. >>> welcome to "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. workers at japan's crippled nuclear plant are getting ready to dig deeper into a worrying mystery. radioactive water has leaked from at least one storage tank on the fukushima daiichi site. crews are preparing to investigate how it got out and how far it spread. officials with the tokyo electric power company said earlier this week that about 300 tons of highly radioactive water had leaked from a tank. they fear the water flowed through a ditch and into the ocean. the tank is made of steel plates bolted together rather than welded. workers checked the joints and surfaces vigily and found no abnormalities. they don't know how the water got out. company officials suggest the water leaked from the bottom of the tank, soaked into the soil and mixed with ground water. crews plan to dig holes next week around the tank and in a nearby ditch, then they'll analyze the soil and ground water. they hope to trace the path the water took and figure out how far it spread. company officials said thur

captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >>> welcome to "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. u.n. inspectors are packing up their equipment and preparing to fly out of syria. they've finished gathering evidence on the use of chemical weapons. the experts have spent four days collecting samples and interviewing hospital staff. they were looking into allegations president bashar al assad's troops used chemical weapons last week. several hundred people are believed dead from the attack. the inspectors will now send material for laboratory analysis, then they'll report to u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon. syrian state tv has reported foreign minister walid al-moallem spoke over the phone with tun chief. he said syrian leaders would reject the report if they judge it incomplete. u.s. president barack obama says he has not made a final decision on how to respond to the chemical attack. obama said the syrian military's use of chemical weapons poses a security threat to the united states. he said he's considering a limited narrow military action but wil

>>> welcome to "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. rescue workers in the central philippines say they've saved 600 people from a ferry that hit a cargo ship and sank. they say they're still searching for 100. officials say at least 17 people died. the thomas aquinas hit a ship off the island of cebu. they say the vessel sank in about ten minutes. coast guard officials say the ferry was on its way into port after a voyage from the island of mindanao. they say it was carrying 723 people. most were reportedly philippine oes. survivors are getting a medical treatment. searchers are looking for the missing people. coast guard officials are trying to figure out exactly how the disaster happened. >>> supporters of egypt's ousted president mohamed morsi are back on the streets three days after a crackdown by authorities left more than 640 dead. security forces are again confronting the demonstrators. at least 27 people have died in ten cities including the capital cairo. members of mohamed morsi's base, the muslim brotherhood, called for rall

>>> welcome to "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. u.s. president barack obama says he's reassessing relations with russia. he says american and russian leaders differ on a growing number of issues. obama spoke two days after canceling a summit with russian president vladimir putin. he says the u.s. relationship with russia changed after putin took over from dmitry medvedev. >> when president putin, who was prime minister when medvedev was president, came back into power, i think we saw more rhetoric on the russian side that was anti-american that played into some of the old stereotypes about the cold war contest between the united states and russia. >> u.s. and russian officials have been at loggerheads over the russian decision to grant temporary asylum to the american fugitive edward snowden. obama said the snowden episode reflects one of many emerging differences. >> it is probably appropriate for us to take a pause, reassess where it is that russia's going, what our core interests are, and cal ib rate the relationships. >> obama said

>>> welcome to "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. u.s. governmen officials are warning al qaeda may soon launch terror attacks in the middle east and north africa. they're taking defensive measures to protect american facilities and citizens. state department officials say they'll temporarily close embassies on sunday in 17 muslim countries including iraq, libya, egypt and afghanistan. they issued a global travel alert based on information suggesting al qaeda members are planning attacks. they say they see a threat between now and the end of this month. >>> u.s. officials stepped up their security at diplomatic facility last year. militants in libya killed four americans including the u.s. ambassador in september. a man lit up a bomb this february at the u.s. embassy in turkey. >>> the latest u.s. jobs data are presenting a mixed picture. fewer americans were out of work, but job growth fell short of economists' expectations. analysts are trying to figure out whether the numbers will prompt fed policymakers to scale down their economic st

. >>> hello and welcome to "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the alleged chemical weapons aattack in syria last week could result in military action by the united states and some european nations. some u.s. media report u.s. forces could strike syria within a couple of days. nbc news says senior u.s. officials told them missile strikes against syria could be launched as early as thursday. the sources say three-day strikes are planned and would be limited in scope. they would be aimed at sending a message to syrian president bashar al assad. white house spokesman says the u.s. response to syria has not yet been decided. >> the president continues to work with his national security team reviewing the options available to him. when he has made a decision he will make the announcement. he said the u.s. has a firm assessment that the assad regime has maintained control of the chemical weapons stock pile. carney also said the u.s. officials will release the findings of the probe within a week. >> translator: the chemical massacre of damascus cannot g

welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, august 15th. i'm kathericatherine kobayashi tokyo. >>> the leaders of egypt's interim government have declared a nationwide state of emergency. they're trying to restore order after bloody crackdowns on protesters claimed more than 235 lives. authorities on wednesday began to force ishly remove supporters of the deposed president mohamed morsi. the protesters had been staging sit-ins at two squares in kir pope security forces bulldozed through barricades set up around the camps and fired teargas into the crowds. more than 30 people died. the bloodshed set off protests in other parts of the capital as well as the central city of faiyum. protesters also attacked government facilities. the interim government replied by declaring a month-long state of emergency, and it imposed a nighttime curfew in 14 provinces. the emergency measure gives security forces the power to detain people without arrest warrants. authorities appear set to launch further crackdowns on members of morsi's support base, the musl

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's now 8 clock a.m. on thursday august 8th. i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. the operator of the fukushima nuclear power plant is about to make another attempt to try to get leaking ground water at the crippled facility under control. officials with tokyo electric power company say they'll start pumping out contaminated groundwater on friday to stop it from spilling into the ocean. workers have been solidifying an embankment to prevent ground water from leaking from the plant into the ocean, but there are concerns that the tainted ground water has already overflowed the barrier. tepco officials say they'll bore a small-scale well nearby and pump out contaminated water. they say workers will then sink about 35-meet are-long pipes into the ground along the embankment and pump out ground water from them as well starting next week. they hope to drain 100 tons of water per day. industry ministry officials estimate that 300 tons of tainted water is leaking into the ocean daily. tepco management admits that it still does not know the exact

hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. >>> iran's new president, hasan rah hanny opened the door to negotiations in his first news conference as president. he says he's determined to resolve a dispute over the country's nuclear development. rowhani says work has begun to build relations with iran's neighbors and international community. his stance is in stark contrast to his predecessor, mahmoud ahmadinejad. rowhani said he's ready to hold talks on the nation's nuclear development. he said concerns will be removed through negotiations. >> translator: i'm optimistic about the prospects of holding mutually beneficial negotiations. i believe it's possible. >> but he said iran will not abandon its nuclear program of enriching uranium for peaceful purposes. he urged western leaders to lift economic sanctions against his country. rowhani also hinted at the possibility of district talks with the u.s. after years of stalemate. >> translator: if the united states shows goodwill toward iran, the door to tal

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's friday, august 16th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. e 1yi79ians are seeing things many have seen before. the leaders launched a crack down after more than a month of unrest. at least 578 people have been killed. more than 4,000 injured. they say their forces will continue to use real bullets on groups that threaten peace. supporters of ousted president mohamed morsi demand he be reinstated. security forces stormed two sit ins in cairo and removed them. protesters elsewhere responded by taking to the streets themselves. they too have run into security forces. the state-run news agency said demonstrators set fire to the building near the capital. protesters occupied a building and a police station. >> you have to impose order on the ground. public order is very, very important. >> morsi supporters in the brotherhood are not backing down. they are calling for demonstrations across the country after friday prayers. members of the un security council gathered for an emergency session to discuss the situation. they are discussing possible re

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's thursday august 15th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the leaders of the government which are trying to restore order with crack downs on protesters claimed more than 235 lives. authorities on wednesday began with new supporters of the depos posed president morsi. they are exchanging sit ins in cairo. they bulldozed through barricades around the cabs and fired tear gas into the crowds. more than 30 people died. the bloodshed set off protests in other parts of the capital and the central city. they attacked gunmen at the facilities. they declared a month long state of emergency and imposed a night time curfew in 14 provinces. they gave security forces the power to detain people without arrest warrants. the authorities appear set to launch further crack downs on members of morsi's support base. the brotherhood responded by calling on supporters to launch fresh protests. the vice president can no longer serve in the government. they quit in protest over the bloody crack down. he tendered a resignation in the letter to the president. he said

>>> hello and welcome back to "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. about 50,000 people have gathereda the a park in hiroshima reflecting on the events for which their city is known, marking the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing. >> a u.s. war plane dropped the bomb at 8:15 in the morning. people here gather every year to remember. >> translator: an ark tommic bomb steals lives of innocent people and permanently alters the live of those who survive. the stalks their bodies to the end of their days. an inhumane evil, an absolute evil. >> they asked japanese officials to strengthen ties and lead the way to abolish the weapons. representatives from dozens of countries attended the ceremony. this contained the names of 8,500 people who died over the past year who known to have died because of the bombing. 280,000 people are honored in the vault. the japanese have a duty as the citizens of the only country to have come under attacks by atomic bombs. >> translator: we have a responsibility to make nuclear weapons unnecessary, step by step. >> the citiz

>> welcome to "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. syrian opposition leaders are calling for prompt action into what they say was a chemical weapons attack. they say on wednesday government forces targeted towns with poison gas. humans of people were reportedly killed. u.s. government officials are urging syrian authorities to grant access to the sites. >> if the regime has nothing to do with these attacks, if there was not a use of chemical weapons here, there is no reason they wouldn't let the un team on the ground, available, happy to investigate in to do just that. >> she said the secretary of state john kerry spoke on the phone with secretary general moon and with french foreign minster. syrian opposition leaders claim that government forces fired rocks loaded with chemical weapons in i suburb of damascus. they demanded the allegations and say the claims are absolutely baseless. the authorities in egypt have released former president mubarak from prison, but he is not free. they went to the military hospital and put him under hou

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >> japan's prime minister is offering to help the administrator of the fukushima nuclear plant as it tries to stop radioactive water from seeping into the sea every day. >>> north korea says it will reopen the jointly run kaesong complex after south korea says the patience of its people was running out. >>> some important papers of human rights icon nelson mandela are the highlight of an art exhibition in tokyo. >>> japan's prime minister is taking action to stop radioactive groundwater at the fukushima daiichi from flowing into the pacific ocean. shinzo abe is considering a plan to give the operator funding to deal with the problem. tepco managers are considering building a large underground wall to dam the ground water. prime minister abe spoke about his decision during a meeting with government officials. >> translator: people are extremely concerned about these leaks. they must be dealt with. the government cannot lea

>>> welcome to nhk world newsline. i'm gene otani. egyptian authorities crack down on supporters of the country's ousted president leaving a number of people dead and injured. >>> japan's prime minister says he'll stay away from a controversial shrine in tokyo to avoid provoking the leaders of neighboring countries. >>> and u.n. experts are examining a cacheof arms that authorities found on a north korean ship. >>> egyptian security forces are coming down hard on supporters of ousted president mohammed morsi and using force to clear two sit-in camps. spokesperson for the muslim brotherhood say more than 100 protesters have died. state run television says at least 20 people are dead. security forces moved in and fired tear gas into the crowds. then they started to clear out the protest camps. local tv broadcast show many wounded people being carried on stretchers. >> translator: security forces have used tear gas as well as live ammunition. that is not dealing with peaceful demonstration. >> interior ministry officials are stressing th

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, august 23rd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> authorities in egypt have released former president hosni mubarak from prison, but he's not free. the authorities moved him to a military hospital and put him under house arrest. a helicopter believed to be carrying mubarak left the jail in cairo then flew to the hospital. he's 85 years old and has spent the last two behind bars. but a court rule head could no longer legally be held. mubarak still faces charges of suppressing anti-government rallies and ordering the killing of demonstrators during the arab spring protests. those demonstrations led to his removal after 30 years in power. mubarak is also charged with receiving jewelry and other gifts from state-owned media. >>> militants in lebanon have fired four rockets into israel. the attack set off air raid sirens and startled residents but no ones with hurt. two of the rockets struck communities in northern israel, damaging buildings and vehicles. an anti-missile defense system destroyed anoth

>>> hello, and welcome back to nhk "newsline." it's wednesday, august 14th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has skirted controversy. he's decided not to go to a shrine in tokyo on thursday to observe the anniversary of the end of world war ii. the shrine honors japan's war dead including leaders convicted of crimes after the war. abe himself has not disclosed whether he'll visit the shrine, but government sources say he'll stay away. they say instead he'll pay for a custom honored at the shrine and make an offering of the branch of the sacred tree. chinese and south korean leaders condemned visits to a place that honors war criminals. and the government sources say abe wants to avoid any further strains in foreign relations. but he says the 18 other members of his cabinet are free to visit the shrine. deputy prime minister aso, foreign minister and 12 others say they won't go on the anniversary. the other four members of the cabinet have not said what they'll do. >>> students and staff at a university in okinawa, southern

>>> hello and welcome to "newsline." it's monday, august 12th. i'm catherine kobayashi. >>> more than 30 people were killed. at least 13 civilians, including 7 children, were killed in an air raid on friday in the northern city of racka, where rebels are mostly in control. an intense battle followed the air raid as rebel forces responded with mortar shells. government warplanes have also been bombing areas in latackia. the activists say more than 20 people, including ten civilians were killed. government troops have stepped up their offensive around the country, including latakia and suburbs of damascus while they try to retake rebel regions. more than 100,000 people have died over the past two and a half years. >>> two japanese journalists who lost a colleague in syria are trying to get as close as they can to report on the country's civil war. free lance journalist yamamoto is reporting from aleppo on august 20th last year. she was killed when opposition forces came under fire. these two men left japan for turkey on sunday. they worked with her

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> forecasters in japan have issued an extreme weather warning as unprecedented rainfall swamps northern areas, causing flooding and landslides. >>> engineers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant are struggling to reduce the amount of contaminated water flowing into the ocean. >>> and documenting the remarkable story of a nagasaki survivor, a woman who stayed silent about her experience for nearly seven decades. >>> the japan meteorological agency has issued an extreme warning to people living in northern parts of the country, telling them to watch out for flooding and landslides. the forecasters say two times the monthly average of rain fell in just 12 hours on friday in the city of kazuno. in the town of shizwiki, authorities say the water has flooded dozens of residences. landslides have blocked roads and damaged houses. one person is dead and at least three injured. rescue crews are searching for five missing peopl

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, august 2nd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> u.s. fugitive edward snowden has walked out of an airport in moscow after more than five weeks inside. russian immigration officials have fwrabted him a one-year asylum. the decision h angered u.s. leaders and left relations up in the air. snowden arrived from hong kong in late june. he has been holed up in the airport's transit zone ever since. his lawyer says now he's free to go. >> translator: snowden has just left airport and has headed for a safer place. >> snowden says eventually he wants to move on to latin america. some countries there have offered him permanent asylum. snowden worked on contract as an intelligence analyst for the national security agency. he told "the guardian" newspaper and other media that agents collect private internet and phone data. u.s. authorities have defended the surveillance programs saying they prevented terrorist attacks. spokespersons for the russian presidential office say the decision to grant snowden asylum will not affect relations with the u.s.

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, august 13th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> managers of the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant say ten of their workers have been exposed to radiation above the safety limit. they say a machine spraying cooling mists was likely to blame. the workers took radiation checks before leaving the plant compound monday. the readings were five times the safety limit set by tokyo electric power company. it was concentrated around the worker's faces. utility officials say the workers are showing no unusual symptoms. the officials believe the workers were sprayed while waiting for a busier the plant's control room. they say a machine was spraying mist to help prevent heat stroke among the workers. the machine drew water from a dam about ten kilometers way from the plant. the same water is used for toilets and other facilities. tepco managers are also trying to deal with contaminated ground water that's seeping into the sea. they outlined a short term plan to try to trap the radiation. gover

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo, here's a look at some stories we're following this hour. workers at fukushima daiichi are trying to find out how highly radioactive water leaked from a storage tank at the nuclear plant and possibly made it into the ocean. >>> a disgraced communist party leader is on trial for corruption in one of the most closely watched cases in years. >>> and japanese player ichiro suzuki has reached a milestone in baseball history. 4,000 hits in his career. >>> workers at japan's damaged nuclear plant are hurrying to make sure a leak of highly radioactive water is under control. the contaminated water escaped from a storage tank at fukushima daiichi. inspectors are checking for leaks from other tanks of the same design. they detected spots of high radiation on the surfaces of two. crews with plant operator tokyo electric power company found more than 300 tons of tainted water had already escaped from one tank. they fear it may be making its way into the pacific ocean through a drainage system. >> translator: we cannot deny the possibility of

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. ♪ >>> david killick, a new zealand journalist who writes about architecture and lifestyles visits an area stricken by the 3/11 disaster. on february the 22nd of 2011, less than three weeks before the great east japan earthquake, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit new zealand destroying many buildings around christchurch. over 20,000 houses were effected by liquefaction and some parts of communities were devastated.

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." a u.s. military helicopter has crashed in japan's southernmost prefecture of okinawa. police say some of the crew members sustained injuries in the incident. american officials have confirmed that the aircraft went down during an exercise. the crash occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. within the perimeter of camp hansen, a u.s. military base in the northern part of the main island. u.s. officials have confirmed at least four crew members were on board. they say they don't have any details about injuries. there are no reports of casualties on the ground. local officials say they've been barred from accessing the crash site. the accident involved a u.s. air force hh-60 based in kaneda. it's a type of helicopter used in rescue operations. >> translator: this accident is an extremely regrettable manner. we've asked u.s. authorities to disclose information quickly to investigate the cause of the crash and to take measures to prevent a recurrence. >> residents near camp hansen have expressed their co

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> u.s. leaders are pointing allies weigh possible military action. >>> there's progress in a humanitarian issue between north korea and japan. experts have arrived in the north to search for remains. >>> and some women in china are finding new ways to cover up during their day at the beach. >>> united nations officials investigating alleged chemical weapons attack in syria say they have postponed a second day of inspections. the united states and some european nations are putting pressure on the syrian government with the possibility of military operations. the u.n. experts left a damascus hotel on tuesday, but they later said they put off their inspections for a day due to security reasons. they called on all parties to cooperate so they can conduct inspections safely. the alleged use of chemical weapons that killed hundreds of people including children happened last wednesday in a suburb of the capital damascus. the o

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> russia's decision to grant edward snowden temporary asylum is causing tensions that may derail a meeting between president obama and vladimir putin. >>> more protests are planned by the military backed plan to leave the streets. ♪ and a traditional singer in china is drawing attention by drawing on our roots and competing in a talent contest on tv. >>> the obama administration and some u.s. lawmakers are criticizing russian leaders for giving an american fugitive safe harbor. they call it a disappointment and a disgrace. u.s. authorities want the former intelligence contractor because he leaked details of top secret government surveillance programs. snowden walked out of an airport in moscow after spending five weeks inside. he's facing charges of espionage and theft after revealing the national security agency collects private phone and internet data. spokespersons say the edition will ndecision will not affect relat

. >>> glad to have you with us on "newsline." >>> the new president of i ran reached out to the world with words. leaders in other nations are waiting to see if he will follow through with actions especially when it comes to his nation's nuclear program. he called for transparency and trust in his inaugural speech. he took the oath of office and became the first iranian president to invite foreign dignitaries to a swearing in ceremony. >> translator: we seek respect. we want to establish constructive relationships with nations of the world. but any dialogue with iran must be conducted respectively. >> transparency is the key to the door of trust. his country does not desire war with other nations. authorities say that the afghan president was among the representatives of at least 50 nations who attended the ceremony. after his speech rowhani submitted a list of nominees for the new cabinet and picked the united nations ambassador to the united nations. he looked to improve ties with the u.s. analysts show that he wants better relations with western nations. >>> many iranians have been

>>> hello and welcome to "newsline." it's 24rds, august 29th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president barack obama said officials concluded that syrian forces used chemical weapons on civilians. in an interview he said they looked at the evidence and determined the syrian government is responsible, but he has not decided whether to order a military strike. >> we do not believe given the systems using rockets that the opposition could have carried out the attacks. we have concluded that the syrian government in fact carries out and if that's so, there needs to be international consequences. >> obama said world leaders have to make sure when they break norms on chemical weapons they are held accountable. he be backed up leaders who said last week forces attacked their neighborhoods and hundreds were killed. they are ready to launch strikes if president obama orders an attack. the program warned them not to. he told them and allies that syria would be their grave yard. the world remembers how the west started the war on iraq years ago and said they possessed weapons and gu

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, august 22nd. i'm katherine kobayashi in tokyo. ichiro suzuki earned award after award for his exploits on baseball diamonds in japan. the new york yankee has another moment. 4,000 hits in his career. ichiro set the mark playing at home against the toronto blue jays. he is the first japanese player to reach the milestone. he joined the blue wave in japan's pacific league in 1992. he accumulated more than 1200 hits. in 2001 he moved to the major leagues and cranked out 2,700 hits for the mariers and the yankees. only two other players have amassed that many hits. a chinese communist party boss is set to go on trial in the most politically charged case in decades. he had a promising future and some suggested he would to the top rungs of the party and instead he is going to court facing bribery embezzlement and the abuse of power. he took advantage of his position and embezzled about $4 million in public money. his wife was convict of killing a british businessman. he got caught up in a number of other scandals. in september leaders e

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, august 27th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> united nations inspectors are pressing lead in syria even after coming under attack. they're looking into allegations about the use of chemical weapons in the syrian civil war, but they were delayed when snipers started shooting at them. the investigators set out to look into claims that last wednesday government forces used poison gas on opposition neighborhoods. but unidentified gunmen started shooting at their convoy crippling one of their vehicles. no one was hurt. the inspectors switched vehicles and continued on their way. u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon launched a protest through the mission leader in syria. >> i from instructed them to reduce the strong imprint to the syrian government of opposition forces so that this will never happen. >> opposition forces say government forces killed hundreds of people in the attacks last wednesday. the inspectors visited two hospitals to collect blood samples from patients. and they're planning to v

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> snipers opened fire on an envoy headed to the alleged chemical weapon attack. >> japan's industry leader says the government is committed to stopping leakage of radio active water from the fukushima nuclear plant. >>> the trial of a once rising star in china's communist party has ended after drawing worldwide attention. bo xilai denied all charges against him. >>> the dangerous situation in syria has forced united nations inspectors to delay their investigation into a possible chemical weapons attack. unidentified snipers opened fire on their convoy near the capital damascus. a spokesperson for the u.n. secretary general says snipers shot multiple times at the first vehicle in the convoy. inspectors were on their way to the sites of the alleged attack. the spokesperson says no one was hurt. the inspectors returned to a syrian government checkpoint. they will continue this trip after they replace the damaged vehicle. t

here's the extended forecast. >>> and that wraps up this edition of "newsline."atherine kobayashi in tokyo. stay with us. we'll be back with more at the top of the hour.  >> good afternoon. i'm james harmon, president and ceo ceo of the wilson center. it has occurred to our speaker and me and maybe some of you that today is the second anniversary of zero dark 30. it was on may 2 at 12 :00 a.m. that the takedown of osama bin laden occurred. someone with my left had a lot to do with that. more on that later. a special welcome to the ambassador of

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's monday august 26th. i'm catherine toeb yashy in tokyo. >>> united nations inspectors will visit alleged sites for chemical weapons attacks. they say hundreds of people were killed. the u.n.'s high representative for disarmament affairs traveled to the syrian capital to press for an investigation. officials with the syrian foreign ministry announced the government would grant the inspectors access. u.s. secretary-general ban ki-moon said they will visit the government officials agreed to a cease-fire in the area to ensure the safety of the investigators. spokespersons for doctors without borders sd three hospitals received about 3,600 people in the hours after the alleged attacks. they say 355 of those patients died. government officials have denied using chemical weapons. state-run tv reported such weapons were found in an armory belonging to opposition forces. u.s. president barack obama discussed the situation with david cameron on saturday. they expressed grave concern over the use of chemical weapons

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo, here's a look at some stories we're following this hour. >>> a syrian opposition leader urges western powers to quickly carry out a military strike in response to the alleged chemical attack on civilians. >>> community leaders in fukushima are starting a fight to get rid of all nuclear reactors in their prefecture not just those damaged in the tsunami two years ago. >>> and japan's bullet trains made high-speed railway travel a reality. engineers are now testing a next-generation train that sets a new standard for speed. >>> world leaders are considering all options for dealing with the crisis in syria. u.s. president barack obama says he believes syrian government forces used chemical weapons on civilians. obama and his allies are considering military action. the leader of syria's main opposition alliance is urging a swift strike against the regime of president bashar al assad. syrian national coalition chief made the appeal during talks with french president francois hollande. he stressed the need to seek a political solution,

"newsline" is looking back on what happened and what's happened since. don't miss our special coverage, war to peace, lessons of 1945 through thursday, august 15th. >> china's exports rose for the first time in two months, but the growth is still slower than in recent years. exports last month stood at $186 billion. that's up 5.1% from a year earlier and reverses a drop of over 3% in june. china's exports had risen more than 20% in 2011. they have been appreciating against other major currencies. the the single digit growth suggests that it harmed the competitiveness of chinese goods. imports are up to $168 billion, the first increase since april. policy makers at the back of japan kept their monthly, assessment of the monetary issue ins unchanged. the policy board members wrapped up the two-day meeting and the boj describes the state of the japanese economy as starting to recover moderately. the central bankers made an upward revision for each of the seven months through july. the bank officials say investment is showing signs of improvement as profits

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, august 20th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>>ed leeers of ja man and russia will meet face to face on a long standing territorial dispute. prime minister shinzo abe and president vladimir putin will talk next month on the sidelines of a summit of the group of 20 nations. they'll try to find common ground over four russian-held islands claimed by japan. deputy foreign minister sugiyama and igo morgolov met in moscow. japanese officials say they didn't make much progress toward resolving differences but the diplomats agreed to make arrangements for abe and putin to talk early next month at the g-20 meetings in st. petersburg, russia. the leaders agreed in april to restart negotiations over the islands. they said they would work towards finding a mutually accept solution and conclude igiing a peace treaty. >>> china's defense minister has warned others not to underestimate the chinese. chang wanquan issued the warning after a meeting with chuck hagel. china is caught up in a number of territoria

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we are following this hour. >> japan's nuclear regulators urged fukushima daiichi to check the water tanks after hundreds of tons of water leaked out. >>> al jazeera america has kicked off in new york. some welcome a different angle on the news while others say it's biased against the u.s. >>> and the friends and family of a japanese war correspondent are remembering her one year after her death and trying to spread her message. >>> workers at the damaged fukushima daiichi plant say a leakage of contaminated water may have gone undetected for some time. they say the storage tank doesn't have a water level gauge and their monitoring may not have been adequate. workers found a puddle forming just outside a low wall surrounding tanks near reactor number four. they confirmed one of the tanks lost more than 300 tons of water. the water contains high levels of radioactive substances. officials of the tokyo electric power company says the tank has no wate

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, august 30th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. residents of syria are shuttering themselves inside their homes. they're stocking up on food and water. they're waiting to find out whether u.s. forces and their allies will attack their country. western leaders believe last week syrian troops attacked civilians in the suburbs of damascus with chemical weapons. opposition activists say hundreds of people were killed. u.s. president barack obama and other leaders believe such action can't go unpunished. state-run tv quoted president bashar al assad as saying syria will defend itself against any aggression. he said an assault will only strengthen national unity. prime minister called a meeting of cabinet ministers. he said authorities need to prevent their enemies from disrupting state services such as electricity, drinking water, communications, food and oil. many residents are trying to flee into neighboring lebanon. those who have chosen to stay are doing whatever they can to prepare for a siege. the possibility of an attack from abr

"newsline" is looking back on what happened then and what's happened since. don't miss our special coverage war to peace through thursday august 15th. >>> people in western and central parts of europe have been dealing with severe weather. >>> severe weather has been reported across much of western and central regions of europe. an active frontal system has been creating severe weather in parts of europe. take a look at this large hail. it battered eastern france. on tuesday, frankfurt was hit hard by thunderstorms and strong winds. trees have fallen on streets and these big trucks were overturned by winds. scaffolding was torn off buildings. and you can see this cloud formation of rain clouds covering much of the central regions. looks like it is sagging all the way into southern france and this is pretty active. we have numerous reports of hails and damaging winds of 155 kilometers an hour. in germany we have a report of funnel clouds. this is likely to continue into our thursday. back behind we have an atlantic system moving into the british isles. across

>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we are following at this hour. >>> workers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant are trying to find out how hundreds of tons of radioactive water leaked from a storage tank. ncht. >>> supporters of the ousted egyptian president continue their protest after the group's spiritual leader was detained. pakistan's former president indicted on murder charges related to the assassination of benazir bhutto. >>> workers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant face another challenge. a storage tank has lost 300 tons of highly radioactive water. the plant's operator says it's the worst leak they've had since the nuclear accident two years ago. a low wall surrounds tanks near reactor number four. workers found a puddle forming outside of it. officials from the tokyo electric power company say one tank lost 300 tons of water. they're trying to find out how. tepco officials say the water inside the tank was treated to reduce radioactive cesium, but they found t

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we are following this hour. >>> an official with japan's nuclear watchdog says the operator of fukushima daiichi was ill prepared for a leak of highly radioactive water from a storage tank. >>> the head of the united nations is calling on the syrian government to allow inspectors to fully investigate the latest allegation of chemical weapons use. >>> the former rising star of the communist party bo xailai fights back on the second day of his trial denying all charges against him. >>> an official with japan's nuclear -- told them to ask for help if needed. workers scramble to deal with leaks of highly radioactive water. 300 tons of water seeped from the storage plant. workers detected the leak on monday. they've been checking about 350 tanks of the same design to make sure no other water is getting out. he criticized tepco for not considering the possibility of a leak. he said the utility was ill-prepared and said the company should have been keepi

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we are following this hour. >>> the world braces for a possible military strike by the u.s. and allies against the forces of syrian president al assad. >>> nuclear regulators in japan officially raise the level of the leak of radio active water in fukushima and now consider it a serious incident. >>> and 50 years after his "i have a dream" speech, martin luther king jr. continues to inspire people in the u.s. and around the world with his message of equal rights for all. >>> britain is working to lay the groundwork for international action against syria over allegations the military there is behind a deadly chemical weapons attack. david cameron says his country will draft a resolution to the u.n. security council to protect civilians from this type of attack. cameron says the resolution is based on chapter 7 of the u.n. charter which stipulates how to deal with threats against peace. he will condemn the regime of president bashar al assad for an a

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's august 19th. >>> egypt's defense minister said the interim government will severely crack down on what it sees as any terrorist activities. more than 800 people have died in egypt since last wednesday. that's when troops forcibly removed pro-morsi protesters from the encampments in two cairo squares. he addressed senior military and security officials. he indicated the government will specifically target the muslim brotherhood. he said the government cannot overlook the group's terrorist attacks on government buildings. the government said it has begun an investigation into 240 detained muslim brotherhood members on suspicion of terrorist activities and murder. the group is a support base of ousted president mohamed morsi. on sunday, muslim brotherhood members tried to hold demonstrations in the suburbs of cairo and elsewhere. the state news agency says the demonstrations they were dispersed to avoid clashing with security forces. >>> ejigses living in japan have hold a protest i

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we are following this hour. >>> u.s. leaders say they're mulling over military action against syria, but that option has drawn a lukewarm response from other allied countries. >>> workers at japan's crippled nuclear plant are failing to stop leaks of radioactive water. nuclear watch explores a crisis that's pushed government officials to take control. >>> u.n. inspectors investigating alleged use of chemical weapons are scheduled to leave syria on saturday. western leaders believe syrian government forces were behind last week's attack that killed hundreds of civilians in the suburbs of damascus. u.s. president barack obama and his allies are considering military action, but they're facing strong opposition. british prime minister david cameron's coalition government proposed a motion that would have authorized british forces to join a strike, but a majority of lawmakers, including members of his own party, rejected the motion. >> the is to the rig

welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, august 22nd, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the people who operate the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant are wrestling with yet another challenge. they'd already confirmed that more than 300 tons of highly radioactive waste water has leaked from a storage tank. and now they say it may have flowed into the pacific ocean. workers with tokyo electric power company detected high levels of radiation inside a ditch. the ditch is about 50 meters from the leaking tank. and it runs into the ocean. workers have set up hundreds of tanks on a hillside near the reactors. they erected a low wall around the tanks, still the water seeped out. officials at japan's nuclear regulation authority said they're considering raising the severity rating of the leak. they rated it as a level one incident on the international scale that runs from zero to seven. they're considering raising their assessment to level three for serious incidents. previously tepco officials had said it was unlikely that contaminated water was reaching the shore. they said the le