iran renews its pledge to stand show of support. iran renews its pledge to stand by syrian president bashar al assad as his security forces try to stop opposition fighters from overthrowing his government. bashar al-assad's decision to use his military machine to target civilians have left him isolated. one of his few remaining allies is sticking with him. syrian state tv showed the president showing him meeting with a top official.

the first time assad appeared on the network in two weeks. assad met with saeed jalili. jalili promised continue sag port for the syrian government. the president says he will keep fighting terrorists until the country is free of them. he spoke a day after his prime minister defected and joined opposition forces. assad last appeared on state-run tv on july 22nd. news about the syrian president has been scarce since mid july when fighting between government troops and opposition forces escalated in the capital, damascus. both sides have been receiving outside assistance. the iranians are promising continuing support for assad. while a former diplomat tells nhk they have been supplying the president with weapons and funds since anti-government uprising started in march last year.

farez was ambassador to iraq until he defected in july and is now in qatar. he said the killing of syria's defense minister in an explosion last month was a big blow to assad and the leadership of the president's security apparatus. >> translator: assad doesn't trust the political people around him and he worries about his life. that's why he's moving a lot. like between the capital, damascus and northwestern syria. i went to a meeting of syrian, iraqi, and iranian high-ranking officials just after the anti- government protests began. iran urged that civilian protests be suppressed and offered its full cooperation to the syrian government including supplies of arms and funds.

>> farez says these supplies are being sent to syria from iran and anti-government forces need more help. farez argues political support from qatar and saudi arabia is not enough. he says the opposition fighters need more weapons and funds. japanese and north korean red cross officials plan to meet in beijing this week. they will discuss returning the remains of japanese nationals who died in north korea at the end of world war ii. the state-run korean central news agency said the delegates will meet for two days starting on thursday. the japanese red cross society says three officials from each side will attend the talks. the meeting will be the first of its kind in ten years. japan's health and welfare ministry says more than 34,000 japanese nationals died in north korea at the end of world war ii.

some died in battle with former soviet troops. others died from starvation or during the cold winter on their way back to japan. the remains of more than 20,000 have yet to be collected. some japanese government officials say the talks are a sign that kim jong-un is trying to make policy changes. others say north korea is others say north korea is looking for an opportunity to resume dialogue with japan with a humanitarian issue that's easy to handle. they will also assess if the time is right to resume intergovernmental talks. russian prosecutors have demanded a three-year prison sentence for members of a female rock band. the women sang a protest song against president vladimir putin at a church in february. the three-member band was charged with hooliganism. they performed the song in a russian orthodox church in moscow before the presidential election. prosecutors said on tuesday a

loud performance at a church undermines social order and is against social norms. the defendants pleaded not guilty saying they were simply trying to express their political opinion. the russian orthodox church is close to the putin administration and is demanding severe punishment. u.s. pop singer madonna defended the band when she visited russia. she said what happened to them is unfair. human rights groups have expressed anger over the case. anti-government protesters have been given large fines since putin's return to the presidency in may. a new law outlines harsh penalties for defamation of political figures. russian space officials are trying to recover from another bad break. they were unable to put two communication satellites into orbit. it's the fourth failure in three years. agency representatives announced tuesday they were unable to put russian and indonesian

satellites into orbit around the earth earth. they say the rocket had a malfunction. it launched monday in kazakhstan. the russian space agency is believed to have lost nearly $900 million over the past three years. critics are demanding the head step down. the olympics is a time when countries and cultures come together. this time around it is also a chance to celebrate one of the most diverse cities in the world. but people in london have been on guard since the july 7th terrorist attack in 2005. and because so-called home grown islamic extremists carried out at takes, some have been wary of the muslim community. that is a feeling that the muslims are trying to change. tomomitsu fujimoto of "nhk world" has the story.

>> reporter: he is worried about how muslims are portrayed in the media. that's why he is working to show a different side of his community. >> just five or 10 extremists that carried out the, the 7/7 attacks do not represent the muslim community in britain. >> many people in london are worried about the terrorist threat. past incidents like the 7/7 attacks are fresh on the mind. a british based islamist group condemned the olympics on its website. referring to britain's role in the war on terror. >> many of the country whose are coming and taking part in the olympics like the chinese, russians, americans, british, et cetera, oppressing muslims in their own countries. unless they stop being aggressors, oppressors, of

course they will face a backlash. >> farsi hopes the islamic holy month of ramadan can be a chance to change people's perceptions. an event has been planned that will bring all of farsi's neighbors together. the sunset meal where muslims break their fast. but this time, it is not just muslims at the table. 500 people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds gathered to share the feast. some muslim athletes playing great britain, not in the olympics came to liven up the atmosphere. middle eastern, olympic delegates were there too. >> we really enjoyed the whole program. [ indiscernible ]

>> it was fantastic. the turnout was good. and we have got -- we had many different presentations to show the various kind of cam pay for in the past together. >> more than 3,000 muslim athletes, the largest number ever are competing in the london olympics. for farsi, this is the perfect moment to share a table, as well as a stadium. >> announcer: hiroshima. nagasaki. the atomic bombings mark aid brutal conclusion to a brutal conflict. world war ii ended 67 years

again this month. and "newsline" is looking back on the lessons of 1945 from the fight to abolish nuclear weapons to the efforts of younger generations to promote peace. our special coverage, "war to peace:lessons of 1945" continues until friday, august 17. a doctor has been fighting against an invisible enemy for much of his life. and at 95 years old is still fighting. he has survived the --atomic bombing. internal exposure is different from external exposure. that is from radiation penetrating the body from the outside. what happened to many residents of hiroshima/nagasaki. internal exposure is the effects

of absorbing radioactive particles by breathing or ingesting contaminated food. some experts say low doses of radiation do not pose serious health risks. but the doctor and others maintain, radioactive particles can destroy cells, alter dna and cause all sorts of illnesses. 67 years after the atomic bombings, the doctor's warnings are attracting new attention. chie yamagishi reports. >> reporter: one of the memorials in hiroshima for the victims of the atomic bombing. >> translator: the experience of the atomic bomb was a special and big issue in my life. it changed my view of life as a doctor. >> reporter: back in 1945, hida

was serving as an army doctor in hiroshima. hida was exposed to radiation. but he still worked tirelessly to treat survivors in the aftermath. he was surprised when he started seeing patients who had escaped the blast, but had returned to the city days later. they were also dying of acute radiation syndrome. showing sim bombs su s showing sim bombs symptoms of h hair loss and bleeding. hida watched over the years as more survivors developed cancer and other diseases. authorities restricted reporting of a-bomb health damage for several years after the war. so it wasn't until the 1970s that hida realized his patients were likely suffering from internal radiation exposure. >> translator: in hiroshima

radiation killed human beings for the first time. still now the nature of the radiation damage cannot be understood from a medical point of view. nor can it be treated. >> reporter: hida dedicated his life to educating people about the long term health damage radiation can cause. he delivered speeches around the world. last year's accident at fukushima daichi gave him a new focus. many people in japan wanted to hear his message. parents in particular. they worried radiation from the damaged plant could harm their children. yoko hoshimoto is a mother of two living in tokyo. >> my children grow up with what i give them to eat.

and i feel horrible about the possible effect on them. [ applause ] >> hashimoto and a group of mothers turned to hida so they could be better informed. hida explained how atomic bomb victims became sick. he also criticized politicians and experts who say the radiation released by fukushima diac poses no risk. >> internal radiation exposure is indeed dangerous. once you absorb a low dose it will cause damage. we experienced this horror many times after hiroshima and nagasaki. >> reporter: hida told mothers that many a-bomb survivors tried hard to prevent being sick by taking every measure to maintain

good health. >> you should spend the rest of your life working together to shut down nuclear plants and abolish nuclear weapons. >> i will think about how not to be a victim of radiation. >> dr. hida has delivered more than 150 speeches since the fukushima nuclear accident. >> there is no other surviving doctor who can speak about the damage from radiation exposure. the government and others say that people don't need to worry about internal exposure. but i have seen evidence to the contrary. i have to speak about it even

though it's hard at times. >> the 95-year-old says he is committed to teaching the next generation the lessons of the past. and the reminding of the dangers they face in the present. japan's account surplus shrank in june. the current account is a broad measure of a country's foreign trade and includes income from foreign investments and dividend in addition to exports and imports. the finance ministry said that the nation's current account surplus stood at $5.5 billion. that is down nearly 20% in yen terms from a year ago. but the decline in the surplus was narrower than last month.

this was due to the trade balance which returned to a surplus for the first time in four months. it was $1.4 billion. exports exceeded imports as recent fall in crude oil prices reduced imports. exports posted $69 billion, while imports were over $67 billion. 12 leading securities firms operating in japan a. the financial services agency, the firms, foreign owned ones, to inspect their information control systems last month. this request came after a series of leaks on market-related information. all of the 12 firms said they will hold intensive training for executives and employees to raise awareness of their duty to abide by the regulations. some brokerages said that they will provide their employees with mobile phones that will record all of their calls. the measures also include an

extension of the time period for keeping records of phone conversations. some firms came up with a policy that would demand employees to pay for damage, if they engaged in insider trading. the financial regulators said they will ensure these measures are implemented and if problems are found, they will take stronger steps. now, toyota motor is eyeing the south american auto market as european sales remain sluggish due to the region's debt problems. managers at toyota subsidiary in brazil say they same to sell 200,000 vehicles there in 2013. that's twice a unit sales forecast for this year. >> brazil will host the world cup soccer tournament and the olympics. we have high hopes that brazil's economy will keep expanding. >> toyota plans to introduce a compact car in brazil next month. the automaker will start selling

its popular prius hybrid later this year. u.s. and european makers account for nearly 80% of the brazilian auto market. the world's fourth largest. toyota share however was only 3% last year. auto makers from south korea are also considering entering the fray in the fast growing economy. the u.s. marine corps is confirming a report we brought you about one of the aircraft that has a spotty safety record. it released more complete data on the mv-22 osprey. numbers show minor accidents occur at a higher rate than they do for the marines entire fleet. u.s. defense officials want to deploy the tilt rotor aircraft in okinawa, sparking public opposition. involved in 40 accidents over the last years. divided into class a, b, c, from

fatal to those causing minor injury. four were class a mishaps, these include fatal accidents and those causing permanent disability. lower thanch ara average. and involved in nine class b accidents, causing permanent partial disabilities. and 27 class c, resulting in light or nonfatal injuries. both figures above average for marine corps aircraft. before latest data, japanese and u.s. governments disclosed statistics on class a accidents. and the osprey has an above average safety record. it released the full data it wants to increase transparency and ease public concern in japan. debris from last year's tsunami has been washing up on u.s. shores for the last few months. people living along the pacific coast are wondering how to deal with the rubble. a survey team from japan has

started working with u.s. authorities and ngos to tackle the problem. nhk world's kohemi yamano has the story from oregon. >> reporter: the government staff met with locals on an oregon beach this week. since last january, the debris starting appearing. people saw the debris which came from a japan area. >> it is a concern because it is a beautiful beach. >> reporter: the state has set up facilities for the debris. the containers are quickly overflowing. >> as we look toward the future and we know that this is going to go on for maybe years to come, we really have to have a

significant source of funding to keep up with the problem. >> reporter: the japanese survey team also met with civic groups from across the u.s. they said the debris has washed up in four other states, including california and hawaii. >> we are appreciative of this to start the dialogue. we look forward to dialogues moving forward. >> translator: civic groups and governments have different areas of expertise. we'll work together to come up with a better solution. >> reporter: total debris is estimated at over 1 million tons. more is expected to arrive in october. without international cooperation of ngos and

governments, these beaches will never been clean. >> a tropical storm continues to affect eastern china. let's bring in rachel ferguson for more on that. rachel. >> he'll got you updated on the typhoon affecting eastern china. now downgraded to a tropical storm as the the system has progressed inland. now it has already brought, over 200 millimeters of ran for some coastal areas. it is going to continue to pound eastern china with heavy rain into the coming days. gusts over 120 kilometers an hour. still a potent system. into the next coming days you can see widely over 200 millimeters of rain. some places in eastern regions and where the system made landfall are likely to see more, around, 400 millimeters of rain.

so we are expecting locally very rainfall. that certainly will, lead to an increased risk of flooding and landslides here. i should mention the storm is going to be affecting shanghai. very densely populated areas in the firing line of the storm over the next couple days. we have been reporting on heavy rain for northern parts of the philippines. a strong monsoonal flow coming up. it has been enhanced by the tropical system and a low sitting towards the north of indochina. some places in western regions got 600 millimeters of rain in the last couple days. over the next 24 hours. likely to see an additional, 150 millimeters or so before this starts to dis -- starts to die down. northern parts of indochina, dealing with ongoing heavy rain. that will be a place to watch for landslides and flooding. let's go now to hurricane ernesto. which is really cupping veoming

close to the yucatan peninsula. hurricane warnings here. likely to run out of steam over it runs over land. once it hits the warm water of the gulf, likely to become a hurricane once again and make a second landfall end of the week, likely friday local time in southeastern mexico. now, currently moving at 24 kilometers an hour west. wind speeds at 140 kilometers an hour. in addition to the strong winds, with, stronger gusts also, you need to bear in mind, we are going to be seein a lot of heavy rain. anywhere between 100, 150 millimeters of rain possible. up in mountainous regions though you could see as much as 300 millimeters of rain in the next 24 hours. and of course, that will lead to a very high risk for flooding, landslides, mudslides, particularly in those mountainous regions. okay. let's take a look at the bigger picture here. across the u.s./canada. you are going to be seeing storms up to the northeast. up to the great lakes region. and in towards the eastern coast of canada.

nothing to severe today. will be unstable though. the same goes for the east here. you can see more rain through florida. up towards the mid-atlantic coast. there is also going to be rain moving through central portions of the u.s. which is, good news, after a prolonged drought. however, it is not going to be quite enough to make a significant dent in that situation. let's talk about severe weather today. it is going to be heat in the the desert southwest. take a look at some of the figures in towards the weekend. we have temperatures in the mid 40s, phoenix up to 45 friday. yuma in the mid 40s all the way through the next few days. some very severe heat to deal with for the foreseeable future. outlook in europe. wet and windy to the north. unstable for eastern black sea region. then stays dry and settled for much of central mainland europe. hot to the southeast. hot to the southwest. but it should be, pretty moderate for you in london. 25 degrees on thursday. little bit cloudy though. by friday, the sunshine will be

cupping o coming out. here is your extended forecast. ♪ ♪

that's all for this hour. i'm