>> welcome back to "newsline". i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. rulers in the democratic party are getting ready to vote for their new leader weighing their choices carefully. their winner will become prime minister. and we are covering the vote. >> reporter: we have seen delegates filing in.

the ven upue's atmosphere is ca not like what we saw a few weeks ago in the united states. delegates are sitting down getting to what the have come here for. each candidate will make a ten minute speech. the first expected to start speaking any minute. the prime minister noda will speak first, then agricultumini akamatsu, and haraguchi and kano. lawmakers and democrats were expected to run in national elections are eligible to vote here. 336 delegates in all. party members, members of local assemblies and supporters from across the country, cast their ballots too. those will be added to the total. if no one gets the majority, the two leading vote getters will enter a run-off. and nhk analysis suggests prime

minister noda is the favorite to win in the first round. one lawmaker i talked to told me that he will vote for noda because noda is the only one who can lead japan. he said he has no doubt in his choice. thank you very much. updating us on the ruling democratic party leadership voting in the coming hours. chinese government crews seem determined to make their claims known to countries in the east chinese sea. chinese ships have been cruising in nearby waters since tuesday, as senior chinese official says the government crews will increase their presence in the area. the news agency reported that the deputy director of the state oceanic administration made the remarks in beijing. he said that china has to be ready for the long and difficult

fight to protect its sovereignty over the islands and safeguard its maritime interests. some of the ships belong to the state oceanic administration. the assistant secretary of state, curt campbell reiterated the island in the east china sea are clearly covered by the japan u.s. security treaty. we do acknowledge, clearly through the process that you have set out, senator, that japan maintains effective administer of control. and third that -- as such, this falls clearly under article 5 of the security treaty. >> campbell made their comments at a hearing of the senate foreign relations subcommittee on east asia and pacific affairs. he said the united states is not taking possession on sovereignty of the island but said the u.s. views japan as maintaining

administrative control of the island. chapel be campbell said the united states is concerned about demonstrations in china and the potential damage the partnership could cause the japan and china. he expressed concern over china's creation of a new administrative area covering disputed island in the south china sea in july and its strengthening military presence in the area. the long wait is finally over for apple fans around the world. the company launched its newest smart phone, iphone 5. people in japan were some of the first on the planet to get their hand on the deep vices. >> reporter: apple fans dent seem to mind waiting in line. >> i have been here since 7:00

tuesday. >> i updated my facebook status, i finally got the new iphone. >> reporter: their goal among the first to use a new apple product. most would agree it is always worth the wait. for apple fans the day is look new year's, out with the old in with the new. they'll replace early versions of the iphone. with the 5. the scene is playing out all day across japan and in eight other countries or regions. they call it their thinnest, lightest and fastest model. >> translator: the moment i touched it i was wowed. the design doesn't lack too different. but the graphics are amazing. >> translator: it its just so slim and light. it feels especially light.

when i compare it to my iphone 4. >> reporter: the apple brand helped whip up a frenzy before the release date. company reps saying first 24 hours of preorder period, more than 2 million devices were reserved worldwide. double the record set last year for the previous model. here in japan, apple is already riding high. the iphone was the top selling smartphone last year. but globally, it is still trying to catch up. rival samsung's share in the last quarter was 32% that compares with 17% for apple. finland's nokia and u.s.-maced motorolla are also providing serious competition. experts say they expect initial sales of the iphone 5 to be high. but over the long term they're not sure. >> first of all, iphone users will be shifting to iphone 5.

that is the biggest loyalty they have. but the question is -- how iphone 5 would affect the other phones, or maybe new devices like microsoft's window 8 phones. iphone is supposed to be the biggest one then that might change the game of, of android/iphone. >> the launch of 5 will likely give apple a boost. the company hopes sales will help it become the leader in the global smartphone market. and another apple related story. south korea's samsung lech troing maze add the apple iphone 5 to a patent infringement lawsuit against the tech giant. documents released say samsung believes the smartphone violates its patents. the case hinges on a high speed wireless protocol, lte, or 4 g. apple using the technology in

its new device. samsung owns several patents, relating to lte implementation. it plans to study the iphone 5 thoroughly before making a decision. in a patent lawsuit last month. a federal jury ruled in favor of apple. ordered samsung to pay over $1 billion in damages. samsung official told nhk they're protecting their intellectual property. the official accused apple of hindering market competition. chinese customs authorities apparently are tightening their checks on imports from japan. many jp knees firms doing business in the country are reporting stricter customs cler ans for their products. customs require blanket inspections on items in shanghai, instead of selected imports from japan. they say customs inspection rare yo is increased in beijing as well. the japan external trade organizations office in china says the chinese authorities have not offered any explanation

for their change in clear ens procedures. two years ago china reduced exports of rare earth metals to japan when friction over the senkaku island escalated between the two countries. the world's automakers are vying for attention in the fast growing indonesian market. giants from japan, europe and the u.s. are among those exhibiting at the country's 20th international motor show. mitsubishi launched its mirage subcompact car in indonesia to coincide with the event. the company built the model in thailand. honda rolled out its hybrid crz. toyota motor also unveiled mini cars designed specifically for indonesia. toyota, nissan and honda have all announced plans to boost production capacity in indonesia. >> translator: indonesia has a great potential for growth. we hope to increase production

there, as well as to boost sales. >> translator: our indonesian employees are developing products with so much enthusiasm. i have high expectations for them. >> emerging markets account for nearly half of new car sales worldwide. japanese individuals are shying away from risky financial assets as share prices remain sluggish. the japan central banks said that cash and deposits reached a record high at the end of june and grew nearly 2% from last year and personal holdings of stocks and investments dropped 7% to $1 billion and holdings of mutual funds tumbled 10% to $730 million. the overall level of personal assets was little changed from a year earlier. over $19 trillion.

as china's economy slows many migrant workers are losing their jobs and have become so poor they can't afford to take care of their children. so the parents abandon their youngsters to child care homes. the trouble is, that there aren't enough homes, nor is there enough money to run them. nhk world's reporter has the story. >> reporter: this is a private-run nursing home for children. it is located on the outskirts of beijing. it is home to about 100 children ranging in age from 10 months to 17 years. he is 16 months old. last year his migrant parents took him with them to beijing. but, the cost of his care became

too much. so his mother placed him in this facility. other children here have a similar story. the amount of abandoned children is thought to have doubled over the past five years. >> now, our home is inundated with kids. it's been hard taking them in and caring for them. the number of state affiliated orphanages registered with the government is now 400. and the number of foster homes is also growing. but it is not enough. so the state plans to provide for homes. at the moment, the government pays these facilities $150 a month for the upkeep of each

child. even so many private homes find it too costly to take in more children. among the welfare facilities one operated by a foreign couple. they come from the uk his wife from australia. donors pay for the operation. every year, they take in children from crowded facilities run by the state or private owners. right now, more than 50 children from 2 to 4 years old lifl ve i the home. these days, they have been focusing on medical treatment for the children. few other homes provide it. joyce hill its a qualified

doctor, in cooperation with local practicitionerpractitione medical care to the youngsters. >> are you happy? >> the orphanages they have so many children, sometimes they cannot manage bah the children come in almost every day. >> the hills face changes, if the hills decide to care for more children they will need more money. they would have to make their service belter knotter known. they will also need to find more qualified help. >> really need more medical staff to be working alongside us to help us. >> i think it's hard to fix the problem. i don't think anybody can really fix the problem. just a little bit at a time. so if a whole team gets together to help one child, hopefully that, that more people and more children will be saved.

>> at one time the future of these children looked bleak. but, at this facility they survive and grow. and so, do their chances of a better future. >> and we are joined now from our beijing studio. what will become of the children in the hills' home? >> chinese and overseas families adopt most of the children. so most of them should find homes. as for their education, some kids get as far as junior high schools and high schools. and after graduating some deseed to become child care workers themselves. >> i see. now looking at the bigger picture, how many children in china have been abandoned or orphaned? >> for a long time no one knew exactly how many. but, after taking a survey in 2005, the government put the

number at 573,000. the children always receive the help they need. and many risked starvation or disease. in 2009, a survey found the number off ban d abandoned kids risen by 25%. officials can't get an accurate count. to make sure children get sufficient care, the government budgeted money to set up welfare facilities. >> thank you very much. a white house spokesman says terrorists launched their month's deadly attack on a u.s. consulate in lib yeah.

he said attackers may half links to al qaeda. white house press secretary said the fbi is continuing to investigate. he said current intelligence does not suggest the attackers engaged in significant planning or coordination. he said an al qaeda affiliate may have been involved in the attack. u.s. government leaders are turning to tell vegs evision, an ad on pakistani tv condemning the video. >> since our founding the united states has been a nation that respect all faiths. we reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. >> the ad features president obama and secretary of state hillary clinton. they reject the message of the

film. clinton says the u.s. had absolutely nothing to do with the video. government officials said they spent $70,000 to buy air time on pakistani networks. government pilots attacked a gas station in northern syria crowded with civilians. reportedly killed 50 people. amateur video shows the site in the northern city near the turkish border. rebel fighters seized a location a day earlier. witnesses say government forces were fighting to regain control of the area. a london-base hud man rights group says 170 people died thursday fight in the northern city of aleppo. a group of countries seeking to end the civil war in syria wants to step up pressure on the government of president bashar al-assad. they're calling for tougher sanctions. delegates for 60 countries, attended a meeting for coalition. friend of the syrian people in the hague.

participants discussed how to increase effectiveness, sanctions against the regime. syria is suspected of getting around an oil embargo by exploiting oil. the group called on financial institutions of countries that reman o remain outside the sanctions. russia and china, are not part of the group. dutch foreign minister said it is important to use whatever means possible. >> sanctions are never -- sufficient -- but they are necessary. and they are an important contribution to the -- to in order to isolate and squeeze this regime. >> and the group will next meet in japan later in the year. the united states issued another warning to i ran. it says time is running out for a diplomatic solution to the country's nuclear perhaps. susan rice spoke at a u.n. security council meeting citing

a report by international atomic agency that suggests iran is stepping up uranium enrichment. in defiance of international pressure. rice said there is still room for dialogue between iran and six world powers but warned that time is running out. >> we will not engage in an endless process of negotiations that fail to produce any results. time is wasting. >> british and french u.n. envoys called for sanctions against iran. but the chinese envoy said his country is opposed to sanctions or military actions against iran. the united states and 30 allies are holding joint naval exercises in the persian gulf. the drill comes after iran's threat to block a channel for crude oil. >> reporter: this aircraft carrier "eisenhower" has more

than 60 airplanes that fly around the persian gulf. the commanders of the ship say that if any country wants to or tries to close the strait of hormuz, their role is to stay here to make sure it remains open. the 12-day maneuvers are the largest ever of such kind held in the persian gulfs. nations taking part in this united states-led exercise includes japan and britain. iran's government has repeatedly warned that it would close crude oil shipping routes that run through the strait of hormuz. the threats are in response to tighter international sanctions targeting iran's nuclear program. the fighter aircraft on this vessel can reach most of iran's nuclear facilities. the u.s. navy is not disclosing

the ship's precise location, but it appears we are close to the iranian coast. my cell phone is able to pick up a signal from iran. one of the key components of the drill is mine sweeping operations. iran trails the west in military power, but underwater mines would be an affordable and effective way for the country to block the strait of hormuz. the channel is only 34 kilometers wide. u.s. military personnel, along with japan's maritime self-defense force and troops from other countries are performing drills to detect and remove mines. >> the president has already said that it's a red line if iran closes the strait. so my mission out there would

be to ensure security and stability in case of that strait being closed by any reason. >> reporter: about one fifth of the world's crude oil travels through the hormuz strait. about 90% of the crude bound for japan travels through these waters. iran's leaders show no signs of backing down on their nuclear development program. tensions in the gulf remain high. nhk world, aboard the "uss dwight d. eisenhower." there is a storm near the philippines right now. let's turn now to rachel ferguson for the updates. >> we have a tropical storm to the east of the philippines. it was looking like it was going to head straight towards luzane making landfall monday. we could have good news here. the storm will be intensifying. expecting typhoon status earlier. should become a typhoon by

sunday. now it looks like it is tracking further towards the north. and west. so, actually away from luzane. we may not see a direct hit. what i can tell you, that is enhancing the rainfall across the philippines over the weekend. not just eastern locations, but also, the western seaboard is going to be seeing enhanced rainfall. flooding, could be an issue here. much of the southern half of eastern asia is dealing with heavy rain in places. indochina, certainly, parts of thailand have been seeing active monsoon, monsoonal rains. a low-pressure system, sitting here down towards the south. around that low you will see heavier rain. then in southern china, south of t 100 millimeters of rain. humidity, moisture from the south. where it is warmer. and then toward the north. it's much cooler, drier air. where they collide along the

band of rain where we will see heavier rain. some moving into western japan through the weekend as well. let's go now to north america. lots of clear skies here, across canada, the u.s., and, mexico. and you can see, you can see the large rotation in the cloud though. underneath that, a big low-pressure system, bringing in, pretty moderate rainfall across ontario. also going to be dipping down through the great lakes region. coming into, north eastern parts of the u.s., as well. so cities like boston, new york city, seeing chilly showers on saturday. and in the midwest, temperatures are going to drop by 10 degrees. so, it's more like mid october, for you. as we head on into friday and saturday. further towards the south, the florida peninsula, dealing with some, stormy conditions, heavier spots of rain, frequent, thunder, lightning today as well. so we said, cooler to the north. to the south. you'll see temperatures in the low 30s, in places like miami, oklahoma city, houston, nearly at 30 in los angeles as well. okay, let's go to europe.

finally. things still looking pretty welt, unstaewelt, unstable. band coming in. parts of scandinavia. denmark, affected by the front line coming in. we will see sig nif cannificant, central france. germany. very dry, unpleasant here. that will change over the weekend. that said, storms are moving away in the east. in towards the black sea. so, behind that you will see some clearing. in the eastern balkans. few showers moving through the moscow area at the moment today. 19 degrees here. 19 in kiev. we have 13. cooler in stockholm. 15 in london. still summer look temperatures to be found across the mediterranean. 28 in athens. 30 for you in lisbon. 27 in lisbon. 30 in madrid. 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 joining us.