the two sides can't get past their dispute over the senkaku islands in the east china sea. the china/japan friendship association planned the event for this thursday. but the organizers said they wanted to postpone the ceremony for awhile. embassy officials sburinterpret that to mean it was canceled. the japanese government had ruined the atmosphere for the anniversary, the chinese say. china's leaders claimed the islands are chinese territory. chinese officials say former foreign minister and other leaders will still meet with japanese members of the association. the state-run xinhua news agency quoted saying that china remains committed to promoting friendship with japan. a senior japanese embassy official said that chinese want to use the proper meetings to reiterate their position and to urge the japanese to compromise. a japanese government source said the chinese government apparently needs to take a hard line stance. he said chinese leaders are trying to boost public support. the source said it's essential that both sides keep talking. japanese officials are trying t

based on the rule of law. >> reporter: gemba's comments come amid heightened tensions over the senkaku islands in the east china sea. japan is also involved in a territorial dispute with south korea over the takeshima islands in the sea of japan. in his speech, gemba made reference to the role of the international code of justice. his comment appeared to concern regional settlement over takeshima. >> i would like to reiterate today the importance of international courts as a means to settle international disputes peacefully in accordance with law. >> reporter: the foreign minister said japan recognizes the compulsory jurisdiction of the court. this means japan will appear before the court if another country files an appeal. other countries, including south korea, do not accept the code's binding authority. gemba asked that more countries recognize that the court has compulsory jurisdiction. his comment is seen as a veiled criticism against south korea which has refused to refer the dispute over takeshima to the court. in a separate move, japan's foreign ministry has taken action against an att

japan controls the senkaku islands. taiwan and china also claim them. coast guard officers have spent awe they say around 40 fishing boats and several patrol ships from taiwan entered japanese waters on tuesday. they left a day earlier from taiwan. they're protesting against japan's nationalization of the territory. they are also asserting fishing rights in the area. coast guard officers tried to stop the taiwanese boats, by blasting them with water. taiwanese vessels, responded by spraying water back. coast guard crews used microphones and electronic signs to warn the boats to leave japanese waters. they say vessels changed course and and a half gatd navigated i of taiwan. >>> fengd off action by china to push its claim to the senkaku islands. china handed in a new chart to the u.n. on september the 13th. it showed a territorial baseline extending beyond the senkaku islands. japanese foreign ministry officials said they have responded with a document objecting to chinese application. the document states the senkakus historically and legally belong to j

. >> from 1885, surveys of the senkaku islands have been thoroughly conducted by japan. through these surveys it was confirmed that the senkaku islands had not been only uninhabited but had shown no trace of having been under the control of china. >> china's ambassador then presented his own rebuttal. he accused japan of blatantly distorting history. >>> a warning from a top japanese business leader. japan business federation chairman hiromasa yonekura says japan and china have got to settle their dispute promptly or else both economies will suffer. yonekura spoke to nhk in beijing. he referred to prime minister yoshihiko noda's statement that no territorial dispute exists over the senkaku islands. >> translator: the stance could be taken to mean that japan has no intention of settling the issue. the japanese government must adopt a more flexible attitude. >> yonekura also said the longer the friction remains the less investment will flow from japan to china. he said continued tensions will only hurt economic ties. >>> the president of myanmar has praised opposition lead

. >> from 1885, surveys of the senkaku islands have been thoroughly conducted by japan. through these surveys it was confirmed that the senkaku islands had not been only uninhabited but had shown no trace of having been under the control of china. >> china's ambassador then presented his own rebuttal. he accused japan of blatantly distorting history. >>> a warning from a top japanese business leader. japan business federation chairman hiromasa yonekura says japan and china have got to settle their dispute promptly or else both economies will suffer. yonekura spoke to nhk in beijing. he referred to yoshihiko noda's statement that no territorial dispute exists over the senkaku islands. >> translator: the stance could be taken to mean that japan has no intention of settling the issue. the japanese government must adopt a more flexible attitude. >> you know, cure ra also said the longer the friction remains the less investment will flow from japan to china. he said continued tensions will only hurt economic ties. >>> japanese and chinese were to have spent this week celebrat

japanese authorities are fendsing off action by china to push its claim to the senkakus islands. japan has submitted objections. china handed in a new chart to the u.n. on september 13th. it showed a territory baseline extending beyond the islands. the document states that they legally belong to japan. it says the country cannot accept china's claim to the territory. the u.n. is expected to post the document on its website. the prime minister is expected to speak at the general assembly on wednesday. he's expected to cal for a resolution of issues based on international laws. japan is engaged in a dispute with south korea over the islands in the sea of japan. >>> iran's president often challenges and chastises western nations in defense of his country's nuclear program. he's suggesting he falls d diploma diplomacy. the president says he's willing to put a stop to the practice provided other countries fill in the gap. >> reporter: ahmadinejad spoke to nhk in new york. he thought to dispel international concern over the possible strait of hormuz. >> translator: iran has been maintai

taiwan also claims the senkaku islands. a fleet of taiwanese fishing boats is headed for the east china sea to back up that claim. more than 70 vessels from a fishing cooperative set sail monday afternoon. asserting taiwan's claim to the islands and demanding their fishing rights be protected. the cooperative is suggesting the -- it says the water surrounding the islands are a major taiwanese fishing ground. the fleet hopes to enter japanese territory waters on tuesday. more than ten taiwanese coast guard vessels will accompany the boats. >>> stories of tragedy and loss in the middle east touched the hearts of people around the world. one in the palestinian territory seven years ago touched a japanese doctor so much he wrote a book about it. nakata read an article about the death of a boy. then he sat down and wrote amed's relay of life. >> reporter: ahmed lives with his family in the palestinian territories. one day he sets out on an errand wearing his best holiday clothes. a bullet hits him in the head. it was shot by an

ministry spokesperson claims that the cancellation was a result of japan's naturalization of the senkaku islands. >> translator: the ceremony was supposed to be a major opportunity to further develop china-japan ties. however, japan's purchase of the islands violated china's sovereignty and caused hurt feelings among the chinese people. the move gravely undermined bilateral relations. >> reporter: relations were difficult ten years ago too. japanese prime minister koizumi had just visited the shrine. his visit angered many chinese. still, chinese leader hu jintao attended the ceremony. this year the two sides couldn't overcome their differences over the islands. protesters across china have shown how they feel about the senkaku over the past two weeks, and the government leaders could have come under more criticism if they had allowed the ceremony to go ahead. members of the communist party would hold their national congress later this year. they gather only once every five years. and the political analysts say chinese leaders could have jeopardized their standing in the party if they had attend

the cabinet will adopt the decision tuesday. >> translator: we never want the issues around the senkaku islands to have an impact on japan-china relations. we should avoid any unexpected incidents or misunderstandings. >> chinese foreign minister has summoned the ambassador. yang called buying the island illegal and invalid. representatives of taiwan's foreign office say they will ask japan to refrain from taking unilateral action that would violate taiwan's sovereignty. >>> all it takes is five minutes. then a new screening method will tell patients if they have cancer. medical practictioners only started using this technology this year but already it's getting results. >> reporter: the clinic started using it in april. all the test requires is about five mililiters of a person's blood, about a spoonful. staff can determine how likely it is a patient has cancer. the results will be available in two weeks. >> translator: there's stomach lining, mammary glands, ovaries and uterus. >> reporter: the test applies to six types of cancer. there's three classifications of probability from a to c. clas

government maintains a neutral stance on the sovereignty of the senkaku island. but because japan controls the territo territory, japan, u.s. security treaty obligation extend to the islands. chinese vessels have been navigating watters arou earwalt around the islands. the absence of dialogue and the crisis management mechanism could lead to unintended consequences. which could mean the united states would not be able to stay neutral. junko tanaka, nhk world, washington. >>> a member of the standing committee and met with a dell gaegs of japanese lawmakers and representati representatives. japan criticize ford going ahead with the purchase of the island. he said that put relations in an unprecedented situation. the country normalized diplomatic ties 40 years ago. jao said the relations have seen six nif can't development during the time and hatch brought great benefits to both countries. >>> tension in the room was extremely hype. former foreign minister quotes saying japan should take measures to correct the current circumstances. >> what its needed most is that

the demonstrators have been protesting against the japanese government's purchase of the senkaku islands in the east china sea. messages online are calling for rallies in 58 cities on tuesday. they'll mark the anniversary of the incident in 1931 that led to japan's invasion of manchuria. around 200 people gathered monday in front of the japanese embassy in beijing. it was the seventh straight day of protests there. rallies took place in dozens of chinese cities over the weekend. some turned violent. police in beijing posted a statement online saying that destroying property is not patriotic. they called on protesters to observe law and order. police detained suspects accused of attacking a japanese-affiliated supermarket and destroying japanese vehicles. a spokesperson called on protesters to exercise restraint. but he stopped short of telling them to end their demonstrations. the japanese embassy is warning japanese nationals in china to be cautious. all japanese schools in mainland china plan to close on tuesday. japan's foreign minister and the u.s. defense secretary have been discuss

the ships left the area around the senkaku islands in the afternoon. the coast guard says two vessels belonging to china's state oceanic administration entered the area at around 6:20 a.m. they were followed by four more ships soon after. coast guard officials warned them to leave the area. all the ships had left the waters by 1:30 p.m. officers say the crew of the intruding ships told them that the islands had traditionally been chinese territory. this is the first time since july that chinese government vessels have entered japan's waters. the japanese government bought the senkakus on tuesday from their private owner. >>> prime minister yoshihiko noda is ging an all-out effort to keep up surveillance of china's activities around the senkaku islands. noda issued the appeal at a meeting of cabinet ministers on friday. the meeting was called soon after the six vessels entered japan's waters. noda stressed the need for appropriate government offices to work closely together to deal with the situation. after the meeting, the chief cabinet secretary osamu

that was the day that the japanese government officially announced plans to nationalize the senkaku islands, which are known in china as the diawi islands. >> translator: i was planning to visit japan, but i'm angry over the japanese government's attitude. >> reporter: the travel company is offering full refunds to customers who had booked tours to japan. >> translator: of course it's affecting our business plans and we'll suffer economically, but we need to express our anger. >> reporter: this man works for a think tank created with china's foreign ministry. he says many people in china think the japanese government went too far when it purchased the disputed islands. >> we had the conflicts and disputes before. but this time, the japanese, the current japanese government is intending to buy, that was a dissociation which would directly mean the sovereignty, over the islands. the basic principles upon which our two governments -- the two countries normalized our relations with regard to the islands, we agreed to share the sovereignty. >> reporter: liu says he's concerned by the protesters'

." >>> japan's government has officially decided to buy the senkaku islands from a private japanese owner. the islands are claimed by china and taiwan. ministers in charge of the matter met monday. they say the purchase is aimed at ensuring safe navigation in the area as well as peaceful and stable management of the islands. the ministers say the islands are japan's inherent territory based on history and the international law. they add no sovereignty issue exists. the government has already reached a basic agreement with the owner that the state will buy the islands for about $26 million. the cabinet will adopt the decision tuesday. >> translator: we never want the issues around the senkaku islands to have an impact on japan/china relations. we should avoid any unexpected incidents or misunderstandings. >> chinese foreign minister yang jiechi has summoned the ambassador. china's state-run news agency says japan's unilateral actions of buying the islands is illegal and invalid. he called on the japanese government to reverse its decision and refrain from infringing on china's sovereignty.

his comments follow more than a week after the purchase of the senkakus islands. xi met in beijing with leon panetta. xi criticized the nationalization of the islands. he said the purchase was a farce. xi urged u.s. leaders not to intervene. the islands fall under the scope of the security treaty. the treaty should not apply to the territory. a senior u.s. defense official quotes panetta as saying u.s. officials won't take sides. panetta is urging diplomats to keep talking to resolve the issue diplomatically and peacefully. >>> japan's coast guard officials are keeping a close eye on government ships in waters off the senkakus islands. there's no sign of a chinese flotilla. they have spotted 16 chinese patrol ships around the area since tuesday. they are fishing monitoring ships and vessels. at least six of those ships have now left the area. two were cruising near japanese waters on thursday morning. earlier this week, 1,000 fishing boats were heading for the area around the islands. but the coast guard says it hasn't spotted the flotilla. >>> police in ja paz ma

protestors are outraged about the japanese government's nationalization of the senkaku islands in the east china sea. the protesters are parading in front of the embassy compound. they're carrying chinese flags and placards. some of them have thrown eggs and plastic bottles at the embassy. several thousand police officers are guarding the area. the largest show of security since the protest began last week. people in 52 cities across china have staged similar protests. people in guangzhou marched around a building housing the consulate general. people in guangzhou and shanghai are taking part in similar demonstrations. officials at honda motors say they'll stop operations through wednesday at five plants in guangzhou. it will be hard to ship products with threat of violence. nissan motors closed two factories in central china since sunday. toyota, mazda, mitts subishi an suzuki have shut their plants. the supermarket chain closed all 15 stores in china. ito yakato closed all 15 of its stores in china. holdings and 7-eleven are also playing it safe. they're shutting some of their outle

the ships left the area around the senkaku islands in the afternoon. the coast guard says two vessels belonging to china's state oceanic administration entered the area at around 6:20 a.m. they were followed by four more ships soon after. coast guard officials warned them to leave the area. all the ships had left the waters by 1:30 p.m. officers of the crew of the intruding ships told them that the islands had traditionally been chinese territory. this is the first time since july that chinese government vessels have entered japan's waters. the japanese government bought the senkakus on tuesday from their private owner. >>> prime minister yoshihiko noda is urging an all-out effort to keep up surveillance of china's activities around the senkaku islands. noda issued the appeal at a meeting of cabinet ministers on friday. the meeting was called soon after the six vessels entered japan's waters. noda stressed the need of appropriate government offices to work closely together to deal with the situation. after, the meeting the chief cabinet secretary osamu

they've been monitoring chinese ships around the senkaku islands. the officers believe the chinese are trying to assert their sovereignty over the islands. coast guard officers said personnel from a chinese fishing monitoring vessels boarded seven chinese fishing boats. they say the inspections took place inside japan's exclusive economic zone. japanese officials warned the crew of one vessel that japan does not allow foreign enforcement of fisheries law inside the zone. the chinese replied that they were conducting legitimate duties in their exclusive economic zone. chinese vessels have been navigating through the waters since tuesday. japanese officers spotted ten ships in the area thursday evening. they saw several chinese and taiwan ease fishing boats in nearby water. chinese state-run media reported a flotilla of chinese trawlers was on the way, but it has not appeared. chinese leaders aren't backing down. they say the japanese can expect to see more chinese ships around the islands. premiere wen jiabao told official in brusles that government

the comments came among protests across china over the senkaku islands. these are also claimed by china. the nissan executive said he thinks anti-japan protests are spurring demand for german cars. >>> people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of the 2011 disaster but, it won't be easy. they have to rebuild homes and businesses and communities. we will show you their struggles and their successes on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. here on "newsline." >>> the people responsible for disaster preparedness in japan have drawn up a picture of wide spread flooding in tokyo. the scenario shows flood waters rushing down residential streets and through business districts. the government council agreed on a set of guidelines on how to prepare and react. the council of cabinet ministers and disaster prevention officials drew out the recommendations. they call on central and local governments to coordinate on damage. they estimate commercial, residential and business districts would be flooded if the banks of the arakawa river

noda did not name countries but spoke at a time of heightened tension with china over the senkaku islands and with south korea over the takashima islands. >> translator: the attempts to use unilateral power and threats to achieve selfish ends are not in accordance with the fundamental spirit of the united nations charter. that is unacceptable and goes against the wisdom of humanity. >> noda said it is the responsibility of nations to protect their territory. he said japan will fulfill its responsibility but stressed his country will uphold the principles shared by the international community under all circumstances. japanese government officials have tried to take their dispute with south korea to the international court of justice, but their counterparts in seoul have rejected those proposals. noda said countries should pay more attention to the function of the international court. >>> and noda says japanese officials will do their best to protect relations with their neighbors. our reporter watched the speech for us and said noda was careful about how he positioned himself. >> japanese

senkakus. they said they are contacting a regular patrol. the crew reportedly said the islands have been chinese territory. this is the first time since july that chinese government vessels have intruded into japanese waters. some of the groups members landed on one of the senkakus. >>> the u.s. federal reserve has stepped in again to try to stimulate the economy. the central bankers will attempt to get more money circulating through a tool called quantitative easing. the fed will buy $40 billion of mortgage debt each month until the jobs outlook improves. >> the employment situation remains a grave concern. while the economy appears to be on a path to moderate recovery, it isn't growing fast enough to make significant progress reducing the unemployment rate. >> the federal reserve announced the decision after a meeting of its policy makers. bernanke said members of the committee want to see sustained improvement. >> the idea is to kicken tquick economy. >> committee members said they plan to keep interest rates low until mid 2015. that wraps up this edition of "newsline." stay

japan controls and wants to purchase the senkaku islands. in the east china sea. china and taiwan claim the territory also. t the senkakus were surveyed from the ship. the japanese government prohibits the team from landing, so team members conducted their survey from their ships. some conducted the study around the largest island. >> translator: we will use the data for the purchase and good use of the islands. >> tokyo governor shintaro ishihara ordered the survey. he says he'll join the team on a return trip next month. he's demanding the government allow them to land. >>> a group of hong kong activists land on the islands last month. japanese authorities arrested, then deported them. japanese officials say they reached an agreement to buy the islands. they plan to push through paperwork to nationalize the territory by the end of september. >>> diplomats with the chinese foreign ministry have criticized japan for all activity around the islands. >> translator: we have already made a harsh protest against the japanese side. their unilateral actions are illegal an

. >>> our lead story for this hour, surveyors from tokyo have conducted a survey of the senkaku islands. japan controls the islands in the south china sea. tokyo governor ordered the inspection. he wants the metropolitan government to buy three uninhabited islands from a japanese family. the japanese government prohibited the 25-member team from landing. so they surveyed the area from their ships. some team members switched to smaller boats to study the waters and shore around the largest island. >> translator: we will use the data for the purchase and good use of the islands. >> sakamachi said they need to land to properly measure the island's size and inspect the ecosystem. the governor says he'll return next month. he's demanding the central government allow them to land. >>> a bomb exploded on sunday at a military facility in central damascus. syria's anti-government forces claim responsibility. they declared they will continue attacking government nerve centers. the bomb exploded at a building area for seniors guarding officials. free syrian army says that collaborators within the

the japanese government bought the senkaku islands tuesday from a private japanese owner. japan controls the territory. china and taiwan claim the islands belong to them. the head of the japanese foreign ministry's asian affairs bureau met for two days in beijing with his chinese counterpart. a chinese foreign ministry statement says china urged japan to immediately correct what it called a mistake. the statement asks that they return to mutual understanding and resolve the dispute through dialogue. japanese embassy officials say the chinese insist that diplomats agreed to shelf the dispute 40 years ago during talks on normalizing ties. the japanese say the chinese may want them to acknowledge the existence of a territorial dispute to allow the situation to cool down. demonstrators in beijing and shanghai have staged repeated protests and millions of people have posted comments on the internet criticizing japan. the japanese embassy is calling on residents and tourists to stay away from the demonstrations. >>> the best among them change with changing times and that's what h

is hinting at possible counter measures against the japanese government's plan to purchase the senkaku islands in the east china sea. japanese officials said the government reached a broad agreement to buy the islands from the owner to establish effective control in the peaceful manner. chinese foreign ministry spokesperson hong lei reiterated the islands belong to china. >> translator: japan it moving to internationalize the islands. this infringes the chinese sovereignty and hurts the chinese people's feelings. >> hong said china will take necessary measures to defend its sovereignty. >>> hundreds of soldiers tie with insurgents. a spokesperson for the afghan defense minister said officials acted after a six-month reevaluation of the troops. 45 members of the u.s. troops have been killed so far by afghan soldiers and police. the commander of the joint command james terry said the afghan military should tough en the screening of recruits. afghanistan is in the race to strengthen the military and troops planning to hold over authority for local security forces by the end of 2014. >>> workers a

move earlier this week to nationalize a group of tiny islands in the east china sea known as the senkaku islandsys later beijing upped the ante in an unusual show of fours beijing sent a large group of patrol ships to sail through the disputed territory. the islands are uninhabited but situated near fisheries and rich mineral reserves. japan's prime minister said they would not back down. anti-japanese unrest could be refueled next week as china marks the anniversary of a japanese invasion 81 years ago. >>> new research out today finds kids are eating too much salt and could be leading to health problems. the centers for disease control says 6200 children age 8 to 18, found 15% had high blood pressure or slightly elevated blood pressure on average kids ate 3300 milligrams of assault or so ddium daily. that's more than recommended. >>> coming up the big secret that hospitals don't want to you know. i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news". ♪ abracadabra. hershey's milk chocolate with almonds in pieces. your favorites, in pieces. hgotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new ac

. >>> japan/china relations are strained over territorial claims to the senkaku island in the east china sea. but a troop of chinese dancer is setting aside fraction to mark the diplomatic ties. they visited northeastern japan to perform a popular chinese dance. the troop is from the sister city. members danced in front of about 1,000 spectators. the blallet depicts a love stor in caves, a world heritage sooi site on the silk road. officials have cancelled events to mark the anniversary in japan and china. city officials say they were concerned diplomatic rouse might force them to cancel this one too. >> translator: i hope the event helps to improve japan slash china relations and make a world without any discord. >> the performance marks 30 years since the city was twinned with lamjo. >>> finding places to dispose of radio active waste at fukushima daiichi has been a struggle. japanese government officials proposed a site north of tokyo. the proposal is the first of its kind they made it a prefecture government. the environment ministries outlined the plan to governor. the central gover

their meeting follows japan's nationalization of the senkaku islands in the east china sea. china and taiwan claim the territory as their own. the talks took place tuesday in new york on the sidelines of the u.n. general assembly. koichiro gemba had a one-hour meeting with his chinese counterpart yang jiechi. gemba said both sides are responsible for the peace and stability of east asia. he stressed the importance of the two countries maintaining communication and keeping a broader perspective. gemba also referred to a series of anti-japanese protestors on japanese companies operating in china. he says japan does not condone violence under any circumstances and demanded chinese officials take appropriate measures. china's state-run xinhua news agency reported on the talks, saying nationalizing the islands was an infringement of china's sovereignty. he called it a serious challenge to the international stability created after the end of world war ii. yang went on to say that 1.3 billion chinese are offended by the act and the country will not tolerate it. both ministers agree

move earlier this week to nationalize a group of tiny islands in the east china sea known as the senkaku islandsys later beijing upped the ante in an unusual show of force, beijing sent a large group of patrol ships to sail through the disputed territory. the islands are uninhabited but situated near fisheries and rich mineral reserves. japan's prime minister said they would not back down. and urged china to ensure the safety of jamz nationals living on mainland china. anti-japanese unrest could be refueled next week as china marks the anniversary of a japanese invasion 81 years ago. >>> new research out today finds kids are eating too much salt and could be leading to health problems. the centers for disease control says 6200 children age 8 to 18, found 15% had high blood pressure or slightly elevated blood pressure. on average kids ate 3300 milligrams of assault or sodium daily. that's more than recommended. >>> coming up the big secret that hospitals don't want to you know. i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news". i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news". ♪ abracadabra. her

headquarters angry about china's nationalization of the senkaku islands. the protesters gathered ahead of noda's speech. >> we want to get the information to all the leaders in the united nations let them know, the island belong to china. >> the demonstrators waved chinese flags and signs demanding that japan leave the islands. >>> mahmud ahmendinejad criticized israel for posing a constant threat to his country. he told the general assembly the major powers are taking advantage of their possession of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction to threaten states. >> translator: israel's continuing threat to resort to military action against our nation is a clear example of this bitter reality. >> he also called for reform of the united nations and the creation of a new world order. iran chairs the conference of nonaligned countries made up of 120 countries and territories. he said unfairness and discrimination against developing countries by a few industrialized nations is creating an economic divide and fueling conflicts. >>> two car bombs exploded ne

with no end in sight in the dispute over the senkaku island. tensions are likely to continue. japanese government officials say they can't demand a harsher punishment. they say they have to follow chinese law. they praise what they call china's swift punishment. >>> syrian government forces have bombarded the center of aleppo. they mounted the assaults by ground and by air. opposition activists say the military is using helicopters to attack residential areas. air strikes in northern aleppo on monday killed 35 people. many people are still living in the center of the city. the free syrian army has reportedly fighting on the outskirts to try to minimize casualties. nearly 5,000 civilians and 500 children were killed across the countrien august. that is the highest monthly total since the uprising started last year. >>> syrian president bashar al assad welcomes the aid from the international committee of the red cross. but the agency must carry outs its work in a neutral manner. assad met the president marra in damascus. he asked assad to allow its organization to carry out the

the decision comes after the recent landing of chinese activists on the senkaku islands in the east china sea. china and taiwan claim the islands. the ministry plans to fund the equipment through a $130 million request in next fiscal year's budget. the deployment will consist of four 1,000-ton patrol ships and helicopters for the coast guard. the coast guard also aims to fit patrol boats with the latest video transmission equipment. the system will allow coast guard headquarters to immediately analyze images of suspicious vessels. >>> every three years, a major arts festival is held in nigata prefecture. this year one of the events was staged in an area known for its heavy snowfall. it was a dance with a difference. >> reporter: winter in niigata. the snow is deep and the plows have plenty to do. but in the heat of summer, it's unusual to see snow plows in action. least of all performing ballet. american artist came up with the idea. she was inspired to create this ballet as she was fascinated by the unusual shapes of the snow plows. >> surreal. it's weird. and maybe shifting what you usu

is hinting at possible countermeasures against the japanese government's plan to purchase the senkaku islands in the east china sea. japanese officials said earlier that the gover a broad agreement to buy the eyelets from the owner to establish effective control in a peaceful manner. chinese foreign ministry spokesperson reiterated that the islands belonged to china. >> translator: japan is moving to nationalize the islands. this hurts the chinese people's feelings. >> hong said china is watching developments and will take necessary measures to defend it's sovereignty. >>> a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off coast ka resta reeic. officials ish ued a tsunami warning. it occurred at the pacific ocean on wednesday. the epicenter was 141 kilometers off the coast of the capital, san jose. the focus is estimated to be 40 kilometers deep. the earthquake damaged building in the capital and it knocked out power and telephone service in some areas. a costa rican television station broadcast video of people fleeing a shopping center and hospital right after the quake struck. it cut water supplies in s

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 ce

the japanese government bought the senkaku islands from a private japanese owner on tuesday. japan controls the islands, but they are claimed by china and taiwan. >> japan's decision is completely illegitimate and invalid. we demand that they immediately cancel it. >> hong said chinese officials will convey a similar demand to a visiting japanese senior diplomat. the foreign agency bureau chief toshiyuki shiga -- shinsuke sugiyama is there to explain the decision. >> translator: i hope i can have a full discussion about various matters of concern with the chinese officials. >> protests have been held in some chinese cities against japan's move. about 20 people gathered in front of the japanese embassy in beijing on tuesday. they held up a banner declaring the island's chinese territory. sporadic protests continued. in one case, a man tried to ram his car into the embassy's gates. in guangzhou in the southern province of guangdong, about 10 people carrying chinese frags gathered near a building. they shouted slogans about protecting the islands. the japanese consulate general s

say fishing boats and patrol vessels are floating outside japanese territory waters off the senkakus islands. coast guard spokesperson say officers spotted between

guard officers say a chinese government ship is sailing just outside japanese waters around the senkaku island. coast guard officers are warning the civilian ship to stay away. they tracked 12 chinese ships on tuesday. three of the vessels briefly sailed into japanese waters. china's state-run media reported that 1,000 fishing boats from the region were headed toward the area around the island. but coast guard personnel say they have not spotted the flotilla. >>> anti-japan protests in china continue. some businesses are to resume operations while others remain shuttered. electronics maker, sony, says it will restart two plants wednesday. closed on tuesday when more demonstrations were expected. four automakers also say they plan to restart local production on wednesday, they are nissan, mazda, mitsubishi, suzuki. honda says it will keep offline, five auto assembly plants. and officials say protests will make it difficult to transport their products. another car maker, toyy ta saot hold output. retailers have been affected, a supermarket, and three department stores in the province will remain

they're protesting japan's nationalization of the senkaku islands in the east china sea. thousands of chinese employees walked out at at least two appliance factories in guangdong province. manufacturing oempgss stopped for several hours as the workers rallied outside the factories shouting that the islands belonged to china. about 100 police officers attended. the shenzhen commerce said wo workers held similar protests. they reportedly broke factory gates and fences. at a press conference, chinese foreign ministry spokesperson hong lei did not directly answer a question about who would pay composition for businesses that suffer damage. >> translator: china, as a law-abiding nation, will protect the safety of foreign personnel and institutions in line with the law. relevant cases will be handled properly. >> lei added that the japanese government's purchase of the islands is illegal. he said japan should recognize the china people's strong objections to this action and their firm resolve to rho text china's sovereignty. >>> north korea on thursday strongly criticized a u.

. >>> taiwanese fishermen have docked back in their home ports, froex the purchase of the senkaku islands in the east china saturday taiwan and china claim the territory. the fishermen entered japanese waters around the islands on tuesday. japanese coast guard officers say about 60 taiwanese fishing boats and 12 patrol vessels sailed into the area. the fishing boats returned to their ports. the crews were welcomed with fireworks on their arrival. the area surrounding the eye law and sass traditional fishing ground and they were protecting their right to survive, they said. the senior official with the liaison with taiwan met with timothy yang in taipei. he explained that the purchase was aimed the achieving stable control and management of the islands. yang reiterated the taiwanese position. he failed to agree and they both failed to agree on a schedule for resuming talks on fishing rights. japan's defense minister has played host to his counterpart from australia even as he deals with the crisis in the east china sea. morimoto and steven smith agreed on the need to tight maritime securit