hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo with the latest at this hour. we begin in oslo where the norwegian nobel community has named an iranian human rights advocate as this year's winner of the nobel peace prize. >> the nobel peace prize for

2023 to marges mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. >> the selection committee said she's a freedom fighter whose struggle has come with personal cost. she's been senanced to a total of 31 years behind bars and 154 lashes in prison. it said their motto of women-like freedom expresses her dedication and work. former u.s. president donald trump reportedly shared classified information about u.s. nuclear submarines with an australian businessman in april

2021. that was after he left the white house. a report on u.s. television network abc on thursday quoted sources as saying the former president may have revealed the information during a meeting at his mar-a-lago estate in florida. trump allegedly mentioned the supposed number of nuclear war heads u.s. submarines routinely carry. the report says he also revealed how close the vessels can get to russian submarines without being detected. abc news reported u.s. authorities have interviewed the businessmen. trump's spokesperson says he's always acted in accordance with the law. the former president was indicted in june for illegally retaining documents at his home after leaving office. these were alleged to include some with highly classified information. trump has announced his candidacy for a second presidential term in the 2024 election. now, the current administration of president joe biden says it'll permit additional border barriers to be built along the u.s.-mexico border.

trump had pushed for the wall to prevent illegal entries, but biden halted construction soon after taking office. >> border wall money was appropriated for the border wall. i tried to get them to re-appropriate it, to redirect that money. and in the meantime there's nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated. i can't stop that. >> the department of homeland security said on thursday the administration will waive federal laws restricting construction of the wall near the border in some areas of the southern state of texas. more than 245,000 illegal entries were reported in the region from october last year to early august. the announcement makes a major policy shift for biden who promised to suspend the border construction in 2021. trump's push for the wall was seen as a signature policy. the former president stated on his truth social media platform biden's decision proves he was

right. electronics firm fujitsu and riken research institute say they've succeeded in developing japan's second quantum computer. quantum computing applies phenomena specific to quanta including protons and electrons to calculate to super computers. if successfully applied the technology is set to have great promise for society. riken haub using the first quantum computer since march. the second one has calculation capabilities. developers envision a system combining quantum technology with conventional compewters being used in various fields such as finance and drug development. >> this is the first step for our users to create a better society while we throw around various new ideas. >> the team plans to improve the performance of the quantum bit

chip which is an essential element in quantum computing. it aims to speed up its development for practical applications for related hardware and software. next, taiwan's vice president has spoken to nhk in an exclusive interview. he's the front-runner in taiwan's presidential election scheduled for january lai urged the international community to unite to deter a chinese invasion. >> translator: if the international community only looks at china's market and overlooks the danger it poses unity among the international community will break apart and the possibility of a chinese invasion will grow. >> this was lai's first interview with japanese media since becoming the ruling democratic progressive party's candidate for the presidency. he said if taiwan is invaded, japan will be the next to suffer a huge impact. he called for cooperation in every way possible.

>> translator: protecting peace and stability in the indo-pacific is the responsibility of the whole world. in fact, i think, the countries that play the most critical role are first taiwan and secondly japan because we are the closest to china's threats. >> lai said he was willing to resume official communication between taiwan and china, but he str stressed china's claim taiwan is part of its territory is unacceptable. >> translator: taiwan cannot say it will cede sovereignty just because we negotiate with china. once we lose sovereignty the political system would collapse and taiwan would become just like hong kong and macao. >> the next generation of

taiwanese people can enjoy freedom and human rights. and for more james tengon earlier spoke with taipei's bureau chief. >> so what's your impression of lai's comments? >> well, it may seem that lai is taking a tough stance against china, but i think he has tried to tread very carefully regarding ties with beijing. he said it's crucial for democratic nations to have a united front to deter china's military aggression. he stressed all his efforts are aimed at avoiding war. lai once said he would be a pragmatic -- for taiwan's independence. but lai has been very cautious

and he has avoided such remarks since becoming vice president in 2020. his interview also reflected his sensitive approach in convincing the international community that he would not stop tensions with beijing. >> are there any signals in his interview saying that lai will restore the relationship with beijing once he's president? >> well, i believe it will be a very difficult task for him to resume dialogue with beijing. china's leaders has been refusing official contact with taiwan since president tsai ing-wen took office in 2016. that's because she doesn't acknowledge beijing's one china principle. and lai made it clear he can't accept beijing's narrative as a precondition for talks. beijing also can't afford to make concessions on this point, so it wouldn't change the cost. >> what do you think will be key

in gaining voter support in the runup to the presidential election? >> surely china is the biggest ticking point. recent support shows lai of the ruling dpp with a more than 30% support rate, but analysts say they still look for the opposition camps to cooperate for a change of government. they argue that if the dpp remains in power, the risk of an armed conflict with china will increase, and they say they can focus more on strengthening economic ties with beijing. but remember chinese president xi jinping has pledged to never announce the use of force to unify taiwan and say they believe china could invade by 2027. lai repeatedly stressed that taiwan should improve its defense capabilities with partners like the united states. and that would prevent china

from waging war. taiwanese borders are very careful about keeping a sensitive distance from beijing. and they're closely watching whether lai can strike a balance to protect the status quo in the taiwan strait without provoking china. >> now, china is tightening its control following the sweeping national security three years ago, many book sellers in hong kong have been feeling the pressure. as we've seen in our next report some have now discovered a haven in taiwan. >> who moved here from hong kong last year, is the owner of a bookstore in taipei. she set it up to provide a place for people to explore ideas amid growing restrictions on speech in china. >> translator: what i hope is that this bookstore will be a place where people from taiwan and others outside can interact.

we want to see a world that is not in opposition of someone but rather a world that is free and rich in diversity. >> works displayed include those critical of beijing which is virtually impossible to publish in mainland china and hong kong. she was born in china's zhangzu province became a reporter for a pro-democracy news outlet there. but following the national security law for hong kong three years ago, she came under pressure from authorities. >> translator: today's hong kong may be tomorrow's taiwan. we have actually lost our freedom. freedom of speech needs to be practiced continuously in our daily lives. >> even in taiwan where there's freedom of speech, the reality is harsh.

lan wen key has been running this store in taipei for the past three years. for two decades he also ran a famous bookshop in hong kong that carried publications critical of china, but authorities detained him eight years ago. eventually he closed down. just as he was about to reopen his bookstore in his adopted city, taipei, he was assaulted with spray paint. since opening his doors he has received defamatory e-mails. >> translator: having opposite opinions can't be helped, but violence is not acceptable. >> despite intimidation, lam keeps on sending books to readers in mainland china. and he alsorom hong kong. >> this story was really famous

in hong kong, so i wanted to come and purchase it because i know it's in taiwan. >> translator: i think they're encouraging me with the hope that i will keep the bookstore open. of course i also hope to continue. >> the path may not be easy, but hong kongers are determine today carry on their fight for freedom out of taiwan. >> nhk has learned the controversial religious group formerly known as the reunification church has sent a rebuttal to a tokyo court. it's against the japanese government's request to fine the group for failing to answer questions. the culture ministry has been investigated the group's alleged questionable marketing practices and solicitations of large donations from its followers. the group was pulled into the spotlight after the fatal shooting of former prime

minister abe shinzo last. the suspect told investigators he believe abe had close tie tuesday the group. the suspect's mother made large donations to it, and he claimed this ruined his family financially. the ministry says it exercises legal authority to question the group about operations on several occasions. it said the group had refused to respond to more than a hundred questions out of about 500. the ministry can ask the courts to dissolve religious corporations that violate the law and harm public warfare. last month the ministry requested the tokyo district court fine the group. the court then asked the group to submit its opinion on the matter. sources say the group sent a letter to the court on friday. the group said in the document the authority for it to be questioned is based on a law stipulating the court may order disallusion of a religious corporation when it commits an illegal act. the group claims that such an act refers to a criminal offense

and not civil law violation. the letter goes onto say senior members not committed criminal offenses in their work for the group, so questioning them is unlawful. the government has said illegal acts in this context include civil cases. it's making final arrangements to seek a court order for disbanding the group as a religious corporation. in other news, japan's immigration authorities will stop accepting technical trainees from three cambodian organizations. they say too many of them have fled their japanese workplaces. >> translator: this is a big problem that threatens the existence of the program. it will stop functioning if more and more trainees go missing. we need to firmly address this. >> the suspension will last for at least six months from the end of november. the trainees are part of a program bringing people from developing countries to japan to learn new skills and technological expertise.

as of last december there were about 325,000 of them. some have been forced by employers to work long hours for illegally low wages. last year just over 9,000 fled their workplaces, which is the second highest on record. the latest move is not the first time authorities have temporarily disqualified organizations over escaping trainees. several vietnamese organizations were also suspended in 2021. a government panel had called for the creation of a new system to make it ease for foreign nationals to stay and work in japan. and now here's a three-day outlook on the weather for selected cities around the globe.

that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. coming up next is "newsline biz" with ramin mellegard, so don't

go away. ♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm ramin mellegard. now, japan's seafood exports to china fell sharply in august. the drop was due to beijing's restrictions which were implemented over the release of treated and diluted water from the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. the japanese fisheries ministry says shipments for the month fell to 3.6 billion or about $24

million. that's down 6.6% from a year earlier. exerts ports of key items such as scalps and sea cucumbers plunged. china suspended imports of japanese seafood in august 24. before the water's discharged into the sea it is diluted to reduce tritium levels to about one-seventh of the world health organization's guidelines for drinking water. china is the largest importer of japanese seafood. tokyo's planning to seek alternative export destinations to lessen the blow. now, japan's real wages fell in august for the 17th straight month as inflation continued to outpace pay gains. preliminary figures from the labor ministry show that inflation adjusted wages dropped 2.5% from the same month a year ago. the number comes from a survey of more than 30,000 businesses

nationwide. workers in august earned an average of 282,700 yen or about $1,900 including overtime. that's a gain of 1% from a year earlier climbing for the 20th straight month, but the increase couldn't keep up with rising consumer prices. now, the situation is prompting people in japan to cut back on expenses. household spending fell in august for the sixth month in a row. the internal affairs ministry says households of two or more people spent about 293,000 yen or about $1,980 on average. that's down 2.5% from a year earlier adjusted for inflation. now, expanding on supplementary education such as tram schools drop by 20%. the japanese government says it

will immediately resume a coupon program that provides working parents with discounts on baby-sitting services. >> translator: some families with children may have difficulties in their daily lives. it's important to dispel these concerns. >> the announcement on friday reverses an earlier decision to halt the program. the children and family agency previously said it had hit its annual quota of 390,000 coupons. it says its decision to resume the program is in response to request from parents for the coupons to be made available again. now, each one provides a discount of 2,200 yen or roughly $15. parents are entitled to two per child per day. people eligible for the program are workers at any firm covered by employees pension insurance. the number of users has been rising. the agency attributes the surge

to an increase in the number of double income families. and japan and ukraine have agreed to setup regular dialogue on how to revitalize ukraine's war damaged farming sector. the governments plan to hold their first discussion online as early as the end of this month. the director general level officials will review details of future support. the japanese official will come from the agriculture and foreign ministries. the ukrainian side will be made up of officials from the agrarian policy and food ministry. they plan to have regular meetings under the framework covering such issues as technological cooperation and providing ukraine with machinery. ukraine has been a major producer of wheat and corn, but a great deal of its farmland has been damaged due to russia's invasion. the conflict has led to soaring food prices around the world. the international community faces challenges rebuilding ukraine's agriculture.

now, tokyo's set to get a new theme park next spring that aims to be the first of its kind. it'll offer what's known as an immersive entertainment where visitors are cast as central characters in a story. >> translator: it will be the first theme park in the world to offer immersive entertainment on such a large scale. >> the park will have 12 atracks that make customers integral parts of different stories. the main draw will be an experienced display called immersive theater where visitors become witnesses in a murder mystery. the action will take place in a massive facility on tokyo's waterfront with 30,000 square meters of floor space. it'll also feature restaurants and souvenir shops. okay, now next nhk world's john ladue is here with "biz

picks." >> every friday we bring you the latest in business with "biz picks." first a wrap of the markets this week. the nikkei average closed at 30,994 on friday. for the week, it lost 2.7%. now, looking back the index has been subdued since last week, way down by high u.s. interest rates. we did see a short-lived bump on thursday, but traders were cautious ahead of u.s. jobs data due out later on friday. now, a look at the week ahead. the new laureates of the nobel prize in economic sciences will be announced on monday. and on wednesday japan will launch its first market for trading carbon diox aid emissions in the tokyo stock exchange. the move is part of efforts to achieve a carbon neutral society by 2050. so for this week's biz pick feature we look at one way to push companies to cut greenhouse

gas emissions. about 190 businesses and other groups will be able to buy and sell carbon emission credits certified by the government like shares and bonds. now, let's say company "a" has managed to cut its carbon emissions beyond its target via renewable energy and tree planting, it can then sell the surplus on the tse. but company "b" is struggling to reach its emissions targets. by purchasing company a's carbon print it can offset its emissions equal to the amount purchased. company "a" can then invest proceed in the environmental field. in japan carbon trade was mainly between companies, but it was difficult to find sellings or buyers or determine the right price. one expert in carbon credit says opening the market will promote price transparency. >> translator: as market trading begins, trading volumes and

prices will be publicized today. it will then be easier to assess whether prices are reasonable. contract prices enable quicker transactions. this should help jump start the carbon trade. >> tse officials estimate annual trading volume of the credit at more than 500,000 tons, worth around 1 billion yen or $6.7 million. by participating in carbon trade, businesses can show investors they are taking concrete steps to reduce their carbon footprint. but the analyst says the carbon credit market won't expand by voluntary efforts alone. >> translator: in japan companies are under no obligations to cut emissions, so carbon credits cannot be relied on. as a result the market has been slow to develop, but more countries especially in europe are requiring large firms to lower emissions. i think the government needs to follow suit and adopt a firm

stance for the market to expand. >> she also stresses carbon credit trading should be seen as a last resort, not a comprehensive solution. in short, companies shouldn't depend on the system. they must be proactive in eliminating carbon emissions in their own business activities. i'm john ladue, and that was this weeks "biz picks." okay, let's get a check on the markets.

that's it for "newsline biz" from tokyo. i'm ramin mellegard. thank you very much for watching.

>> journalist detained in police raids in india, the government says it wants to counter chinese influence. media rights group says it is furthering repression, so how free is india's media and what pressures do journalists face there? this is inside story.