hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo. we begin with the latest on the summit between north korean leader kim jong-un and russian president vladimir putin. north korea's state run media says the two reached a satisfactory agreement on various issues and areas of cooperation. korean central television said the agreements came after the

two leaders held talks on wednesday when they discussed politics, economic issues, and military affairs. agreements were reached on national sovereignty, regional and global peace and security and international justice, but it wasn't clear whether they agreed on expanding military cooperation. pyeongyang says putin accepted an invitation from kim to visit north korea. they met at a spaceport in russia's far east. it was their first meeting in four years. kim is now expected to visit the city of in russia's far eastern region. he's expected to tour factories that manufacture aircraft including fighter jets for russia's air force. well, those agreements are just one of many issues facing japan's new foreign minister. it was comkawa yoko's first day

in the role thursday. she's japan's first foreign minister in almost 20 years. the handover ceremony was held on thursday. she's a graduate of the university of tokyo and later got her masters at harvard university. she went onto serve in several key roles including justice minister. she signed the 2018 orders to execute 13 men believed to be responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the tokyo subway. also known as an expert in international policy. international media including this south korean newspaper said her appointment shows kishida's commitment to improving ties. speaking to reporters, she said japan as a leader of the g7 has a role to play leading the

international community. >> translator: as we live in unprecedented times, it's necessary to strive for ideals that won't be lost in the shuffle. we need to pursue diplomacy looking at both the immediate issues and the long-term. >> she'll have a lot on her plate including russia's ongoing invasion of ukraine and china suspending japanese seafood imports. the move was in response to the treated and diluted water released from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. she'll kick off her first official trip as japan's top diplomat next week when she goes to new york to attend the united nations general assembly. a female former member of japan's ground self-defense force has been chosen by u.s. magazine time for its list of 100 rising stars. she went public about suffering sexual abuse by multiple male colleagues in her unit.

times selected her for the advocates category. the magazine says her move pushed officials to launch a larger investigation into harassment within the forces and prompted other women to come forward. it says her courage has kicked the door open for all survivors. she said in a statement that she's grateful that her actions for won recognition and that will empower her to carry on. another japanese woman also made the list. she was chosen for the leaders category. she was born in japan to parents from china's autonomous region. in april she won a seat in the lower house of japan's diet. the magazine says the 34-year-old is a champion of diversity in japan and marks a sharp break from her peers who are mostly older males. japan's imperial household

agency says prince hisahito is resting after testing positive for covid-19. prince hisahito is 17. he's the nephew of the emperor and second in line to the throne after his father. agency officials say he had a fever wednesday after school, took an antigen test and was negative. they say he tested positive on thursday and will rest through monday. his parents, crown prince and princess hasihino have tested negative. now to the devastating floods in libya. local media report more than 5,000 people are dead with thousands more missing. authorities say they're struggling to grasp the scope of the damage. derna is one of the hardest hit

cities. heavy rain caused two nearby dams to collapse flooding the surrounding area. one local resident told nhk the floodwater rose up to the sixth floor of his apartment. >> translator: all the buildings of 2 or 3 kilometers were washed away into the sea. there aren't enough medical or rescue workers. we want them to come as soon as possible. >> the united nations estimates more than 30,000 people lost their homes, about 15% of the city's population. u.n. officials say thousands more have been displaced in nearby cities. medical and relief supplies are coming in, but destroyed or flooded roads makes access difficult. the political situation is also complicating relief efforts. an internationally recognized government is based in the western city of tripoli, but

another administration controls the east including derna. japanese defense officials say they've confirmed that the chinese aircraft carrier was operating in the pacific ocean near japan's southern prefecture of okinawa. they observed fighter jets and helicopters taking off from and landing on its flight deck. defense ministry official say six chinese navy vessels including the shangdong were seen 650 kilometers south of the island early on wednesday. it's the second time since april that ministry officials have confirmed fighter jets operating from china's first domestically built aircraft carrier. they say the aircraft did not enter japanese airspace, and no self-defense jets were scrambled. taiwan's defense ministry announced on wednesday that

chinese fighter jets conducted joint air and sea exercises with it. meanwhile, taiwan's defense ministry has unveiled a series of domestically developed drones and other advanced weapons ahead of a military trade show's public opening. viewed 11 types of military drones wednesday in taipei. the previewed arms included vehicles equipped to launch multiple drones. officials say the aircraft are still being developed and can execute precise attacks. one unmanned aerial vehicle being shown is capable of vertical take off and landing and optimized for closer surveillance. these can be flown from install vessels. the surveillance drones can flyover 20 hours across an area with a radius of 1,100

kilometers. they workday or night. mass production is to begin shortly. the trade show comes as taiwan's president tsai ing-wen has pledged to support asymmetric military capabilities. the stai administration aims to produce more weapons at home and to reduce its reliance on buying them in the u.s. taekwondo is under going a transformation. korea's national sport leapt onto the world stage after it was officially added to the 2000 sydney olympics. but recently taekwondo's home country has been losing interest in the traditional form of the sport. more on some of the new moves on this ancient martial art.

>> reporter: this is not your grandparent's taekwondo but flashy, full of action, and designed to make taekwondo appealing to a new generation. in olympic taekwondo, hits are recorded by electronic censors. the player with the highest number of hits is the winner. opponents are rarely knocked down. even here in the home of the sport, it can seem a bit dull. >> translator: compared to combat sports, taekwondo has a boring image because it is focused on scoring points. >> reporter: he has been practicing taekwondo since he was 9. he wants to go to the olympics himself one day.

>> translator: people say taekwondo matches are not spectacular or interesting. they say it looks like competitors are playing with their feet. >> reporter: ratings have suffered as a result. taekwondo was not even among the top ten most watched sports in south korea in either of the past two olympics. so the sports officials decided on some radical changes. >> translator: being entertaining hasn't always been a priority for sport, but we want to change taekwondo to make it more popular. >> reporter: this version of taekwondo is part martial art, part video game with sound effects and graphics and an arena structure that allows competitors to make some spectacular moves. competing for the first time in

the new style taekwondo, the olympic hopeful beat three competitors to win gold in his class. >> translator: i'm glad to see people enjoying the matches. i hope the new match style will catch on globally. >> reporter: besides being more high energy, it's also visually easier for spectators to follow the scoring. >> translator: it definitely has entertainment appeal. i think the new matches will be more fun for ordinary people. >> reporter: and there are other changes as well. away from the stiff indoor stadium and uniforms, athletes are in an outdoor arena with more casual attire showing off their colorful skills. here athletes turn defense and attack motions into artistic

movement. taekwondo is also maximizing the acrobatic nature of another discipline all in an attempt to make the sport more attractive to the public. the ancient art of taekwondo now changing with the time and moving into the future. kim chan-ju, nhk world. . >> some amazing move. now it's time for a check on the weather. people in parts of japan have been facing torrential rainfall on thursday. our meteorologist has the forecast. >> heavy downpours have hit western japan thursday morning. rainfall exceeded 70 millimeters

in just an hour in several places in nagasaki prefecture. it caused disruptions for these areas. heavy rain hit parts of nagasaki prefecture causing flooding and landslides. it caused some street closures, and locals were ordered to evacuate. the water cascaded down stairs, turning them into water falls. power outages were also reported during the morning. unfortunately, the condition is not expected to improve. rain will hit western japan again and also thursday night. flash flooding and landslides are the concern. this is due to a long stretching storm system across japan into china. up to 150 millimeters of rainfall is possible by friday afternoon in south eastern china. thunder showers are in the forecast for hong kong and

shanghai. in tokyo you might see sunny skies in the morning, however isolated afternoon showers are possible, so please take an umbrella with you. meanwhile, in north america people along the eastern sea board are finally seeing sunny skies into thursday. an active frontal system is now moving away, and a huge high pressure is dominating the eastern half of the continent. but we have to monitor a system in the atlantic. hurricane lee is expected to approach the eastern u.s. and canadian border during the weekend, so stormy conditions and storm surge flooding are possible from massachusetts into nova scotia from friday, so please be prepared for now. that's all for me. stay safe.

and before we go, a bell symbolizing world peace and donated by japan was rung at annual ceremony at the united

nations. the ceremony on wednesday was held ahead of next week's general debate when world leaders gather and speak on topics of importance. secretary-general antonio guterres reiterated his resolve to pursue global peace. >> mr. president, this is the most fundamental job we have, and it is not solely the responsibility of governments or presidents. this is a job that belongs to each and every one of us. >> the peace bell was donated by japanese peace activist nakagawa chioji in 1954. it was cast from coins giving by u.n. member states. guterres pointed out other challenges that need to be

tackled. and that's all for nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo. thanks for watching and do stay with us for more. ♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm gene otani. japan airlines is using a sustainable aviation fuel or saf on one of its international flights during a week-long trial. saf accounts for 11% of the fuel on a flight from tokyo's haneda airport to new york city. the trial started on thursday. the carrier's goal is for saf to

make up 1% of the fuel burned on all its flights by 2025. the ratio is slated to rise to 10% by 2030. >> translator: naturally it is important to devise daily operations and update equipment, but it is essential to make the fuel a sustainable one such as saf in order to achieve carbon neutrality. >> saf is made from plants and waste oil. it can reduce co2 emissions by up to 80% compared to a conventional -- compared to conventional jet fuels. the japanese government wants saf to account for 10% of the fuel used at the country's airports by 2030. electric vehicles are in the spotlight at this year's motor show in detroit. and thanks to government tax incentives, visitors are showing keen interest in the latest battery driven models. the north american international

auto show kicked off on wednesday. more than 30 brands are vying for attention. general motors and ford are putting electric pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles front and center. japanese auto makers are in the mix as well with toyota motors showcasing electric suvs. auto makers are ramping up investment as ev sales begin to take off in the u.s. market. helping to fuel that trend is a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for ev buyers. vehicles that identify for the discount have to meet certain requirements. one of the conditions is that battery components are assembled in north america. the surging interest in electric vehicles have sparked the growth of related industries. more than 800 companies are taking part in the battery shown north america which opened in a detroit suburb on tuesday. mazda motor has started taking orders from its customers

in japan of a plug-in hybrid version of the mx30, which uses a rotary engine. the japanese auto maker has restarted the unit after it was pending 11 years ago. the rotary engine has a triangular engine that spins instead of pistons moving up and down. it can generate high power relative to its size. mazda was the first car maker in the world to successfully commercialize the motors, but they were less fuel efficient than their piston counter parts. the car maker says the new engine is lighter than the old models and that it makes the most of its ability of becoming fuel efficient when the rotor spins constantly at high-speed. the engine will only be used to generate extra electricity for the car's main motor. its battery can also be charged

at home. >> translator: as society has shift today the electrification of vehicles, we need to develop our already existing technologies and brands. we want to step up one step at a time. >> he said it is important for mazda to provide its customers with many choices. the auto maker is aiming to electrify its entire line-up by 2030. japanese companies are offering cash incentives to encourage more male workers to take child care leave. japan's largest brokerage nomura securities says it'll offer special allowances to all employees who take child care leave of one month or longer starting next month. the amount of compensation will be equivalent to 10% of their annual basic wage. the company says only 12% of its male workers took time off to look after newborns in the last fiscal year. many opted for a five-day paid leave to minimize the impact on their paychecks and jobs.

>> translator: we want to promote the growth and life skills of our employees through child care leave. we believe it's very important for them to take longer-term leave, more than a month. >> property company diwa lease expanded its system in april to reward workers taking time off to take care of their children. male employees are eligible for allowances of up to 1 million yen or $6,800 depending on the duration of their leave. the benefit also applies to female workers whose husbands take time off to look after their children. a survey by japan's health ministry found that 17% of eligible working men took child care leave in the last fiscal year. that figure is only about a third of the government's goal of 50% by 2025.

a tropical climate and distinctive culture make okinawa a popular destination for tourists in japan. officials in the southern prefecture are urging visitors to be careful of a local dish. they say a rising number of people with peanut allergies are ending up at the hospital. the dish is called jimami tofu. jimami means peanuts in the o okinawa dialect. it issued a warning this month. it informs visitors jimami tofu can cause allergic reactions and making eating establishments make customers aware it's made from peanuts not soybeans. it's used in a variety of dishes and foods in okinawa. children with allergies needs to

be especially careful, and he warns that a serious reaction can be fatal. tourism in japan is on the path to recovery after the pandemic, but many businesses are still struggling to attract tourists. we explore how one hot spring town is trying to change this by helping local hotels and shops renovate their facilities. yogawara is a famous hot spring town just outside tokyo. it's famously featured in japan's oldest surviving book of poetry. this inn founded in 1885, reopened in july after undergoing major renovations. he owns the inn which has been operating in the red in recent years. >> translator: we're $600,000

u.s. dollars in debt. >> reporter: for a long time the inn could only make minimal capital investments due to declining sales, which led to a continual drop in guests. tourism here has dropped 50% over the past 30 years, and several inns have closed. with the community's survival at stake, the local government is leading revitalization efforts. local officials are helping businesses make large scale renovations using national tourism agency subsidies. >> translator: the deterioration of the town is not good for future planning. >> reporter: with support from town officials and advisers, he embarked on major renovations at the inn. >> translator: i'm happy to see

our inn reborn as a modern facility. >> reporter: about 30 local inns and shops have renovated their facilities, and the entire town has been transformed. the refurbished venues have also joined forces to create a walking tour of the town. participants visited a century old inn wone of four official national cultural properties in yogawa. they also quenched their thirst. this bar sells local craft beers. it used to be a souvenir shop. >> translator: these new elements mix well with its traditional charms. >> translator: let's revitalize the whole town. please visit yugawara. >> reporter: more inns and shops

are now undergoing renovations, and a wave of optimism is sweeping this historic hot spring town. all right. and from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene otani. thanks very much for being with us.

♪ >> divided and embroiled in a civil war. libya is hit by devastating floods. thousands are dead and thousands more missing. how will the country deal with this disaster? how are political rivalries affecting it? this is inside story. ♪ hello and welcome to the program. a state of emergency in eastern libya. floods have killed thousands of people and left others unaccounted for.