welcome back to "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. badminton athletes struggle and they are gaining notoriety for something they never hoped for. one team each from china and indonesia and two from south korea played poorly in qualifying matches. believed they were trying to

face easier opponents in future matches. chinese players, are world champions and they were the gold medal favorites. members of the federation disciplinary panel said they did not use their best efforts to play the match. they said this is detrimental to the sport. they will be replaced with pairs from russia, canada, australia and south africa. u.s. defense secretary leon panetta is asking leaders to be patient over iran. the israelis argue sanctions have failed to persuade them to change course on their nuclear program and they warn a time for a peaceful solution is running out. panetta met with ehud barak. the israeli defense minister. panetta insisted that u.s. and european sanctions are having an impact on iran and all non-military measures should be exhausted before turning to a military option. panetta told benjamin netanyahu

that u.s. officials are committed to resolving iran's nuclear issue. >> we will not allow them to develop a nuclear weapon. and we will exert all options in the effort to ensure that that does not happen. >> netanyahu said that sanctions have hurt iran's economy but he said they have had no impact on the nuclear program. he suggested that israeli patience was wearing thin. president bashar al-assad has told his troops that their battle against opposition forces will determine the fate of syria. his written message gave no clues to his whereabouts. assad has not spoken in public since the bomb in damascus last month killed three of his security aides. assad issued the statement in a military magazine on wednesday. the founding day of the syrian army. he said the rebels are terrorists plotting the country's fall. [ explosion ]

troops loyal to assad are fierce fighting and it continues in the city of aleppo. u.n. observers have confirmed the military is using war planes to fire on the rebels and the opposition has tanks and heavy weapons. internet video suggests that the rebels have carried out summary executions. one member of the syrian army is killing fighters of a pro-assad militia. toyota motor is voluntarily recalling about 880,000 vehicles in the united states and canada. the auto maker announced its decision to the relevant transportation authorities on wednesday. affected models in the u.s. and canada, rav 4 sports utility vehicle from 2006 to 2011, and the 2010 lexus-hs, hybrid sedan. the japanese automaker says the

nuts on the rear suspension of the vehicles were not tightened properly during assembly. this could cause the parts to loosen and separate and destabilize driving. toyota is calling for immediate inspection of the vehicles for all affected owners. the firm will enforce quality control to make sure the correct process is followed on the assembly line and prevent recurrence of these incidents. >> the fed will keep interest rates at record low levels until 2014. between 0 and 1/4%. their statement said the recovery has slowed with weaker growth in jobs and consumer spending. and warned that debt fears in europe pose significant risks to the u.s. economy and the recovery will continue at a moderate pace for the time being. the policymakers said they would

take further steps itf necessar. economists haveeen busy reading through the statement, fed governors seem ready to act. >> the biggest change is they are saying the economies are very surprising. usually central banks has an optimistic view even if they fear the economy is not so strong. but this time, they clearly demonstrate this means they have a stronger will to move on the easing. another important point of statement, they are saying they will closely monitor. that means they have a strong will even if they will not have a regular meeting. >> suzuki says the fed's next step is likely to be a third round of quantitative easing. >> further action will be a

so-called qe 3. they will purchase securities, including agency bonds. so, we are seeing some very low interest rates in the u.s. treasuries. consequently, they will move to another security. >> suzuki points out the last chance for the fed to take action could be the next meeting in september. the u.s. presidential election is scheduled in november. >> now u.s. economy is on the brink of recession. election day is 6th of november. consequently, this tight schedule. i think september is most likely to adoptew policy. ities and towns across the u.s. are adding up, contributing to the slowdown. stockton, california, might

provide some lessons. in june it became the largest american city to file for bankruptcy. nhk world's correspondent has the view from there. nhk world's regina bediako has the view from there. >> reporter: stockton enjoyed a construction boom a decade ago when san francisco commuters came to build homes. it was a suburban sprawl with the population of 300,000. >> order! >> it's a sad day in the city of stockton. none of us would ever have imagined that we would be sitting here talking about filing chapter 9. >> reporter: the city declared itself bankrupt in june with $300 million of debt. >> you failed. you failed this city and you failed all of these people. >> reporter: stockton is a victim of a 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing economic slump. the city's jobless rate has hovered near 15%.

while housing prices have dropped to half of peak levels. this house is currently in foreclosure as we can see from this sign. the owner could not pay the mortgage, so the bank took the house back and is now selling it. four years after the start of the recession, foreclosures are continuing to add up in the city of stockton. the bursting of the housing bubble hit the coffers hard. property related tax revenues plunged by as much as 30%. >> we have worked very hard to avoid this situation we're in. we had no other choice. we were running out of cash. >> reporter: the impact of the fiscal emergency has been broad and deep. city hall has cut 50% of the employees affecting libraries and other public services. even the police force was cut by 25%.

inviting the unwanted consequence of rising crime. medical insurance for retired city employees was also eliminated. for people like 59-year-old al seibel, this was a severe blow. al needs to treat a heart condition and without insurance, he now has to pay more than $1,100 per month out of an annual pension of about $25,000. that's a heavy burden for al and his wife who still have a mortgage to pay. >> i expected better with my years of service and the commitment i made to the city. i lived here all my life. i didn't ever dream they would treat us this way. >> reporter: the crisis on wall street four years ago is now hurting local economies affecting the lives of ordinary

men and women. regina bediako, nhk world, stockton, california. another city has become the third in california to go bankrupt in the past two months. san bernardino has suffered from the housing crisis just like stockton and monmouth lakes. japanese researchers identified a substance used to treat als, lou gehrig's disease, als causes deterioration of the muscles. researchers from kyoto university deaf upped stveloped, to produce motor nerves that convey stimuli from the brain to the muscles. they discovered nerves of asl

patients overproduce protein, and shorns protrusions and hampers stimuli from the brain. the team identified a substance, that is highly effective in suppressing this spa sievf sps spa sievic protein. >> translator: we have to test this quickly and carefully as possible the effectiveness of the acid on the motor nerve of patients. we have to determine if this process is safe. developing drugs to treat als has been a challenge for researchers until now because of difficulties in replicating the patient's condition. u.s. defense officials are asking congress for help in transferring a group of u.s. marines, excited to move from japan's okinawa to their island of guam.

he said the pentagon will continue to build up guam as a strategic hub in the western pacific. he said congressional support is essential to demonstrate to the region that the u.s. has the a credible plan. the u.s. senate armed services committee reject aid ed a reque main to help pay for transfer. if congress does not help, that could complicate plans to relocate the u.s. marine corps air station in okinawa. survivors of the atomic bombings in hiroshima and nagasaki have fought that others will remember what they went through. u.s. officials responded to a call to preserve the testimony of survivors. subtitles are available in english, arabic, chinese and eight other languages.

only those who witnessed the devastation after the bombings can understand the evil off t atomic weapons. >> translator: there are no atomic bomb survivors around me because i am now 90 years old. i feel the need to tell my story to young people so that future generations will not forget. >> u.n. officials in charge of the project say they hope it will help create a world free of nuclear weapons. now that summer has arrived in south korea, sun bathers and swimmers are crowding the beaches. a lot of koreans are swarming to one in the southern parts of the country because this offers new and innovative attraction. nhk world's anna jung reports.

>> reporter: last year more than 10 million people visited. over the last weekend, 500,000 visitors showed up as you can see the weather is very sunny and hot, so there are a lot of people at the beach. this year, the beach be cape the first place in the country to install a new technological service. everybody is talking about it. and this service allows visitors to get whatever they need without carrying cash. first, guests use this tch scre -- touch screen on a vending machine to select how much money they want for the day. after they have paid with a credit card, a machine produces a wristband. and now, it comes, comes loaded

with the equivalent amount of money the customer paid the machine. now, when the customer rents or buys something, the vendor scans this small code on the wristband. and let's try it now. every beach, every year the beach -- the beach gets so crowded and it is a hassle trying to rent an inner tube or parasol. but when you have this wristband -- the entire process takes five seconds. and, there is no waiting time. and payment is easy. and now, let's go and talk to one of the users. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: he says there is no need to carry cash so it is

very convenient and nice. >> reporter: thank you. customers can also use their smartphones to download and sveh the codes now. they can get services with their phone instead of the wristband. what is the ultimate goal of a service like this? the local government employees first developed it in partnership with a product corporation last year. they thought more customers would be attracted by the convenience. it's worked. and profits are up 150% over the same time last year. the system reduces problems, and visitors can get more enjoyment out of their visit to the beach. >> translator: vendors might cheat the customers. but in my opinion, this system

will help prevent that. this new setup also helps most children reunite with their family members. parents cell phone numbers are entered into the child's code. >> translator: i think it is a great system because parents worry about losing their children in such large crowds. >> reporter: some people find the technology too hard to navigate. so the beach hires students to show how the machines operate. >> we hope that our city will be known worldwide as a great spot for a beach vacation. >> now i am going to try to buy something with this wristband. [ speaking foreign language ]

beach-goers can use many services with this system. and the company that, that developed it, plans to bring it to the ski slopes this winter. this new ip service makes vacations more convenient and it is creating a lot of buzz. anna jung, nhk world. >> all right. summers in tokyo have residents switching on the air conditioners. wi government push to save energy, some have found ways to beat the heat without electrici electricity. nhk world's rina nakano explains. >> reporter: suzuki has been living in a riverfront home for more than 60 years. it did not come with an air conditioner, not even a fan. she says her summers have always been quite cool. >> translator: i have not turned on the ac once this ye because i haven't felt the need to do so.

>> reporter: suzuki instead uses japanese methods to keep her home at a comfortable temperature. she plants morning glory flowers outside her window. she hangs bamboo blinds which create shade without blocking the breeze. studies show 70% of the home's heat comes through the windows. her plants block almost half of that. suzuki also grows greenery at the entrance of her home. but she doesn't just water the plants. she also pours water straight on to the ground. the japanese cooling method dates back hundreds of years. she says everything makes a difference. >> it lowers the temperature by two to three degrees and lately we're in the 30s. so three degrees makes a big difference.

>> reporter: suzuki is not the only one adopting the ancient customs. home improvement stores in japan have recently seen a jump in sales of traditional cooling products. >> translator: our customers want to conserve energy so they think how can we do that? many of them are rediscovering old techniques. >> reporter: some people who live in houses are looking back at history for inspiration on staying cool and saving energy. but a few apartment dwellers are looking ahead. they are picking up on a new idea that is quickly turning into a trend. garden designer theodore jennings has taken outdoor greening to the next level. he says veranda remodelling is a growing trend in apartment-saturated cities. >> what i'm trying to do is take a bit of new york and europe and

other parts of the world that have the outdoor living culture and bring it to japan and educate japanese people that it is a good thing to live outside. >> reporter: jennings said originally the main focus was design. after the accident at fukushima daiichi triggered energy shortages, he started thinking about conservation. that caught his attention. this is what fukumori's veranda looked like last summer. an empty pace with burning hot concrete that he only used to hang laundry. after a little sprucing up. it now looks like this. equipped with a wooden deck, small plantars and outdoor dining area. the idea is the same as traditional japanese methods. only it is done in a modern way.

the deck absorbs much less heat than the bare concrete. watering the plants cools down the space. it decreases the need for air conditioning. fukumori says he is seeing a difference in electricity bills and he has a new found appreciation for the outdoors. >> translator: before i did not even want to be near my veranda. now i try to spend time out here. any chance i get. >> reporter: whether it is sprucing up your home with a total makeover, or relying on ancient methods, both have found what works for them. energy saving outdoor solutions to keep them cool indoors. rina nakano, nhk world, tokyo. >> we could use it for an extremely hot day in tokyo. residents of taiwan's islands are dealing with the effects of a storm. here is rachel ferguson with the

details of that and more in her world weather forecast. >> hi, yes, we have two potent storms moving through the western pacific right now. saola has been influencing an area through taiwan, the northern philippines as well as southern okinawa over several days. remember earlier in the week it brought devastating flooding to the northern philippines. we also have some video showing you what has been happening in southern okinawa. this is islands, ishigaki islands, 280 millimeters of rain, and gusts over 160 kilometers an hour. although the rain has eased. there will be, a few showers persisting into tomorrow. the main thing is going to be the waves which could top 11 meters today and remain high into tomorrow. but let's pull back and see what is happening in taiwan. that's where the heaviest s of the rain has been falling. since monday, northern and central portions of taiwan

received over a meter and a half of rain. in fact, it's more like, 1700 millimeters in three days. as you can see the system is moving very slowly at the moment. it was stationary before. that means the rain comes down in the same place. we could see another 5 to 700 millimeters of rain coming down in the same place ove the next 24 hours. so, we are really talking about some significant rain totals here and a very high risk of exacerbating the existing flooding situation here. now, after leaving taiwan the system is going to head in towards fujan province, and beyond as well. we have another system to deal with, the severe tropical storm damrey moving towards the coast of china right now. it is going to be bringing heavy rain into two provinces, not sure where landfall is going to be right now. ooel either one is going to be

happening friday morning about the same time as saola is going to be making landfall in mainland china as well the two potent storms to deal with here. not only is damrey going to be bringing rain into the northeastern coast of china, but also producing heavy rainfall for north korea which again is extremely unwelunwelcome. devastating flood situation as north rio was hit hard by three separate systems over the last three weeks. all right. let's head on into europe and see what is going on. we have got pretty much dry and clear conditions across much of the continent. thunderstorms in the east, started to ease. high pressure taking place. still very, very hot down across the mediterranean. you will be noticing this ominous presence sitting off the atlantic. pretty well developed large system heading into the british isles. there will be some spots of heavy ra to come. but, will it be interfering with the olympics. let's get a look at your olympic weather just now. at 20 degrees, a few showers for

you on thursday. friday, looking pretty good though. 20 degrees also. and then as we head on into saturday, again, a bit cloudy, you can see, a few showers with that as well. but, nothing too extreme. looks like you are avoiding the heavy rain we will see patches of through the british isles over the next cup days. all right. here is your extended forecast. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> one alast story, the mayor of london, it didn't quite go the way he planned. boris johnson took off from a 45-meter high platform. but he ended up losing speed, finding himself dangling over an amused crowd. >> get me a ladder. >> event organizers call to the rescue, towing johnson back to safety. >> it was wonderful. and i thoroughly recommend it. i wouldn't want to be on there all afternoon. but i think loads of people are going to enjoy it. >> johnson is known as a charismatic speaker and for pulling eccentric publicity stunts. local media says he has his eye on the prime minister's seat. that's all for now, on this edition of "newsline."

i'm yuko aotani. we'll be back at the top of the hour the do join us then. talk very much for watching.