nhk world, tokyo. reception. hitoshi suzuki, nhk world, tokyo. >>> u.s.abor department officials released a repoint that paints a picture of recovery. they show that employers were still adding jobs last month while unemployment just inched up. employers added 175,000 nonfarm jobs. analysts had expected around 160,000. firms created jobs in retailing and in medical and welfare services. auto related manufacturers also added workers. other firms in the manufacturing sector cut jobs. the unemployment rate rose a tenth of a point from april to 7.6%. analysts are watching u.s. employment data to get an idea if policymakers at the federal reserve will continue easing. officials might deal down their monetary easing efforts if the job market showed sustained improvement. that triggered volatility on the stock market. fed policy makers will discuss their markers later this month >>> now the jobs report pushed up u.s. stock prices. the dow jones industrial average rose more than 200 points. the dow surged 207 points to close at 15,248. that's a rise of 1.3%. anal

nhk world, zambia. >>> nhk is just one of a number of media covering the ticad meetings. many journalists from africa have come to japan to report on the event. some spent part of their time before the start of the conference touring an elementary school in yokohama. they attended history and physical education classes. the reporters asked the students what they know about africa. the children replied the continent has plenty of natural resources. they also said it's not just a hot place and that some countries have four seasons, like japan. that won them some applause. >> translator: now i feel africa is closer than before. and i feel like traveling there. i want to help africa in what little way i can. >> the education system here is good, so maybe we should -- as african countries, we should emulate that. >>> africa, a continent of promise and plunder. more than 1 billion people in 50 countries form a cultural mosaic. many live in lands rich in minerals, a source of economic growth and conflict. don't miss our coverage june 1st through the 3rd at 8:00 p.m., japan time.

enl on nhk woronly on nhk world" >> beijing opera's roots go back hundreds of years. just as old are the masks that preserve the colorful make up. we have a report on efforts to conserve this traditional culture for future generations. >> for centuries, masks have been made to record the color make up worn by opera actors. some 5,000 varieties are said to exist. 49-year-old joe is a mask maker not far from the chinese capital. his participating techniques earned him designation of master. his family has been making masks for six generations. since the early days of beijing opera. this 150-year-old tradition barely survived one of the darkest episodes of contemporary chinese history. the cultural revolution sed in motion by the chairman in 1966 banned beijing opera and mask making as occupations. >> translator: when i was a child, we had masks everywhere. all masks were destroyed during the cultural revolution. >> against his father's advice, he quit a stable position as a civil servant. he was determined not to let the tradition wither. he took over the family busines

ayako sas, nhk world, sao ppaol. >>> nhk world's hideki yui in kabul reports on the difficult road ahead>> reporter: the taliban on tuesday announced the opening of an office in dough haar, the capital of qatar. the new communication channel will enable negotiations to seek a peaceful solution to long running violence in afghanistan. the taliban has repeatedly demanded the united states release five of its senior members detained at guantanamo bay. their status will likely be the early focus of the negotiations. taliban leaders are also hoping that talks with the united states will give them credibility as an organization. even so, the taliban has claimed responsibility for attack on tuesday at pa bagram airbase outside kabul which killed four u.s. soldiers. the attack happened just hours after the announcement of peace talks. the taliban said it will use both force and dialogue which observers say is a tactic to pressure the u.s. >> the islamic community of afghanistan simultaneously follows both military and political options and aid which are admitted to afghanistan. >> reporter: the

>>> 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. prime minister shinzo abe has announced more details of his economic growth plan. they include bold deregulation moves aimed at revitalizing the japanese economy. >>> more trouble at fukushima daiichi. tepco officials say they've found a leak in a tank storing contaminated water. >>> turkey's deputy prime minister has met protesters to listen to their demands in a bid to end unrest in the country. >>> japanese prime minister shinzo abe has proposed what he calls three arrows he will use to revitalize the economy. he's already fired off one to get the central bank to pour more money into the markets and another to boost government spending to stimulate the economy. now he's shooting off his third arrow, a plan for growth. and the plan has been presented to a government panel for in-depth discussions. the draft has three pillars -- reviving the industrial sector, creating new markets and promoting cross-border economic alli

>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> voters in iran choose between hardline conservatives or a moderate candidate as they cast ballots in a presidential election. >>> the united states says it will provide more support to opposition forces in syria now that analysts have concluded the assad regime used chemical weapons. >>> toy lovers flock to an expo in tokyo where the latest products in smartphone, tablet technology offer a new experience. >> people in iran are lining up at polling stations and filling out ballots to pick a successor to replace mahmoud ahmadinejad. a moderate candidate is still hoping for a breakthrough. we are watching things unfold in tehran. >> reporter: the line has been long. more than 50 million iranians are eligible to cast ballots at 60,000 locations across the country. police have tightened security. massive anti-government riots broke out in 2009 soon after results were announced. the government has lifted restriction on inte

>>> 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. chinese president xi jinping has arrived in the u.s. for talks with barack obama. officials from the two koreas agreed to meet for their first talks after months of tensions. >> now a newly discovered audio -- we continue coverage from myanmar, we'll focus on the conflicts the country is facing. >> u.s. president barack obama and chinese president xi jing pink are about to kick off a two-day summit in california. they will meet at a resort near palm springs on friday. the chinese president arrived in the u.s. amid tight security. xi flew in on thsday afternoon from mexico, the last leg of his latin american tour. obama is due to arrive on friday afternoon. the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of ideas. it will include cyber attacks that the united states says is coming from china. territorial disputes between china and some asian countries are also expected to be on the agenda. to understand what might be

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo with the stories at this hour. >>> ballot counting is under way in iran after millions of people voted for the new president. they're picking a successor to outgoing leader mahmoud ahmadinejad who's been in office eight years. so many people showed up they extended the voting. they include the mayor and the country's top nuclear negotiate. those who want better relations with western countries are supporting a single candidate, hassan rohani. he was a negotiate under the former reform president. opinion polls shows hard liners leading the race. the moderate rohani closed the gap in the final stages of campaigning. election results will be found on saturday. if no candidate has majority, the top two candidates face a runoff vote in one week. >>> u.s. president barack obama is changing his afroech the war in syria. he has concluded troops loyal to bashar assad used chemical weapons and will provide military support to opposition fighters. >> we have concluded as

nhk has more from da car. >> reporter: this is what is left of the area. in this area, the waves were so strong that the villagers didn't have any other choice than leaving their house. it used to be a fishing village, home to 700 people. three years ago, waves started hitting the village. there were the highest any one had ever experienced. the rising sea level is disrupting the lives of coastal people. this man used to be a fisherman. he lives just 10 kilometers from a village. it's now under water. one night four years ago, strong winds sent high waves crashing into his home. most of the walls and foundation gave way. but the family managed to escape. >> translator: the water came this far. and everything was washed away. my family was very scared. >> reporter: now the 20 people in his family rent a room about 30 meters square near their old home. they can't afford to move to a safer area. this man is a professor at a local university. he researched the rising sea levels. he believes global warming is one reason the waves are so high. according to resea

nhk world reports. >> reporter: this is a philippines most modern warship. for the first time it will participate in joint drills with the u.s. where chinese maritime surveillance ships are closely guarding. it is the very same ship that figured in a recent standoff with chinese government vessels there. on the first day of the six-day operation, navies from the philippines and the united states held a press conference at the bay, the one-time site of an american navy base. >> we cannot work effectively together without those relationships in place and being reinforced by exercises like this. >> let me call to mind to work toward a common purpose. the u.s. navy and the philippine navy would like towards mutual interests and concerns. >> reporter: this location of this year's exercise is near a shoal claimed by both china and the philippines. chinese boats retain effective control of the small group of rocky islets keeping away philippine vessels. china's military is far larger and more powerful than that of the philippine's. manila is hurrying to modernize i

nhk world, paris. >>> time now for a check on world weather. people in the philippines, taiwan and some parts of japan are dealing with stormy weather conditions. meteorologist sayaka mori. >> over the philippines, taiwan, and the southwestern islands of japan, stormy conditions. this is the fourth tropical storm of the western pacific typhoon season of 2013. this is moving up towards the north approaching taiwan and the southwestern islands of japan into tomorrow, and then there towards the north, aiming for mainland japan, while weakening. five-meter high waves expected with gusts of winds nearly 100 kilometers per hour wednesday and more serious conditions thursday. now, it looks like rainfall is going to be quite significant. 200 millimeters likely in okinawa. 150 millimeters of rain in the northern parts of the philippines, enough to trigger flooding as well as landslides. and whether or not the system makes landfall in japan or not, we are highly likely we will receive very heavy rain because ample moisture from the tropical storm will en

>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> group of eight leaders spend the the final hours of summit trading ideas on fighting terrorism and preventing tax evasion by international companies. >> more than 200,000 people protest across brazil calling on the government to spend on public programs and not international sport events. >> the president of afghanistan hails his country's armed forces as they take full charge of security from foreign forces. >>> the leaders of eight world powers have met around a table at a resort in northern ireland to share thoughts on everything from the economy to the civil war in syria. they are spending the final hours of the annual g-8 summit talking about how to counter-terrorism and to deal with tax evasion. british prime minister wants them to quit paying ransom to kidnappers. he said that would cut off a main source of funding for terrorist organizations and reduce incentive to take civilians hostage. militant groups are

>>> hello and welcome to nhk world "newsline." it's wednesday, june 12th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. turkey's prime minister says he will not yield to protesters. erred juan has demanded an immediate end to almost two weeks of demonstrations. but protesters entered istanbul's thaksin square once again under a cloud of discontent. police sent them scattering under clouds of tear gas. riot police stormed the square at the heart of central istanbul. they fired volleys of tear gas into the crowds. they targeted some protesters with the force of their water cannon. protesters fled into side streets and buildings, but gradually made their way back into the square. by evening, tens of thousands of demonstrators had gathered to renew their cause that erdowan step aside. some hurled stones at police who responded with the same tactics they used earlier in the day. some protesters have set up camp in a nearby park the government plans to redevelop. they say the redevelopment is yet another example of what they say is erdowan's authoritarian stale. the prime mi

>>> 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. anti-government protests in turkey have turned deadly. >>> curt was tight intianamin square. >>> japan had a qualified game against australia and they ended in a 1-1 score. they are the first to quality for for one of 32 places for the cup apart from the host nation, brazil. >>> authorities in turkey say one person has been killed in an anti-government protest. demonstrators are taking to the streets for the fifth day. authorities in the southern town has died. his killer has not been identified. the demonstrations began in istanbul. they gathered early in the morning to stage more demonstrations. in central istanbul, people continue to hold a sit in. they're counting on more citizens to join the protests. the demonstrators say the prime minister is sering durturkey ine long direction. >> they are trying to redevelop istanbul. the demonstration became a show of difference against the government. >> i'm here for freedom. i

nhk world, malaysia. >>> nhk is just one of a number of media covering the ticad meeting. many journalists from africa have come to report on the event. some spend part of their time before the start of the conference touring an elementary school in yokohama. they attended history and phys. ed. cation classes. the reporters asked the students what they foe about africa. the children replied the couldn't nents has plenty of natural resources. they also said it's not just a hot place and that some countries have four seasons like japan. that won them some applause. >> translator: now i feel africa is closer than before. and i feel like traveling there. i want to help africa in what little way i can. >> education system here is good. so maybe we should, as african countries we should emulate that. >>> officials with the operator of the fukushima daiichi chuk hear power plant are asking for more public money. they say they are having to compensate people who had to leave their homes after the accident in 2011. officials with tokyo electric power company are asking for an extra

he sat down with nhk world. he has written a book. he spoke with nhk. >> reporter: what's myanmar's reaction to the rapid investment from china? >> the feeling was that myanmar didn't get good deals from chinese companies on different projects or that chinese goods being sold were of bad quality. so rightly or wrongly, people have a bad impression or image of the impact of economic relations with china over the years, but i think the government understands that it has to balance these things, that it should have the best possible relationship with the united states, with japan, with europeans, but it cannot do this in a way that would antagonize china. it's going to be important not just for the next ten years, but for the next 00 years as well. the pipelines are for oil and gas. for china, for beijing, this is incredibly important. it's important for the development of the southwest, but it's important strategically as well. the from the chinese side it's been like a dead end for a long time. if that dead end suddenly becomes a cross

nhk world, singapore. are pa. >> managers of japan's nuclear plants are getting ready for a new reality. they have been working on strengthening safety standards since the 2011 next fukushima. changes take effect next month and already people are questioning how tough the rules will be to put into practice. he walks us through the issues in today's nuclear watch. >> nuclear regulators spend nine months throwing up the new requirements. they revise the rules since the accident at the fukushima plant. an earthquake and tsunami triggered melt downs. the the new requirements operated to implement a number of measures. >> operators must prepare for the highest predicted tsunami rate. they have to set up break waters and take other precautions to prevent seawater from international facilities. a loss of power triggered the melt downs. the new requirements obliged operators to back up power systems. in addition, they have to build alternative control rooms. they have to install filter vents that will remove radio

>>> hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's thursday, june 13th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> turkey's ruling party may have blinked first in its standoff with protesters. officials say they are open to holding a referendum over an istanbul development plan that triggered the two-week protests. it's the first gesture by the government of prime minister recep tayyip erdogan to defuse the tensions. but despite the gesture, demonstrations continue in istanbul. the announcement by a justice and development party spokesperson follows talks between erdogan and the activists on wednesday evening. erdogan met an 11-member delegation of protesters, his first meeting since the crisis began. the protests erupted at the end of may after police stormed a sit-in by activists. the activists were protesting a redevelopment project to turn an istanbul park into a replica ottoman-era barracks. the protests spread to cities across the country and have attracted tens of thousands of people nearly every night. the referendum proposal is the first sign that erd

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. iran's president-elect has made a victory speech. he's promised to build the economy and improve relations with the west. >>> group of eight leaders are in northern ireland for their annual summit to discuss a wide range of issues including the conflict in syria. >>> "the guardian" newspaper says british agents spied on foreign politicians and officials in 2009 during a g-20 meeting in london. >>> iran's president-elect has held a news conference in tehran. hassan rouhani made a victory speech. he said his administration will rebuild the economy and improve relations with the international community. president-elect hassan rouhani held a news conference for the first time after winning majority of votes in friday's election. nearly 400 journalists attended. >> rouhani ime promised to improve the economy in relation to international. >> rouhani garnered 55% of more than votes. moderate and reformist groups came together t

>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> the leaders of china and south korea want to use dialogue to resolve the issue of north korea's nuclear program. >>> kevin rudd has been sworn in for a second time as australia's prime minister after winning a political showdown. >>> and family fun. the largest trade expo dedicated to products for young children opens in tokyo. and we'll show you the latest trends. >>> the presidents of south korea and china have met in beijing. park geun-hye traveled to beijing to the summit. she joined a statement with president xi jinping. >> reporter: we agreed to work for the korean peninsula, maintain stability and solve problems through dialogue. the situation on the peninsula is changing for the better. we hope the six-party talks will resume as soon as possible. >> the two leaders also agreed to boost diplomatic and economic ties. they say they will create a new framework for high level talks. they also agree to work for the

>>> 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. >>> the prime minister of turkey says demonstrators will have to leave the square in central istanbul within 24 hours. >>> the slide on the tokyo stock market has erased gains after japan took action to boost the economy. a japanese composers has written a piano sonata for the quake victims. >>> turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan showing no signs of let up. he urged young people to stop camping out in nearby gezi park. he says police will have to disburse them otherwise. the anti-government demonstrations began two weeks ago. people were angry about a plan to redevelop the park. protesters joined in a movement against what they called the government's heavy handed tact ims. riot police are used tear gas and water cannons. erdogan offered to hold a referendum on the plan. some demonstrators say they won't stop the protests until the prime minister steps down. >>> the american whistleblower who broke the silence on

nhk world, jakarta. >>> u.s. and russian leaders are trying to organize a conference to negotiate an end to syria's civil war. but government and opposition forces remain far apart on preconditions for joining the talks. they're continuing their armed struggle. troops loyal to president bashar al assad have been regaining ground. the lebanese militant group, hezbollah, has helped them. but its involvement is bringing the war across the border. nhk world's sho beppu shows us. >> reporter: hermel is a hezbollah stronghold. portraits of the militant group's leader, hasan asala, adorn the streets. in some areas, his image is side by side with that of syrian president bashar al assad. lesser-known people are also honored here. this man's relative was a hezbollah militant who died fighting in syria. >> translator: i am proud of my cousin. he died as a martyr. >> reporter: this narrow waterway and the outskirts of hermel divides lebanon and syria. armed, hezbollah fighters cross the border freely. many went to the syria

nhk world, vladivostok. >>> raining in parts of japan, meteorologist robert speta has more. robert. >>> we have been watching this heavy rainfall especially in southern kyushu, upwards of about 150 millimeters reported in just a three-hour span this afternoon. that's actually record breaking out here. so definitely seeing that heavy rainfall continuing the stretch across the area due to the rainy season front which is dominating overhead extending out over central and eastern china as well. out here you've been seeing rainfall day in and day out and still risk of flooding out here. the ground is already saturated and it is really going to be coming down. let's look farther down towards the south at this our newest tropical storm. now, this is tropical storm rumia. actually just formed up and starting to push off there towards the west. what it will be doing it's going to push across the philippines here, bring some high winds, some high waves especially towards the east coast of luzon and enhancing the monsoonal flow. you're going to be seeing some heavy rainfall out of this

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. >>> u.s. defense leaders say they will reduce their reliance on nuclear arms as president obama repeats his call for a world free of those weapons. >>> the only two nuclear reactors online in japan are expected to pass new safety guidelines and keep churning out energy. >>> women in congo hope they'll be better protected now that thousands of u.n. peace keepers have a mandate to use force against rebel forces. >>> u.s. president barack obama is changing the rules that govern how his country handles the most destructive weapons. the defense department has revised its guidelines on nuclear arms for the first time in 11 years. military commanders will reinforce conventional weaponry and reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons. president obama has said again and again his goal is to make the world free of nuclear weapons. he spoke in germany about his plans going forward. >> after a comprehensive review, i've determined we

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some stories we're following this hour. japanese researchers have been given the go ahead to start the world's first human trials using ips cells as early as next summer. >> australian prime minister gill ard has ousted. the three olympic cities held their breath as the ioc released their report. they will decide the host city of the 2020 summer games. >>> a japanese health ministry panel approved the first trial using ips cells that can grow in any type of body issue. it could take place as early as next summer. researchers filed an application in february to use ips cells to cultivate ret nal tissue, hoping to restore sight from people suffering from age related macular degeneration. they met for the third time to screen the application and additional data. they evaluated both technical aspects and ethical considerations of the technology. an estimated 690,000 people are suffering from the eye disease across japan. laser treatment and medication are currently being

>>> welcome to nhk's "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following at this hour. >> fire fight in kabul. militants launch an attack near the presidential palace. we have an exclusive report. >> brazil's leader is pledging more money for public services in response to widespread public demonstrations. >>> the lebanese militant group hezbollah, is deepening its involvement in the syria civil war and deepening sectarian divides at home. the taliban penetrated deep inside kabul on tuesday launching a daring raid near the presidential palace. nhk world was inside the palace at the time of the attack. we have footage and description of what happened. >> reporter: the assault began around 6:30 in the morning. i was at the president's palace to cover an event hosted by president hamid karzai. the sound was a series of deafening explosions. i counted at least seven blasts. soon after, a gunfight erupted between militants and security forces. the journalists were taken into the basement of the palace. we cou

>>> 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. leaders from japan and africa have pledged to promote economic growth on the continent with a round of new investment. >>> authorities are calling for calm after protests spread across the country. >>> a fire breaks out at a poultry farm in northeast china. workers were trapped in buildings. >>> leaders from africa have wrapped up talks in yokohama. they pledge long-term growth by increasing business and infrastructure. participants at the tokyo international conference of ticad ended their meeting on monday. shinzo abe gave the final address. >> translator: we pledge our sport for africa. we are committed to promoting the goals that we are determined to accomplish. and we will fulfill those promises. >>> africa, once again, is open for business and our japanese brothers can rest assured that investing in africa will be a very rewarding experience. >>> leaders adopted a pledge called the yokohama declaration. they emphasi

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline". i'm gene otani in tokyo. here is a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. senior diplomats conclude talks as analysts speculate about what the dialogue could mean for negotiations on the north's nuclear program. >>> taliban members vou to continue attacks in afghanistan even as negotiators prepare for peace talks. >>> children in one part of the northeastern japan are finding it easier to face the future by recovering something treasured from their past. >> they seem to be taking a more con sell tri stance. senior diplomats concluded talks with their counterparts in china and they discussed resuming the talks on pyongyang's nuclear program. north korea's first advice foreign minister met -- >> translator: they had an in depth exchange of views on the korean peninsula. we'll announce the details of the talks later. >> the spokesperson said kim met china's representative for the six party talks. the negotiations have been suspended since december of 2008. chinese officials call the latest vice m

>>> 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. the governments of north and south korea agree to talk about divisive issues including a jointly run industrial complex that's currently closed. >>> members of an advisory panel have come up with a proposal to chip away at japan's mountain of death. they plan to reduce the debt-to-gdp ratio from 20 to 1. >>> delegates gather in myanmar for the world economic forum on east asia. we'll take you there live to examine the geopolitical shifts under way in this region. >>> officials in pyongyang and seoul have exchanged a flurry of messages throughout the day. as they work to reopen lines of communication. now south korean representatives have set a date and place for the first ministerial discussions between the neighbors in years. a number of issues will be on the table. including the reopening of the shared kaesong industrial complex. things started with an announcement on the state-run korean central news agency. the north

>>> welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at the stories we're following this hour. >>> japanese officials say work to remove fuel from the crippled reactors at the fukushima daiichi plant may begin sooner than expected. >>> a former u.s. intelligence worker has told reporters he leaked details of government surveillance programs out of conscience. >>> japanese businessmen are working to come up with ways to help people avoid future disasters by studying the past. >> japanese engineers may be able to start removing fuel from the reactors at the fukushima daiichi plant earlier than previously expected. officials of the government and plant's operator want to speed up the process and drafted a new road map for getting the work done. the officials jointly released a revised timetable for decommissioning the four reactors damaged two years ago. plan covers various scenarios and calls for work to begin on separate dates for each of the reactors. engineers will start with the number one and two reactors in the year 20

>>> 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. tur irk police stay on stand by protesters retreat from a square in istanbul and prepare for a meeting with the prime minister. >>> sparking concerns about security in the afghan capital. two conservative candidates in iran work to sell their hard line message ahead of friday's presidential election. >>> turkish police are on alert and anti-government protesters are regrouping after a violent confrontation in istanbul. demonstrations have morphed into a call for the country's l lead to step down. purchase recep tayyip erdo gan erdogan agreed to meet protest leaders. nhk world join us live from taksim square. >> reporter: i'm on a rooftop overlooking taksim square. things are calm but still tense. police are still on guard with water cannons on standby. cleanup crews have cleared away debris and tents. for first time in two weeks, cars allowed to come into the square. the uneasiness among protesters grew on tuesday as poli

nhk world. >>> a government survey says the marriage rate in japan increased last year. but it was still the second lowest figure since world war ii. officials of the welfare mentry say the number of newly wed couples in 2012 stood at more than 668,000. this is up 6,900 from the post war low recorded the previous year. men married for the first time at the age of 30.8 on average and well at 29.2. both men and women were marrying later than in previous surveys. an expert on demographics says low incomes and job insecurity are discouraging young people from getting married. >> translator: we should view the situation as a social problem. and improve the working conditions of young people. >> the aging and shrinking population is one of the biggest challenges facing japanese society. >>> a series of exhibitions is being held this year in japan and abroad to mark the 100th birthday of one of japan's artists. he merges traditional ink painting with abstract impressionism. nhk spoke with her about her life and her work. >> reporter: at the opening of the show, the artist was t

>>> 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. >>> the former u.s. intelligence contractor wanted for espionage is seeking asylum in ecuador. >> chinese dissident slammed authorities. and officials from one of the most ancient cities are trying to master the tea ceremony. they are learning it's not as easy as it looks. >>> the man who has threatened u.s. government surveillance practices is trying to get to ecuador to seek asylum. american authorities want former national security agency contractor edward snowden on espionage charges. he revealed nsa agents collected private phone and internet data at home and abroad. snowden arrived in moscow sunday, and left the night at an airport hotel. russian media report he had finished boarding procedures. the flight left on monday but there was no confirmation that snowden was on board. leaders in ecuador say they will consider helping him whenever he arrives. >> translator: our government is prepared to accept snowden's requ

nhk world, tokyo. now let's take a look at the market figures. you take hard knocks at the top of the sport like bicycle motocross, or bmx, they are an official olympic event. the best rider and hope is a girl. she has won the world title in her age group for two years in a row. >> reporter: sae is 14 years old. all she ever wanted to do was race bmx. sae has made a name for herself for her powerful jumps. they're as strong as those of much bigger males. >> translator: it's fun to pull off a big jump or clock a better time. that's really why i ride. >> reporter: sae has been on a bike since before she remembers. she started racing bmx in her brother's footsteps. by age 4, she was practicing on racetracks. she won race after race in local competitions after entering elementary school. she then started racing internationally. she has three world titles so far. >> translator: i want to be the world's fastest racer in women's bmx. >> reporter: the family is backing her dream. sae's father tunes her equipment every day. >> translator: you feel lighter

nhk world's tomoyoshi komiya reports. >> reporter: americans are crazy about their football. even current championship games draw well over 40,000 fans. the good players victory gain media attention. teams in the national football league or nfl draft the top players. just by signing on the dotted line, quite a few become instant millionaires. despite all that income, an increasing number of players end up broke after they retire from the sports. the u.s. media reports that 78% of former nfl players declare bankruptcy within five years of their last game. former nfl star jamal lewis is among those who filed for bankruptcy. he retired after playing for the renowned baltimore ravens between 2000 and 2010. lewis set many records and he was named the best player in the team's history. despite all that success, he lost his home and most of his assets. he agreed to an interview in his lawyer's home. >> just wheeling and dealing. that's pretty much it. i actually -- i do some sales work for another trading company. >> reporter: he grew up in a poor area of the south. as a high school

nhk world, guangzhou. >>> more recalls to tell you about from toyota motor. it announced it's going to be recalling more than 240,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, and they do include the prius. company executives say they found potential braking problems. the automaker filed the request to the transport ministry on wednesday. the two models recalled are the prius and the lexus hybrid hs250h. the vehicles were made sometime between march and october 2009. the ministry says this are mechanical design flaws in the brake parts which could crack while the vehicle runs. so far 49 complaints over braking problems have been filed from drivers in japan. all right. that is going to do it for biz this hour. let's get a check of the markets. >>> french leaders say they have proof that government forces in syria have used a deadly nerve agent in their civil war. foreign minister says french scientists have tested samples point to the use of sarin gas. >> translator: there is no doubt that it was the regime and its accomplices. >> fabier told a french television station that

yukei tanaka, nhk world, saitama. >> what a show. >>> time now for a check on weather.ple in parts of western japan are dealing with flooding and landslides due to heavy rain that hit the region. mai shoji gives us the latest in world weather. >> good morning, catherine. significant amounts of rainfall has triggered some flooding and landslides across western japan. finally they're taking a break now but let me show you a video coming up from kyushu. torrential rain had triggered landslides and flooding in kyushu. western japan an active seasonal front is to blame. more than 400 millimeters of rain has pelted some areas since sunday. the rain has now stopped but river levels are very high so the risk of flooding remains. pulling you back, i can show you that the seasonal front boundary has sagged out towards the south. so drier and hotter weather will be the main weather conditions for much of japan today, which is great news, but the region will now be the bulk of the rain passing through the area. with up to about 80 millimeters of rain into the next hours there. but

nhk world's sho beppu, shows us. >> reporter: hermel is a hezbollah stronghold. portraits of the militant group's leader, hasan asala, adorn the streets. in some areas, his image is side by side with that of syrian president bashar al assad. lesser-known people are also honored here. this man's relative was a hezbollah militant who died fighting in syria. >> translator: i am proud of my cousin. he died as a martyr. >> reporter: this narrow waterway and the outskirts of hermel divides lebanon and syria. armed, hezbollah fighters cross the border freely. many went to the syrian town of qusair in may and june to support assad's troops. they helped them push out anti-government forces. by aiding assad, hezbollah is trying to ensure its own survival. for years, its shiite allies in iran sent money and military support through syria. hezbollah supporters favor intervention in the conflict. but some have paid a heavy price. this man says his 20-year-old daughter died after the anti-government forces shelled the town. >> translator: only a parent knows what it's like to

nhk world has more.>>r:ceral vi, group led by an american was opened in the city threeears ago. this group member is a vietnam war veten. the group offers direct aid to those in need. on this day, the members visited a 75 year old woman. show has been taking care of her handicapped son and his sister. >> translator: the u.s. has ruined our lives. it seems i've been stuck in jail for 40 years, just taking care my children. >> reporter: the u.s. government hasn't offered any compensation to vietnamese people suffering from defoliant related health problems. members make regular visits to the sufferers, assessing their situations and helping them. >> i feel that what the united states did here was terrible. we are quickly approaching the ange.h generation of agent there's no relief in sight. we have no idea how long this is going to last. >> reporter: since last year, the group launched a two week tour across vietnams for u.s. nationals. participants are taken to former battlefields from the vietnam war. they can see for themselves the damage agent orange has caused. mike kerber is

nhk world spoke with tokyo gases vice president about what's at stake. >> hello. >> nice to meet you. >> i understand that the current administration has the positive position for the export. we expect a few more project will be approved in the next few months. our project we already have a contract with the resources and energy from cove point is one of them. >> reporter: tokyo gas has already sign add deal with an american firm to buy from shell gas. the deal had blocked exports until now. experts say shale imports will cut the overall fuel cost by up to 15% by the year 2020. tokyo gas is building the world's biggest underground tank to store the imports. 72 meters wide and nearly 62 meters deep. the company hopes to expands its domestic business using cheaper gas. >> how will it change your business strategies? >> the energy to japan and asia already been diversified from the various sources like asia, australia, middle east and russia. u.s. shale gas will make diversification. the contract specify that this nation and limited this nation. however the u.s. shale gas energy is free.

nhk world, beijing. >> the u.s. treasury department is taking more action to try to stifle north korea's military development. it added a bank and firm in the north to the sanctions list. they said the institutions support the development of the ballistic weapons and missiles of mass destruction. the bank and the front company, d.c. b finance are prohibited from conducting financial transactions with american businesses and their assets in the u.s. are being frozen. the representative of d.c. b finance is facing the same restrictions. in march the department banned north korea's institution and the foreign trait bank from doing business from u.s. companies. officials stress they will continue to pressure north korea with financial sanctions. authorities in pyongyang appear to be toning down the provocations and engijed in missile development. it's worse than first thought. in the ouiger autonomous region, it left 35 people dead. members of the ouiger minority have risen up against the majority in the past. they said