closing the case. chinese authorities decide not to pursue charges against men responsible for the episode involving the japanese flag. police in beijing have detained two chinese men who tore the flag off a car carrying the japanese ambassador. police won't pursue charges. they want to avoid the case to avoid further diplomatic tension. chinese central tv reported on the story tuesday night. >> translator: the beijing police imposed administrative penalties on the two men. >> a senior official from the beijing public security bureau

briefed japanese embassy staff. police decided to detain two men for five days under the public security control law. they gave a warning to another man who drove one of the vehicles. last week, the men drove up and blocked the path of a car carrying ambassador uichiro niwa. they tore off the japanese flag from the hood and fled. the public security officials said the men were dissatisfied with the relations with japan. and were angered by the sight of the flag. the official said, police could not find the flag. chinese officials may consider the case closed. it may not be that simple. makota oda has the story. the dispute over island in the east china sea.

officials with the tokyo government carried out an offshore survey of the senkakus on sunday. some people expressed support for the incident involving the ambassador's car. internet users called the men heroes. chinese government officials apparently wanted to settle the case quickly before things got of control. they are arranging talks later this week. and the two countries will hold a series of events to mark the 14th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties at the end of september. still, comments criticizing the government are starting to appear on the internet. some say the penalties in the

flag episode are too severe. others say the government is incompetent. young people in particular, are harboring bad feelings towards japan. the communist party ramped up nationalistic education in the 1990s. the government now seems to be having trouble keeping a lid on those sentiments. some people are trying to organize later this month. with no end in sight in the dispute over the senkaku island. tensions are likely to continue. japanese government officials say they can't demand a harsher punishment. they say they have to follow chinese law. they praise what they call china's swift punishment. syrian government forces have bombarded the center of aleppo. they mounted the assaults by ground and by air.

opposition activists say the military is using helicopters to attack residential areas. air strikes in northern aleppo on monday killed 35 people. many people are still living in the center of the city. the free syrian army has reportedly fighting on the outskirts to try to minimize casualties. nearly 5,000 civilians and 500 children were killed across the countrien august. that is the highest monthly total since the uprising started last year. syrian president bashar al assad welcomes the aid from the international committee of the red cross. but the agency must carry outs its work in a neutral manner. assad met the president marra in damascus. he asked assad to allow its organization to carry out the work in syria. the icrc has 50 workers in syria. they are trying to deliver medical supplies. and help the wounded. fighting between government and opposition forces is prestriresg

their work. ecb policymakers will meet thursday. two european leaders want the bank buy government bonds from spain and ailing economies. french president and the italian prime minister met in rome. and discussed how best to contain the crisis over a sovereign debt. and some european nations with excessive debts continue to face high borrowing costs. he said the central bank needs to step in and address the issue. he supported the approach and said government bond yield have gone up regardless of economic fundamentals. he said this poses a big problem and has to be resolved. the people at apple are trying to take another bite out of samsung. the consumer electronics firm

won a patent lawsuit last month against its south korean rival. lawyers for apple aren't finished. the lawyers added four more models to the list of products they say infringe on apple's patents. they include, the galaxy siii smart phone. neither side can expect a resolution any time soon. officials at u.s. court handling the matter say the court won't hear the case until 2014. some experts wonder whether apple's latest claims will have effect. new car sales in the united states rose for a 15th straight month in august boosted by better sales from japanese automakers. u.s. research firm, auto debtor says, that vehicle sales rose 20% from a year ago to 1.2 million cars. hybrids gained popularity as gasoline prices rose. overall sales jumped as consumers replaced old cars. japanese auto makers made a striking come back after a slump

following the march disaster last year. honda sales soared 60%. toyotas rose 45%. nissan gained over 7 1/2%. u.s. auto makers saw increases. general motors sales grew 10%. ford rose over 12%. and chrysler gained about 14%. the focus is now on whether auto makers can maintain momentum. u.s. spending and job data shows a slow recovery, casting uncertainty over the country'sic n -- country'sic n economic outl. european commission officials say the investigation covers sitti covers eight countries and follows surprise inspections last year at the offices of firms across the region.

eu officials plan to levy fines itch they uncover violations of antitrust rules. they also could force come papa to correct their behavior. nations in the former soviet bloc are highly dependent on gas supplies from russia. the summer heat left corn across the u.s. shriveling in the field. the people at three u.n. agencies fear that could trigger a global food crisis. they're urging governments around the world to act now. the food and agricultural organization, the world food program, and in the national fund for agricultural development released a statement saying corn prices have surged due to the record drought. ate jae agencies warn the prices could cause a recur rence of food crisis in '07 and '08. they call for short term efforts to curb the rise in prices and fear some may not be able to put food on the table. the agencies are urging countries to avoid panic buying

and to refran from imposing export restrictions and asking for international support to help poor nations boost their food output. japanese people's growing distrust of nuclear power now has a price tag. industry minister says it will cost more than $600 billion to go nonnuclear by 2030. a recent opinion poll suggests that's what half the population wants. speak at a meeting of cabinet ministers in charge of energy policy and said the cost of building a renewable energy infrastructure would add up. he pointed to the expense of constructing generating facilities and power lines. he warned that immediately shutting down reactors would cut the power sa plupply. going nonnuclear would weaken bargaining position, buying oil and natural gas. their government has promised to draft a new energy policy. ministers are working on scenarios for ending nuclear

dependence while compen say tsa. prospect of nonnuclear japan is a hard sell to big business. executive associationer ud eiss challenge to the government. >> the government must explain and prove how they there will be no downside for business and people's daily lives if all nuclear reactors are scrapped in the future. this should be confirmed with concrete evidence and analysis. >> he stressed many businesses are oppose to abolishing nuclear power after concern it would destabilize the economy. government officials have released their blueprint for rebuilding areas at the heart of the nuclear debate. they want to decontaminate and restore life lines in parts of evacuation zones around fukushima within two years. reconstruction minister released the plan. it covers sections of the zones where evacuation orders have

been lifted. government officials will focus for the first two years on decontamination and on restoring water, sewage, power, so residents can live there. they will offer residents jobs in the area and in the decommissioning nuclear reactors aiming to restore train and bus services and promote local industries within five years. their ten year plan calls for attracting young people to the region and focus on new industries including production of renewable energies and making medical equipment. many tieian ea iaof those i look at nuclear plants. six reactors and two under construction. many worried what happened to people in fukushima might happen to them. plant workers, military and others have taken part in a d l drill to make sure they're repaired. and nhk reports from thaipei.

>> reporter: fire fighters sprayed water to bring the fire under control. then, helicopters, military vehicles, and ships moved in. helicopter teams are measuring radiation levels around the nuclear power plant. just as crews did following the fukushima accident. participants practiced measuring raid yae radiation on land and sea. most reactors are located in the vicinity of densely populated

taipei. and residents have been increasingly worried after the disaster in fukushima. they want to men inimize the damage. they plan to reinforce the evacuation plans to ensure residents are safe. some artists are using graphic skills to tell the story of the march 11 disaster. drawing based on real events and real people. one illustrator discovered their drawing on reality, presents challenges. we have her story on today's edition of "the road ahead." story 311 describes the story of

people in the disaster area whom the artists met and interviewed. the main character in the first episode of this project is a 26-year-old man, running from the tsunami. he was working at a fish shop in the town when the earth quake hit. the real person, says on that day, many people helped him. as he tried to drive out of harm's way. his most vivid memory of that day is meeting his best friend, just before the tsunami came. what are you doing? >> i want to at least save my tv. >> he was urged to got out of town with him. instead, his friend stayed. soon after that, the tsunami pummelled the entire area.

two months later, the man's body turned up. since then, tormented by survivor's guilt. >> if i had grabbed his arm and forced him to come with me. he might still be around today. >> remembering is hard. but he does not want to forget. seeing his experience, recounted helped him resolve to honor his friend by making the most of his own life. >> hive bei have been terrified thought that i might forget that day. now that it is has appeared as art. i will always remember it. >> artist started the story 311 project. he visited the disaster hit area

wanting to do something for the people. listening to their stories, one by one, she resolved to make them into manga. >> i hop to convey the real feeling of that time. the best way we can do this is through manga. >> one of her manga relates a story of suffering, involving a teacher in fukushima prefecture. the woman had been teaching in an elementary school. since the quake, she has been working in the area affected by radiation. at first the artist his ta iisto take on a project that necessarily involved such sensitive, use. word from the teacher involved made her heart sink. the words were "i am no longer thinking about having a child."

agonized over huh to present them. >> translator: many people have had babies and are raising them as usual. i was worried that mothers such as them would feel hurt. as though they were being blamed for something. if i published the word of that woman. >> however she received favorable feedback once it appeared online. >> thank you for a great manga. >> unlike the teacher, the heroine in the story, i decided to have a baby. i delivered last month. i don't really know what is right or wrong, that's just the way things are in fukushima these days. i feel i was able to communicate the story i wanted to tell. i think manga have power to communicate gently but deeply. giving it a try turned out the

right thing to do. i want to continue. >> people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of 29011 disaster. it went be easy. they have to rebuild homes, businesses entire communities. we will show you their struggles and their successes on the road ahead. every wednesday at 1:00 p.m., japan time. here on newsline. tokyo is not known for its agricultural. hundred of years ago locals grew their own vegetables. now a group is trying to bring back long lost produce and findingsuccess. so much so that they're getting rave reviews on international rest rant guide books. rina nakano has the story. >> translator: this is good. >> translator: i've never had anything like it. >> reporter: these people are taking a bite from the past. the edo-tokyo vegetable plate is

the hotel restaurant's tribute to historical tokyo cuisine. it's the first of its kind and offered for a limited time. what makes the dish so special? rare vegetables. one of them is even used for this confection. >> translator: i can't believe it's a vegetable. it looks like a great dessert. >> reporter: it looks like a stretched out pumpkin and smells like a honeydew melon, but it's actually a vegetable. it was popular during the edo period when sweets were hard to come by. >> translator: it has a nice, natural sweetness. >> reporter: the flavorful veggies were widely available at the time. residents grew them in the city. as tokyo got bigger and bigger, the farm lands disappeared. edo-tokyo vegetables began to fade from the scene.

recently, agriculture officials rediscovered some seeds of edo period veggies. people began to grow and distribute them in small amounts. >> translator: i'm proud to offer a dish with such a rare vegetables. >> reporter: obtaining these won't be easy with a limited supply. the hotel plans to continue offering them in seasonal dishes. more people are getting on board the movement to bring back these long lost veggies. in the edo period, many raved about the eggplants. they used to be grown in the area, but now there are no farms. not even a gardening facility. so people had to get creative. locals found a way to reproduce what is known as the phantom eggplant. residents in the tokyo neighborhood are harvesting the

phantom or terragima eggplant. round shape, shiny coat and rich flavor. those are what set it apart from the modern day eggplant. the vegetables are being revived thanks to the people in the edo revival project. one of them is takihima. his family runs a snack shop. >> translator: my brother is obsessed with the eggplants. even when he is supposed to be working, he slips out to water them. >> reporter: he and the volunteers don't have any farming experience, but they are passionate about growing the eggplants in their neighborhood. >> translator: we want, first of

all, for locals to discover these vegetables. then we want our businesses to use them to create something new. that's what we're going for. >> reporter: these shop owners are taking the lead. they're experimenting with the eggplant to create new dishes. the vegetable has inspired the neighborhood's new mascot. >> translator: tastes great. >> reporter: the interest in edo-tokyo vegetables isn't about harvesting and eating rare plants. it is about a community coming together to revive something that was once forgotten. rina nakano, nhk world, tokyo. people in northern japan are dealing with high temperatures for this time of year. let's turn to sayaka mori and her weather forecast. >> summer has heended and ta temperatures are soaring.

showers can be found across much of the country. in iwata prefecture, rain in one hour. very heavy rain coming down. tomorrow, widespread showers expected across much of the country. because this frontal line is approaching our nation. but behind it, getting drier across the korean peninsula and northeastern china. down toward the south, a chain of low-pressure systems bringing ample moisture and rain across the philippines. and the peninsula as well as the southern china. the heaviest rain is going to be found in the southern region, and northern vietnam. we are anticipating as much as 100 millimeters of ran to fain on your thursday. and the tropical storm, continues to hover over the atlantic. right now, packing sustained winds of 100 kilometers an hour. still a tropical storm. will likely become a hurricane within the next 48 hours or so. and get very close to bermuda by

saturday night. it is located very far from any land masses, bringing swells across the coastal areas of the caribbean island as well as eastern u.s. for the next several days. as for north america, remnants of tropical -- hurricane isaac. bringing ample moture, drenching rain, in the northeastern states. southeastern canada, down towards the central gulf coast. heavy rain will likely continue across the similar locations in to your wednesday. and then out towards the west, we have got a more potent storm moving akraufs the great lakes region. we have severe weather risk. including severe thunderstorm, large hail, damaging winds, tornados. one tornado touched down in wisconsin. and then, out west, looking dry, fire weather continues. situations are quite critical in montana, wyoming, nebraska, as well as south dakota. as for the highs, heat is still hanging on, down towards the south. 36 degrees in houston.

and 40 degrees in oklahoma city. to the north. doo cooling down in winnipeg wednesday. finally go to europe then. we have a large low-pressure system affecting scandinavia. this its quite powerful in terms of strong wind. wind of over 105 kilometer have been reported in southern norway. then twe hawe have an alert, thh coast of finland. looks like the system will move toward the north. wet weather will continue across the west coast of the norway. downpours, upper, cold air. low-pressure system is producing severe thunderstorms and heavy rain in italy. and the system is, starting to impact the north western corner of the balkan peninsula. looking mild across many locations. 24 degrees. and 23 in london. and it looks like, nice weather will continue across london into europe friday. here is the extended forecast.

our top story-- the chinese suspects in an incident involving the japanese flag will not face criminal charges. political analysts say chinese authorities want to avoid any further rifts with japan and avoid public criticism.

china send tram tv reported on the story tuesday night. >> translator: the beijing police imposed administrative penalties on the two men. >> a senior official from beijing public security bureau, briefed japanese embassy staff. police detained two men for five days under public security control law. they gave a warning to a man who drove one of the vehicles. last week, the men drove up and blocked the path of a car carrying the ambassador. they tore off the japanese flag from the hood and fled. the public security official said the men were dissatisfied with relations with japan and were angered by the site of the flag. the official said police could not find the flag. that's all for now on this edition of"newsline." i'm yuko aotoni in tokyo.

thank you for watching.