hello, welcome to return to in tokyo. we begin in ukraine. a team of nuclear experts is making its way to one of the largest nuclear plants in europe and dodging the front lines. fighting near the nuclear plant is raising fears of a possible

nuclear disaster. >> we have a very important mission to accomplish. we will start immediately. we will have an assessment of the security and safety situation at the plant. >> the leader of the team will spend a few days checking on the condition of the facility and its workers. he hopes to establish a continued presence at the plant. both sides of the conflict agreed to the inspection and the route taken. ukrainian governor said russian forces shelled it. the news agency said the group was delayed for hours before the leader pushed ukrainian military officials to let them proceed. ukraine's state nuclear power company says a fresh round of shelling near the plant forced it to shut down on one of two

power operating units. russian defense ministry claims ukrainian forces, and a foiled attempt to capture the plant said they did it. the leader from russia promised to let inspectors do their work. at the un human rights office as china's treatment of minorities may constitute crimes against humanity in the autonomous region. the long-awaited report calls on beijing to release people. the high commissioner for human rights examine the situation in the region and released the report on wednesday. is said, serious human rights violations have been committed there. instead it happened under china's policies to fight terrorism and extremism. the report also cites patterns

of torture inside what beijing called vocational training centers. they said allegations of cruel treatment at the facilities appear to be credible. it calls on china to release anyone who has been arbitrarily detained. chinese officials claim the report is part of a campaign to smear china's reputation. >> [ speaking non-english ] >> the report is a pure stunt orchestrated by the u.s. and other western countries. >>'s report comes after the un human rights chief visited the region in may. the document was released on the final day of the four year term. taiwan's president has held another meeting with a u.s. representative in a bid to strengthen economic ties and protect itself from chinese

aggression. the president met with arizona governor doug ducey. they are securing the supply of high-tech resources, semiconductors. >> we seek cooperation with the united states in the high-tech industry. we can produce chips and protect her interests. >> arizona stands with taiwan. we look forward to building on the many opportunities ahead. >> taiwan dominates the global chip market. the united states relies on it. they have been working to secure their own supply. a key part of the strategy is the taiwan semiconductor manufacturing companies. they are building a new plant in arizona, and infusing its economy with 2000 new jobs. taiwan has another connection to the u.s..

pilots are training at an air base on the main f-16 fighter jets. china has accused the u.s. of inflaming regional tensions with the recent visits to taiwan, starting with house speaker nancy pelosi. >> most kids are back to school after a break. in shanghai, they are returning for the first time in half a year. authorities in the city closed elementary and junior high schools in march due to the coronavirus. they later enforced a lockdown lasting months. kids have been learning online. now that they are back, they must take pcr tests every day. this school started on thursday. the mood was upbeat. >> [ speaking non-english ] >> i want to be with my friends, playing tag, and other

outdoor games that involve everyone. >> our kids can go to school. that is a step forward. the situation is still tricky. chinese authorities are sticking with that zero covid- 19 policy. lockdowns continuing areas with new infections. people must show a negative test result to use public transport. anybody entering the country is required to quarantine. it has been exactly 99 years since a great earthquake hit the tokyo area, leaving 100,000 people dead. now, japan is preparing for the possibility of another disastrous mayor earthquake.

they stimulated the response to a magnitude 9.1 earthquake on thursday. they went to the prime minister's office amid heavy shaking, and under the threat of tsunami. once there, the emergency task force comes up with a response plan. they do expect heavy damage in the i.t. prefecture. the scenario is fake, but based on real projections. this is what experts believe a massive earthquake along the trough could look like. there is an 80% chance one will hit the pacific coast in the next 30 years. it would likely trigger massive waves and kill more than 230,000 people. girls at the tokyo level and to contain the chaos if a similar earthquake it's a capital.

police officer spread to major intersections to clear the way for emergency vehicles and ensure people can escape with their lives. while earthquakes are not the only worry, there are flooding, mudslides, and more. emergency teams must be ready. we will hear from an entrepreneur that hopes to help me people safe by keeping an eye in the sky. >> reporter: the sound of the test flight inthe y. th is a ototypof a long nge,nmanned aerial vehicle designed for disaster response. this is the research and development base for the company. the jet engine model can cruise at an altitude of 20,000 meters.

this has special movement, eliminating the need for runways. he is named the vehicle, terror dolphins, inspired by the myth that the sea mammal is like people. >> there are vast areas where conventional drugs can go. we look to compensate for these. >> reporter: when a natural disaster occurs in japan, he and his team rushed to the fight. using conventional aerial vehicles, they harness the operations systems to map the scene. first, they create a single disproportionate free map. they have the images showing where buildings, roads, and

rivers were. using this technology, they can generate a 3-d map. using crown computing, they can use the updated data available to the public. he is collaborating closely with the government on the disaster mitigation plan. they are embracing his projects due to his experience in the earthquake and tsunami. they were slammed hard and re- are we are recovering from this. they are looking at technologies for disaster management including infrared imaging. >> you can see the surrounding buildings. the flooded areas are cooler.

>> reporter: of somebody's seeking shelter on a rooftop in the dark, the technology can read that. >> reporter: 11 years ago, our city experienced something unprecedented. we hope the lessons learned can be merged with the latest technology. >> reporter: he is now going to the next stage. this is the routine monitoring of the entire city. it checks out the devices that will be monitored. >> cleared for takeoff. >> my immediate goal is to create a pioneering case study through my project. i hope to expand this initiative, not only throughout japan, but the entire asian region. >> he plans to deploy the terror dolphins in disaster

areas as early as 2025. his innovation will soon be unleashed. in major league baseball, morris ruiz made against it new york yankees. he had a blast at a crucial moment in the sixth inning. it powered the los angeles angels to the win over the yankees. his 30th homerun of the year means he became the first player in major league baseball history to record 10 wins or more on the mound, and 30 homeruns at the plate in the same season. a japanese movie is in the running for the top prize at the world's oldest film

festival. [ applause ] the venice international film festival open on wednesday with no masks insight. among those getting the red carpet treatment is the director [ indiscernible ]. his film, love life, isupfor the veted goen lion japanesewoman anherd stggles nefamily dynacs aftetaking her ex husbanth d fall on hard times. >> sometimes we face unexpected loneliness in our daily lives, even when we are with a benough r me. at, it would festival organizers will pay tribute to ukraine. they have invited directors and actors to a day in their honor as they struggle to pursue

their passions amid the russian invasion. prize winners will be announced on september 10. it is time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist. the weather team has been following a powerful typhoon that is swirling in southwestern japan. hello there, the typhoon is about to combine with a tropical depression nearby. it is becoming bigger now. the center is moving southward. it will likely make a u-turn. that means okinawa will have stormy conditions once again. it is expected to go toward the

north. the center could pass the islands during the weekend. if that is so, we could see wind gusts as near 250 kilometers per hour. that means houses could be destroyed and many trees could be toppled. after that it will go toward korea or western japan. this will stay in the okinawa region through saturday. we could see an additional 100 millimeters of rainfall. on friday, more rain is on the way. dangerous conditions are expected. after that, he could go to the korean peninsula, japan, and china as well. it is roasting through the western u.s. look at this video from california. a relentless and dangerous heat wave has been roasting the western u.s. zookeepers are

happy to find creative ways to keep the animals cool. lions and kangaroos are being offered homemade ice treats and and imo emu named banjo was enjoying a cold shower. the hot weather has been seriously dry, prolonging a drought that has strained water resources in california. it looks like the heat could continue into next week, possibly into labor day, which is next monday. many records could fall. temperatures could be in the 50s every day in death valley. that is it for me. stay safe.

that is all for this edition of "nhk newsline".

thank you for watching. this is "newsline biz" . we are looking at the biggest high spike for metal products in a decade. the deal between the top selling automaker and the largest steel producer would be a benchmark in increased prices in a wide range of industries.

sources say the companies agreed to raise the price of auto related steel products per ton by %40,000 or $290. the change would be in place for the latter half of the current fiscal year. that is an increase up to 30% compared to the first half of the year. it would be the biggest hike since 2010. the soaring prices of iron ore, coal, and raw materials, stemming from russia's invasion of ukraine are behind the deal. the experts say this will drive up the cost of a wide range of products, including electronics. consumers in japan will pay more at the local supermarkets. a new survey of companies shows rising prices of food items are about to hit their peak next month. a private research firm conducted the survey of 100 japanese food and beverage makers in late august. nearly 80% said they had already raise or plan to raise prices this year to pass on higher production costs.

the end is pushing up the cost of imported goods. the prices of more than 10,000 items have gone up from the beginning of this year through august. companies land to raise the cost of about 2400 items in autumn. that will peak at 6500 in october. the price hikes affect 20,000 items. processed goods like canned food, ham, and sausages top the list of categories that will see increases. seizing products and beverages follow. the bank says price increases will hit the peak in october. the trend may continue as electricity bills and raw material prices remain high. total pretax profits have hit a quarterly high. firms in a wide range of sectors saw surges as the pandemic business restrictions were lifted. a suey by japan's finance

ministry found the total ordinary profits for the period came to about %20.3 trillion or $203 billion. this is the highest quarterly figure since 1954, when comparable data became available. the total is up over 17% from the same period last year, marking an increase for the sixth consecutive quarter. the survey found combined profits increased by 33% in fiscal 2021, reaching a record high. internal reserves were up as well. their earnings companies retained in-house, the figure rose 6% to $3.7 trillion. over 22,000 firms responded to the survey. the companies in the insurance sectors are not included in the results. japan's government has revised the law to introduce measures to ensure a stable supply of natural gas.

among the proposals are mandatory curbs for large-scale users. the changes aimed at addressing concerns about possible supply disruptions in the wake of russia's invasion of ukraine. japan imports almost all liquefied natural gas. the government will ask households and businesses to conserve energy. if it is not enough, large- scale users may be subject to compulsory curbs. the revised laws will show ways to support gas companies if lng becomes too expensive. a government affiliated gas corporation may be allowed to import gas on behalf of the companies. the economy ministry plans to submit a draft of the revised law in the coming months. the weakness of the yen has made japanese real estate

cheaper and more attractive to overseas investors. they believe properties here offer high potential for stable returns. the capital of japan's northern prefecture is one city drawing the attention of investors. >> reporter: today, we will have a seminar.>>reporter: this owners seminar has more than 50 people, including investors from the united states, singapore, and thailand. >> the japanese yen is getting cheaper. we will receive more and more inquiries about investment overseas.>> reporter: this is one of the firms that held the seminar. the agents say inquiries from customs overseas have increased two or three fold since april

when they yen started getting weaker. >> we had inquiries with properties over $210,000, or those worth about $360,000 to overseas customers. these are now affordable.>> reporter: this is from a marketing firm in san francisco. he purchased a home himself and lives there. he is confident buying the property. he feels he can get a stable income from the rent and sell at a higher price in the future. >> it has resale value. >> i am a businessperson. i work full-time. i want a good quality of life. we have some cities in america like seattle or san francisco that have this domination of a lot of opportunity for business, and a great way to spend your free time.

this is a beautiful city in the rising part of the world. this is why i chose this area.>> reporter: all of the properties are attracting overseas buyer interest. this is a branch of the u.s. commercial real estate investment fm. >> until now, foreign investors were just interested in tokyo. this was known as a popular tourist destination, but not en as an investment target. >> investment funding is increasing.>> reporter: really get the rising interest in office spaces. investors see this as a stable place to invest. >> this is the only office

market in japan with such stability. strong demand from overseas investors, and a growing number of domestic investors is making competition to acquire property extremely fierce. >> experts say this could push up on global investment pictures. this could change at any time. no one can forecast the exchange rate. it remains to be seen, if investors will have a payoff in the long run. reporting for nhk world. the season for catching puffer fish on long lines open in western japan. puffer fish shish amy is a popular dish. 50 people attended a departure ceremony at a market. this areas japan's leading puffer supplier. the boats were loaded with 3000

young fish about 1510 meters long to be released for future catches. 37 tons of the fish were caught in the prefecture last season. that is about six times more than the previous year. people dined out less during the pandemic, leading prices to drop. this has posed a challenge to operators. >> we struggled with cheaper prices caused by the pandemic. i hope prices will be stable this year. to make the season continues through the end of march. let's have a look at the markets.

and from the "newsline biz" in tokyo, thank you for being with us.

great power competition, that leaves out a lot of possible explanations. ♪ anchor: you are watching "al jazeera." our top stories. mikael gorbachev has died at 91. he presided over the end of the cold war and the lifting of the iron curtain, but failed to prevent the collapse of the ussr. president vladimir putin has expressed is deepest condolences and says he will be sending messages to family and friends. the u.n. secretary