welcome back to "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. paul ryan has taken his message of a smaller u.s. government to primetime. the republican nominee for vice president addressed delegates at the party's national convention in tampa, florida and television viewers across the country. he told them he and mitt romney would eversee an economic recovery. >> we can get this country working again. we can get this economy growing again weft c again. we can make the safety net safe again. we can do this.

whatever your political party, let's come together for the sack of our country. join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything we have. let's see this thing all the way through. let's get this done! ryan promised to tackle unemployment, entitlement programs and mounting debt. he said republicans would take direct aim at president barack obama's signature legislation, health care. ryan is known as the the fiscal conservative. he is a favorite of the conservative republicans in the tea party. romney brought many conservatives on site when he named ryan to the republican ticket. the party platform is a blue prent print of many of the values. nhk's matt field has more from tampa. it is punctuated with word,

family, faith and god given. >> a lot of the delegates are conservatives. that's the type of platform we want. we want to show america we are the party that, party of reagan, the party that can bring the economy back, bring the country back. >> the platform reflects paul ryan's calls for smaller government, lower taxes, budget discipline. the republicans criticized president obama's health care plan, as an expansion of government control. they say it is unworkable. budget busting. the platform promise is a republican president would repeal obamacare on the first day in office. >> this explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. mr. president, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation. >> the platform makes a shift off to the right on social issues. same-sex marriage is now legal

in six states and district of columbia. the republicans would ban it. they would cut funding for illegal immigrants. and they would ban abortion in all cases. >> i think most republicans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and we need really bold, decision making, at the federal level. that is going to require conservative solutions in order to help us get out of the mess we are in. >> reporter: the republicans would reverse cuts to the military and call themselves the party of peace through strength. they promote what is called american exceptionalism. the conviction that the united states hold a unique place and role in human history. mitt romney will step to the stage at the end of the convention, he will try to reassure people re and convince those elsewhere, that his vision for america is the right one. matt field, nhk world, tampa, florida. the convention gives party leaders an opportunity to showcase their nominees.

it gives voters an tauopportuni examine them more closely. profess or of american politics, and foreign policy, and he has been examining what republicans have had to say this week. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> professor you have been listening to paul ryan. what struck you most there? >> it was a good speech. the crowd was very excited. there are two things about paul ryan. he is a wonk, expert on fiscal and economic policy. second his messages are always very dire. but he is always optimistic and energetic. i don't know if this was a cal cue la -- calculation. or if he was stiff. we didn't see that side of paul ryan in today's speech. the vice president always has sort of a role of an attack dog. i think he did that quite effectively, criticizing president obama's policies, and to a certain degree his personal

characters. so i think he was very effective in playing the attack dog role that he was expected to play. >> we heard a lot about economic policies but not a lot about foreign policy. what are the plans for the republican to have in mind in that field? >> often, republicans are relied upon as reliable party on foreign policy and national security. but this time around, both governor romney, and congressman ryan, lacks the experience of foreign policy and national security. and it's understandable. because american public is totally looking at him. and this year's election, the discussion or debeet on foreign policy is lacking. but, there is a difference between republicans and the democrats i think. although not quite clear yet. i think this, notion that america is exceptional is strongly held by the republican party. that you have to -- establish peace, not through shaking hand. but through strength.

and i think that the difference will be played out in the case of, for example, how they will deal with china. or countries like russia. i think there will be a difference in tone between the republicans and democrats. >> one question, republican candidates have more than two months before the voting day. what will they be doing then? >> a speech tomorrow by candidate romney. he has to humanize himself. there will be three debates in october. i think obama team will try to change the subject, other than economy. so i think, romney has to stick with the economy. that's his strong point. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. the south korean government has rejected a proposal from japan to jointly refer a territorial dispute to international court of justice. received a document

notifying japan of rejection. officials made the proposal last week responding to a visit to the island earlier this month by the south korean president moon bak. judges will not hear the case without the consent of south korean officials. aan in afghan army uniform shot and killed three soldiers from other countries. the latest in a series of attacks. the shooting occurred at a base for the nato led in the national forces in southern afghanistan. that compares to 35 last year. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, martin dempsey visited kabul last week and discussed ways to halt the attacks.

the u.s. central bank says the economy grows at a modest pace. although some weakness is seen in manufacturing, a recovery in employment is slowing. federal reserve release aid report on latest economic conditions from july to august. based on service from 12 district banks across the nation. in detail they report no one states that personal consumption rosen most districts compared to previous assessment, the report notes a recoverien the real estate market. housing starts and home prices are on the rise. it points to a slowdown in the manufacturing sector, citing reduced sales and orders. it says employment has not seen a major improvement. so the assessment is cautious, than the previous one in july that pointed toward a modest expansion. and focusing on whether the fed will take additional monetary easing measures at its next policy meeting, september 12th.

brazil's central bank lowered its key interest rate to record low. aimed at supporting the economy which suffered from the on going debt crisis. policymakers at banco central de brazil decided to cut the rate to 7.5%. down from 8%. the ninth consecutive rate cut and is sharply down from the recent peak of 12.5% in august last year. the global economic slowdown is dampening demand for brazilian iron ore. textile good from china are weighing on industry. looking ahead, the central bank ex-pekts the economic growth to slow to 2.5% for the year and certainties over theic noming outlook are prompting the bank's approximately see to take further monetary easing measures.

now electronic makers are getting ready to show the latest smartphones and tablets. the models will debut in berlin at the consumer show on friday. more than 1,400 firms are showing products at the annual event. among them is samsung in a tgh battle with apple over patent rights. the south korean maker has a new smart phone larger than the standard model, a 5.5 inch screen. users can navigate the features using a specially designed touch pen. samsung will show a notebook computer with a detachable keyboard. the display can beep use -- be used alone as a tablet. sony has smartphones and tablets under a single brand. it has a waterproof tablet for use in a kitchen. sony's lineup include ape d desp computer, with a foldable stand. it can be used as a tablet allowing multiple users to play game. the competition remains fierce among the electronics makers, while as they battle in the courts over patent rights and striving to outdo each other with new products.

germany's green energy policy is going through growing pains. the country uses a tariff system that requires utilities to pay companies and clients a set price for power generated by solar and other renewables. but problems have cropped up for consumers. utilities and clean energy producers. nhk world's correspondent explains. >> reporter: this couple is living near berlin. the german government introduced the feed in tariff 12 years ago. back then, it accounted for less than 1% of the couples. electricity bill. as of last year, it increased to 15%. >> translator: electricity is es it's just like water. so it's wrong to impose a heavy

burden on users like us. >> reporter: germany is now moving to abolish nuclear power generation, turning to renewable energy instead. renewable energy accounted for some 20% of electricity generated in the country last year. topping nuclear power's 18% for the first time. and that's all due to the feed in tariff system. it requires utilities to purchase at a fixed rate. clean energy created by clients like business corporations. the use of high priced solar power quickly spread. and power companies pass the costs of buying clean energy on to electricity users. the greater the amount of energy the utilities bought, the heavier the burden on consumers became. this gentleman runs a fiber

processing company with 140 workers on the payroll. he has doubts about germany's energy policy that heavily depends today on solar power. his company uses electricity. ten years ago, the power bill came to around $13,000 a year. this year, the cost is about 12 times that. it accounts for one-third of the firm's revenue. >> translator: we're already nearing our limits. if our electricity bill goes up any higher, we will have to slash our work force. >> reporter: to ease public concerns, the german government has slashed the utilities energy purchase prices. but the move sparked opposition from businesses that profit from power generation.

thousands of people staged a demonstration in berlin last spring. german solar panel makers hoped to benefit from the feed in tariff system, but they are now facing problems of their own. chinese made solar panels are cheaper than those produced in germany and their market share is growing. >> translator: chinese made panels now make up for 60% of supply. the rest comes from south korea and taiwan. so there is little demand for panels made in germany. >> reporter: it's not clear whether the feed in tariff

system will survive in germany. the government, industries and consumers need to join hands and address the challenges they face. reporting for nhk world, berlin. >> japan introduced a system similar to germany's in july. experts warn it could face similar problems unless it tailors the rules the match the nation's needs. they project the the possibility of a mega earthquake and tsunami along the pacific coast. more than 320,000 people could be killeden such a disaster. they say preparations could significantly reduce impact. the experts around the scenario under which a 9 class earthquake, strikes in central and western japan. the government panel says tsunami topping 30 meters could hit parts of the pacific coast. in worst scenario, 323,000

people could die. the panel projects a tsunami, up to 34 meters could hit the city in western japan. tourists flock to the cape. but there are no high ground there for evacuation. 34 meters, that is so high. that's the equivalent to an eight-story building, right, that's terrifying. >> there is an evacuation tower the city center. but it is just 11 meters above sea level. residents no longer feel it will keep them safe. >> it probably want be any use climbing that tower. >> the experts say casualties could be reduced by up to 80%. they warn people, they must flee quickly and take shelter in safe buildings. they say the number of collapsed buildings could be lessened by about 40% if more are made quake resistant. officials are looking for

investors to help prefecture recovery from last year's disasters. local government leaders flaw to germany to seek businesses, willing to back their latest projects. the officials held an event to promote investment in renewable energy. the governor introduced a plan to build a research facility for wind and solar power. i hope you will support fukushima as it pursues recovery. 100 officials from german and japanese companies attended the event. many expressed interest in a solar power project in the fukushima village. being belt by german and japanese firms. >> well are positive about investing in japan. they recently introduced a system, requiring power companies to buy renewable energy at fixed rates. there is lots of potential for the industry to grow. >> before the event, the

government noshgs governor inspected the decommissioned plant. myanmar's efforts toward democracy are wing over government officials in japan. they agreed to develop an economic zone. the recent sign of warming relations. japan suspended development assistance nine years ago. economy minister edano met with the economic development minister. they are in cambodia for a conference of southeast association of nations. they agreed to work on infrastructure for the planned economic zone. >> translator: it's very significant that japan will take part in one of myanmar's most important projects from the ground up. we want to make a contribution. >> the 2,400 hectare park will be one of the largest developments of its kind. japanese companies have

expressed an interest in joining the project. koreans are known for cars and it products they sell around the world. now the country is trying to add a product for export. korean food. nhk's ana jong reports from seoul. >> the dish is one south korea is famous for. a combination of vegetables, meat and other ingredients. but people here can enjoy this traditional food prepareden ein new way. this restaurant offers a va rye te -- variety of vegetables and meats look a buffet. choose your toppings to go with your dish. altogether. diners can choose from 20

ingredients. foreigners enjoy this adaptation of the korean staple. >> it is very different than most other types of food i have eaten before. >> i come here because it's -- modernized version of korean traditional food. >> a major korean food corporation, runs this restaurant. the firm operates eight others in countries outside south korea, including the uk, u.s. and china. more foreign customers have been visiting the restaurants in the last few years. it depend on the area. about 20% to 30% of the customers are nonkoreans. >> at $5 trillion, the global food market is larger than either of the it or car markets. south korea's government began pushing the export of korean food in 2009. the government helps make up new menus and advises companies

looking to expand into other countries. they are also developing recipes for a traditional korean soup made with a whole chicken. they adapt a recipe and ingredients to suit the taste of customers in the country they export to. this is for japanese. and now i am going to try some. >> the taste is like green tea and very light. this is with pine nuts and sunflower seed was made for americans. and for chinese, they make a spicy seafood seasoned with red pepper.

>> we hope to export as we develop recipes that appeal to tastes of people in different countries. >> this korean barbecue restaurant is trying something new to bring in more customers. this restaurant interior is like a high-class hotel. and it's especially designed to prevent barbecue smoke from spreading. to prevent that this restaurant uses an electrical heating system instead of gas or charcoal fire. >> many customers don't like eating at a korean barbecue because of the smoke and the strong arow map. -- aroma. we found a way to remove them, so our customers can enjoy their meal in a clean, upscale environmentment. >> this location plans to open act more by the end of the year. optimism runs high as the korean government works to brand the nation's cuisine and serve it around the world.

ana jong, nhk world, seoul. right now, people in south korea are dealing with heavy rain and wind caused by a storm that made landfall. here is sayaka mori with the latest. >> and making landfall in southern portions of south korea, tembin. it will head out to sea, friday morning, local time. and stormy conditions will continue for the next several hours here. we are anticipating as much as 150 millimeters or more across south korea. more than 200 millimeters in north korea. in addition to that, waves, will remain quite high. maybe up to 6 meters and gusts could exceed 150 kilometers per hour. so, flooding and landslide are remaining, will continue to be a bigger to for the next couple of days here.

if you remember, bolaven hit north korea, and tembin on the heels of bolaven. the reason for systems moving north. high system is dominating japan, preventing for the storms to move through, japanese island. so, staying dry across much of the country. across japan. however, some pop-up thundershowers are possible, tembin is bringing moisture to the country. and for the west, mostly dry. but inland area may be seeing some showers, popping up. increasing, about 250 millimeters or, 280 millimeters is likely from today into the weekend. all right. moving into the americas, hurricane aisaac made landfall yesterday. produced fierce wind. drenching rain and three tornados. to show the situation, let's go

to some video. this is from new orleans on wednesday. downed power lines have led to blackouts affecting about 400,000 household in louisiana. trees were uprooted. and expensive damage caused by the wind. isaac is the first strm orm to t the multibillion dollar flood defenses built after hurricane katrina, that fladed new orleans in 2005. dr hurricane isaac has been downgraded to tropical storm. one tornado touched down in alabama. it looks like an additional 200 millimeters is look low across southeastern louisiana or more. over the next 72 hours or so. the total rainfall could be more than 600 millimeters. and it is going to move toward the north. along, along the mississippi river valley over the next several days. so, inland flooding is going to be another concern. all right, as for temperatures for north america, really hot

for this time of the year in chicago. 35 degrees, expected, the same goes for oklahoma city. but out toward the west. looking mild. 20 degrees in vancouver and seattle. all right, finally, let's go over to europe. a rain band creeping over scandinavia. germany as well as the northern italy. back behind it, dry and things are starting to improve across the british isles. out toward the east. thundershowers and gusty wind are starting to decrease across western russia. temperatures are remaining on the cool side in moscow with a high of 15 degrees. 19 degrees in kiev. of course the west. 19 in london. speaking of london, the paraolympics have been taking place. looks like showers are expected on your thursday. but clearing up as we head into friday. and temperatures will be rising to your midsummer levels as we head into your saturday. here is your extended forecast.

that's all for now on this edition of newsline. i'm yuko aotani in tokyo.

thank you very much for watching.