorrow it's going to be heating up and be sunny. so watch out for heatstroke. now let's go down to the southern hemisphere. a cold front is moving towards the east. we have severe weather warnings in place for victoria. damagingng winds and also floodg rainfall is in the forecast for your friday across victoria. the system will likely go into your saturday.

so it's going to be stormy in sydney on your saturday. and kanberra will see rainy windy conditions on friday. now let's go to europe then. deadly floods took place in parts of greece on wednesday. we had extremely heavy rainfall. some areas have seen about 210 millimimeters of rainfall in ju two days. on top of floods we heard water spouts and also damaging winds. there is a low pressure system which is coming from the jet stream. this will continue to rotate here for awhile. we have thunderstorm warnings in place for the western portions of greece. more rain is expected. meanwhile, there is a warm air gripping many parts of europe. temperatures are quite on the high side for many areas. for example, berlin will see a high of 30 degrees on thursday. enjoy the nice weather. vienna 28 degrees. it's going t to be cooler compad to what we saw over the past couple of days but still on the

hot side. now let's go to the americas. severe weather will likely happen from the central plains into the great lakes region once again. heavy rainfall expected from kansas into indiana. watch out for flash floods. dry weather across the west and temperatures are going to be as follows. nice and comfortable in seattle. the high will be 19 with partly cloudy conditions. across the south and east, still on the hot side. 35 in oklahoma city. and the u.s. capital could see the high of 36 degrees. that's it for me now. up next is your three-day forecast. 1

molly: welcome to the france 24 newsroom. hollande -- friends people are detained in connection with an abandoned car in paris. russia and the united states get set for another round of syrian peace talks.