Thailand struggle to accept a controversial Buddhist Monk with a past thats hard to believe. The group of 20 leaders are meeting in the russian city of st. Petersburg, and the crisis in syria is expected to dominate the talks. U. S. President barack obama is at the summit to try to get other leaders to support a military assault against the regime. It says it attacked their own citizens last month. Obama has the backing of president Francois Hollande. Xi jinping has already voiced opposition to a military strike. Japans shinzo abe is scheduled to meet obama on the sideline. The u. S. President has won the support of at least some u. S. Senators. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved the use of military force in syria on wednesday. A resolution is agreed to and ordered favorable by the committee. Committee members agreed the attack should take no longer than 90 days and should not involve ground troops. The full senate is expected to vote on the measure next week. Members of the house of representatives have also been weighing the merits of a military strike. U. S. Secretary of state john kerry laid out the case to the House Foreign Affairs committee. If we dont take a stand here today, i guarantee you we are more likely to face far greater risks to our security and far greater likelihood of conflict that demands our action in the future. Kerry also said Syrian Forces could use chemical weapons again if the u. S. Does not act, and that inaction would allow iran to develop nuclear weapons. Some house members worry strikes would go on longer than expected. The latest survey by cnn suggests house lawmakers opposed military action outnumbered those who support it. But more than 70 of the representatives are undecided or havent made their positions clear. The u. S. Defense secretary also testified before the House Foreign Affairs committee on wednesday. He accused russia of supplying syria with chemical weapons. Theres no secret that the assad regime has had chemical weapons, significant stockpiles of chemical weapons. From a particular country . Well, the russians supply them, others are supplying them with those chemical weapons. They make some themselves. A pentagon spokesman explained hagel was referring to the military relationship between syria and russia. He said russia provides syria with a wide variety of military equipment and that some of it can be modified and used for chemical weapons program. Russian leaders are opposing any military intervention in syria. They say theres no evidence Syrian Forces attacked civilians with chemical weapons last month. Members of Frances National assembly convened an extraordinary session to discuss whether their countrys forces should intervene in syria. French government leaders are blaming the Syrian Government for the chemical attack. Theyre considering joint military action with the united states. Prime minister jeanmarc ayrault began the debate by asking lawmakers for their support. Translator to not act would be to endanger peace and security in the entire region. And beyond that our own security. Ayrault said not acting would be tantamount to telling government leaders they can use chemical weapons again tomorrow. Opposition Lawmakers Said they wont support military intervention without endorsement from the united nations. President Francois Hollande can order a military operation without parliamentary approval. Public opinion poll suggests threequarters of french citizens believe their lawmakers should have their say in a vote. Officials at the Tokyo Electric Power company have warned of a potential new problem at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. They say radioactive water that leaked from a storage tank last month may have merged with groundwater. Tepco says it collected samples of groundwater from a monitoring well about ten meters from the faulty tank. Tests showed the water contained high levels of radioactive substances. Last month tepco discovered more than 300 tons of contaminated water had leaked from the tank. Company officials said some of that water may have reached the sea. A steam leak was reported at another one of japans fluke leer plants on thursday, but it contained no radioactive substances. The ohi Nuclear Plant is located in fukui prefecture. An employee accidentally opened a valve that sent steam bursting out. Witnesses say it was as high as three meters. 20 workers were evacuated. And no one was hurt. The reactor was shut down for regular safety inspections two days ago. He had been one of only two online reactors in the country. Policymakers at the European Central bank have decided to keep their benchmark Interest Rate unchanged at a record low level. Ecb policymakers agreed to hold the rate to. 5 . Gross domestic product for april to june in the eurozone countries moved to positive territory for the first time in 21 months. But the eurozone labor market is still struggling. The jobless rate in july stood at 12. 1 . Policymakers at the bank of japan have revised upward their assessment of the countrys economy, but they have decided to maintain their monetary easing measures. The policy Board Members ramped up a twoday meeting on thursday. The boj changed their description of the japanese economy to recovering moderately. They had previously said that the economy was starting to recover moderately. This was the first time in two months that the central bank revised upward its economic assessment. The Board Members say Business Investment is showing signs of improvement as corporate profits are recovering. They also say consumer demand is improving and personal spending is steady. But the policymakers unanimously agreed to continue the monetary easing measures introduced back in april and say risks remain due to uncertainties about the european debt problem. They are hoping to reach a 2 inflation target in two years. After the meeting boj governor kuroda gave reasons for the upgrade in the economic assessment. Translator we decided to upgrade the assessment because we saw a positive cycle from income to spending, both in the corporate and household sectors. He also talked about the impact of not implementing the planned consumption tax hike next april. Translator if such inaction undermines confidence in the governments finances and the price of sovereign debt plunges, its very difficult to take monetary measures to fix that. He indicated the central bank is ready to take monetary easing steps if a tax hike derails the economy. The International Monetary fund has indicated concerns that reduced monetary easing by the u. S. Could lead to a prolonged slowdown in emerging economies. The issue will likely be high on the agenda at the g20 summit meeting in russia. Imf officials said in a report that advanced countries, like the u. S. And japan, have seen a pickup in economic activity, but they said emerging economies are showing slower growth. The officials noted that investors began pulling their funds out of emerging markets after the u. S. Central bank hinted in may at a possible tapering of its money boosting measures. This was devalued or this has devalued the currencies of some of these countries including brazil and india. Imf officials urge the u. S. And other advanced economies to explain their monetary directions, thats to ease market jitters and avoid a further slowdown in emerging economies. A school for girls in pakistan has been the target of a bomb attack. Cholaphans narula has the story. At least six children were injured when the bomb exploded outside a girls school in northwestern pakistan. Theres said to be a hotbed of islamist violence. The attack took place in the town of bannu as pupils were leaving at the end of the school day. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. A Police Officer told Afp News Agency at least four girls, two boys and one man were wounded. Three of the victims apparently in serious condition. Islamist extremists have repeatedly targeted schools and individuals in pakistan. The Pakistani Taliban last year shot and seriously wounded malala yousufzai, a teenager campaigning for womens rights to education. The philippine island of minden now is untapped. The island home to islamic insurgents and other armed groups, but this week saw the opening of a melting plant. Locals hope its a chance for the economy to catch up with other parts of the philippines. Nhk worlds Kathleen Ocampo reports. Reporter to mark completion of the new melting plant went swiftly in eastern mindanao. The plant was built by Companies Including japans mining at cost of 1. 6 billion. Equipped with the latest technology, it will produce 30,000 tons of nickel. Most likely will be sent to japan for processing. Translator its been eight years after this massive project began. After many twists and turns, im glad we are finally ready to operate. Reporter in october 2011, a group of militants attacked nickel mining facilities. The new peoples army, the military wing of the Philippine Communist Party claimed responsibility. The new peoples army is labeled a terrorist organization by the united states. It currently has 4,000 members. Mindanao is mostly home to militant group known as the islamic liberation front. In october 2012, the front reached a Peace Agreement with the government of the president. But negotiations with the new peoples army stalled in april when the militants rejected an immediate ceasefire. Ongoing security has caused the mindanao economy to miss out on most of the Development Taking place elsewhere in the philippines. The construction of this melting plant is one of the largest projects in mindanao. Local people are expecting it will create jobs and boost the islands economy. Mindanao is thought to have underground reserves such as mineral and oil, but unless the government can succeed in improving security, economic benefits of these are likely to remain buried. Kathleen ocampo, nhk world, mindanao. Buddhist monks have a special place in thai society, theyre highly respected in a country where about 90 of people call themselves buddhists. But one monk with a controversial past is causing believers to question their assumptions. Nhk world reports. Reporter these monks seek before sunrise, give food hoping to receive good fortune in return. Among the monks is 24 years old. But already hes a passionate preacher. But sorravee has an unusual history. He used to live as a woman. Not only that, female sorravee was something of a transgender superstar. She won a worldwide beauty contest for transexuals. Transexuals are widely accepted by thai society. Sorravees parents say even when he was a child he looked like a girl. He had breast implants when he was in college, although he never went as far as having a complete sex change operation. Then earlier this year sorravee took everyone by surprise suddenly having his implants removed and starting life as a monk. Translator we were shocked after becoming a monk after living as a woman. But im also proud seeing my son as a monk. Now i feel like i have a son and a daughter. Reporter thais remain monks should be men. But for sorravee, the years he spent living as a woman arent easily forgotten. Translator he has a beautiful personality, and i respect him. I could never do what he did, throwing away his success as a woman. Translator i feel like many people dont like him. They dont go to hear him preach because his manner is too womanly and he hasnt been a monk long enough to be a teacher. Reporter sorravees story has made national headlines. He tries to use his unique background to spread in unorthodox places such as a gay bar. But religious watchdogs arent happy. Translator its disturbing. Monks should behave like men. And monks should not give sermons in places like a red light district. If we hear that he does it again or acts like a woman, well disqualify him from being a monk. Reporter sorravee says he remains determined to pursue his calling using his own experiences to guide others. Reporter thailand is known for being accepting of transsexuals, but sorravees story raises questions about religion and sexuality. For now, this former beauty queen prays that society is ready to support him as he starts the next chapter in an extraordinary life. Nhk world, southern thailand. And that wraps up our bulletin. Im Cholaphansa Narula in bangkok. People in madrid, istanbul and tokyo could be forgiven if they seem a little on edge this week. The reason is the International Olympic committee is preparing to decide which of the three cities will host the 2020 Olympic Games. The winner will be chosen on saturday at a session in buenos aires while many people in tokyo are hopeful about the metropolis chances, others are expressing concern. Nhk worlds kurando tago has more. Reporter the iconic tokyo tower took on a festive glow thursday night. Instead of the usual white lights illuminating the towers frame, the structure was lit up in colors of the Olympic Games. A cheerful mood here tonight as crowds have gathered to show their support for tokyos bid. They say the city offers the best choice for the 2020 Olympic Games. On the grounds of a nearby temple, the citys hopes are spelled out clearly. Thousands of candles with an illuminated rendition of Japans National flag express tokyos olympic aspirations. We believe Tokyo Olympic 2020 will give us a strong energies and powers to get over the disaster 3 11. Translator its so beautiful. I hope our dream comes true and tokyo hosts the Olympic Games. Reporter tokyo was the first city in asia to host the Olympic Games in 1964. It was an historic event that offered japan a chance to showcase its recovery from world war ii. This time the slogan is again recovery, not from war but from 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Tokyo has made its case to the ioc. It says japan is in need of another dream to help build a future. This summer, teams of runners took part in a 1,000kilometer relay from areas hit by the 2011 tsunami in the northeast to tokyo. It was a lastminute push to build momentum for tokyos bid. The last time tokyo tried to win the bid to host the olympics was four years ago. But only a little more than half of the citys residents supported the idea of hosting the games. This time 70 of tokyoites are behind the bid. Tokyo with friendship and respect. Reporter but still some people are critical of pouring enormous amounts of money into the event. They point out that japan is facing a Huge National debt. They also say the country is struggling to cope with the Ongoing Nuclear crisis in fukushima. Translator i think the money should be used to help fukushima instead. Reporter when tokyo last hosted the Olympic Games, it built a welcome spotlight on japan. Now, supporters of the olympic bid are hoping that the spotlight will again be turned on the country as it continues to rebuild from the 2011 disaster. Kurando tago, nhk world, tokyo. Skies are clearing up across japan. Our reporter, rachel ferguson, from the weather team has more. Rachel. Hi there. Absolutely. Things are looking to be much better across japan on friday. You can see that low and frontal system pulling away to the northwest making way for clearer skies. And High Pressure moving in. That said, there is going to be another round of rain coming in from eastern china across the korean peninsula. Its going to bring in some showers, nothing like the torrential rain that we had over the last few days. But the ground is already saturated, flooded in some areas. So any extra showers are not going to be very welcome at all and could exacerbate that flooding. And of course japan hasnt been the only place to get the heavy rain this week. Weve also been talking about some really hard rain coming down in portions of Southern China as well as indochina. You can see the darker spots, heavy rain coming into laos as well as myanmar, southern portions of china, could see about 250 millimeters just in the space of 24 hours. So landslides and mudslides are going to be a concern here as well. Elsewhere this widespread rain could total up between 50 to 100 millimeters. Temperaturewise things are looking a lot cooler this week. Really starting to head into autumn it would seem. 21 in chongqing, 25 in shanghai and 25 in seoul and tokyo too. Lets go now to our tropical storm. This one is gabrielle, which is heading in towards puerto rico. At the moment a fairly weak tropical storm, but it could see some strengthening before laking landfall on friday in puerto rico. Its also going to be affecting hispaniola there as well. The main thing to watch from this storm is going to be the rains, very heavy rain, farreaching heavy rain at that. And its slow moving, which means the torrential downpours will continue over pretty much the same place for an extended period of time, which of course ups the risk for flooding. The Southwest Corner of the u. S. Is going to be a little bit unstable as well. Florida certainly picking up some thunderstorms from this stalled out front. That heads in towards mexico and southwestern texas southeastern texas i should say. It will keep things unstable along the coast as well, but most of that really heavy rain is going to be falling over the gulf of mexico over the water. High pressure in control of Eastern Canada now, finally those storms have passed. As well as down in towards the southwest. Youll have a lot of sunshine here across the great lakes region. But some cooler temperatures may be showing you some frost in the morning wednesday into thursday. As for the northwest, weve got some showers popping up here. That could even lead to some flash flooding, you could see some small hail in that too. Temperatures are going to be a little bit on the cool side. Vancouver and seattle both in the low 20s there, but a scorcher in l. A. , bright sunshine, 35 degrees for you. 35 is the figure in denver as well, getting up to 36 in houston. In the northeast its a little bit on the cool side in toronto at 19 degrees. But watch for that temperature to surge over the next couple of days. All right, into europe lastly. High pressure dominating here as well. There are going to be continued showers and Cool Temperatures right through the weekend further out towards the east. And then we see things cooling down to the west as well. Little bit unstable down here over the central mediterranean, but if youre right in the middle of the continent, thats the sweet spot there. Youll be enjoying some sunshine and temperatures improving as we head into the weekend. Heres your extended forecast. A japanese android is getting familiar with his new job as a crew member on the International Space station. And hes already taken a giant leap for robot kind. Hes uttered his first words in space. He arrived on the station in august. His operators released video of him learning his duties and finding his voice. They say hes the first robot to speak in space. Hes only 30 centimeters tall but has a big job keeping astronauts company. Hes programmed to hold conversations. Japanese astronaut koichira will talk with kirobo to find out how well robots can communicate. Thats newsline for this hour. Im gene otani in tokyo. Our theme today is cutting. Many japanese designs are born from the act of cutting. This is edible design that focuses on seasonality
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