>>> welcome to nhk "newsline." it's september 19th. policy makers at the u.s. federal reserve had to throw investors for a loop. many who work in the markets expected the people at the fed would decide to start retreating from their stimulus campaign. the policy makers surprised them when they announced they would stick with their strategy of easy money. chairman ben bernanke said the economy is growing at a moderate pace. he pointed to rises in household spending and business investment. he said the job market still lacks steam. >> in evaluating whether a modest reduction in the pace of asset purchases would be appropriate at this meeting, however, the committee concluded that the economic data do not yet provide sufficient confirmation of its baseline outlook to warrant such a reduction. >>> fed officials noted that an uncertain outlook on the debate over the u.s. budget is holding back economic growth and prices for goods and services are below targets. the central bank will keep buying $85 billion worth of treasury bonds and mortgage backed securities every

welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 26th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> managers at fukushima daiichi have been trying to resolve a problem that has been hampering their work. every day more and more waste water accumulates at the plant but the people in charge say they'll soon begin testing a system that could filter out most radioactive substances. officials with tokyo electric power company want to decontaminate the thousands of tons of waste water by march 2015. they say the advanced liquid processing system is the key to their plants. engineers had planned to begin using the system last month but they postponed their decision after they found water leaking out during a test run. they say chemicals may have corroded the system. so they've reinforced it with the corrosion-proof material. workers will begin tests again on friday. they hope to have the system up and running by november. the filters cannot remove all radioactive eye oisotopes. managers still expect they'll be able to treat 500 tons of contaminated wat

>>> hello there welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 24th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. world leaders are set to discuss a range of international crises as they meet in new york for the united nations general assembly. it could end up being one of their most meaningful gatherings in decades. the civil war in syria will be at the top of the agenda. leaders from 193 member states are scheduled to attend when the annual general debate opens later on tuesday. they're expected to focus on the use of chemical weapons in syria. many believe government forces used poison gas last month to kill hundreds of civilians in a suburb of damascus. u.s. president barack obama wanted to bypass the u.n., and carry out punitive strikes on the regime of syrian president bashar al assad. now he's expected to call for a united response. the syrians entered a strategic alliance with iran and many are waiting to hear what rowan hassanny will say. the security council is set to discussion a resolution urging the syrian government to scrap its stockpile. japanese

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 13th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. >>> syrian leaders seem to be taking steps to give up their chemical weapons. bashar al assad has endorsed a proposal. and he said his country is applying for membership in the international treaty that outlaws such weapons. assad made the comments in an interview with russia's state-run tv channel and outlined the government's plan to hand over its stockpile to international monitors but he said u.s. leaders need to stop threatening to attack his country. >> translator: within days, our government will start the necessary procedures to join the chemical weapons convention. >> assad said members of his government would start manding over information on their stockpiles a month after they sign the treaty but he said they won't follow through until the u.s. stops threatening syria and stops supplying weapons to what he called terrorists. members of his regime commonly used the term when refers to opposition forces. >>> u.s. secretary of state john kerry

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 5th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the world's of the leading economies are fathering to confront the financial challenges they share. they can find themselves debating a military strike on syria. u.s. president barack obama is expected to push for military action at meetings of the group of 20 nations in st. petersburg, russia. he laid out the case in talks with the swedish in stockholm. >> the prime minister and i are in agreement in the face of such barberism, the international community cannot be silent and failing to respond would increase the risk of more attacks. the possibility that other countries would use these weapons as well. >> sweden believes that serious marries concerning international peace and security should be handled by the united nations. i also understand the potential consequences of letting a violation like this go unanswered. >> obama believes syrian forces used chemical weapons were used to kill humans of civil knowias. they need to confront actions to violate common humanity. obama is expec

>>> welcome to newsline, it's wednesday september 18th. delegates from around the world are meeting face to face to discuss a debate some areas of common concern. they've gathered together in new york for the opening of the united nations general assembly. already they're finding their discussions are focused on syria. delegates from 193 major nations will examine broad themes of development concerning women, youth and human rights. ban ki-moon says syria is their biggest challenge. >> we have also -- must look at broader issues, not only this chemical weapons, but there are ongoing fightings, refugee issues, human rights issues. we have to address all these issues. >> ban outlined how rockets filled with nerve gaskilled hundreds of civilians last month in a suburb of de mass cass. he asked delegates to work together to end the conflict. leaders from some of the major powers can't agree on what approach to take. those from russia have defended the sear yarns for years. and they find themselves at odds with the french carrying the threat of

>>> hello and welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 6th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the heads of the world economies have gathered in russia to chart a path towards growth. they are talking about military action in syria. many of those around the table are pressuring u.s. president barack obama not to authorize strikes. nhk world has a report. >> the g20 summit chaired by vladimir putin began on tuesday. the crisis in syria dominated the talks. the leaders discussed the issue in a dinner in the evening. president obama is believed to have asked for the understanding of u.s. military action against syria once it is approved boy congress. he is also believed to explain that the u.s. has evidence the syrian government unleashed a chemical weapon attack. some leaders including britain and france are possibly supporting the u.s. stance, however britain's parliament rejected a proposal to join any military action. many other members are openly against the u.s. plan. russia and china are strongly opposed to military action without a un security council resolution. the two n

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of newsline. it's wednesday september 25th. the president of kenya says the siege at a mall in nairobi is over. islamic extremists stormed the complex on saturday, shooting shoppers and taking hostages, they spent four days holed up inside. the president said security forces have defeated them. he spelled out the toll of the attack. more than 61 civilians were killeded, including several foreigners and six soldiers. about 170 people were wounded. security forces shot and killed five militants and arrested 11 others. gunfire and explosions rang out from the mall during the siege. he said several bodies including those of militants are thought to be trapped in the rubble. members of the islamist group said they carried out the attack in retaliation for a kenyan army operation in their country. u.s. president barack obama has opened the door to diplomacy with some of his countries longstanding rivals. he addressed world leaders gathered at the united nations general assembly. he suggested some new directions in the relationships w

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's tuesday, september 17th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> the united nations inspectors handed in a long-awaited report on the use of chemical weapons in syria and found what they called clear and convincing evidence that such weapons were used to attack civilians. secretary-general ban ki-moon says the report makes for chilling reading. >> chemical weapons were used on a relatively larger scale. this was a grave crime. and those responsible must be brought to justice as soon as possible. >> syrian opposition leaders say last month, government forces used poison gas to attack their neighborhoods in the suburbs of damascus. hundreds of people were killed. the investigators interviewed survivors, they collected blood and urine samples, and they checked the soil for chemicals. they reported that almost all samples tested positive for the nerve gas sarin. they concluded that surface-to-surface rockets were used in the attack. they did not say which side used them. but u.s., british and french envoys say the

>>> glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, september 3rd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. leaders have drawn up a plan to address the crisis thea the fukushima plant as workers try to deal with a build up of radioactive water. they are ear, maing $210 million to solve the problem. they will use the money to decontaminate the water and try to contain leaks. they try to freeze soil around the damaged reactors. the chief cabinet secretary will lead a panel overseeing work at the plant. the panel will take charge of decommissioning the reactors. the members have promised to improve communications with workers and officials from plant operator tokyo electric power company. the head of japan's nuclear regulation authority said it will legally oblige tepco to address the leaks. he criticized people for continuing to make quick fixes. they discussed the leak of 300 tons of radioactive wastewater from a tank last month. he said reports on what caused it and how it happened and how much water got out are only estimates. he then suggested one possibl

>>> welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 10th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. >>> u.s. president obama says a russian proposal could be a potential breakthrough in the debate over a military strike on syria. russian foreign minister lavrov has urged syrian leaders to turn over their chemical weapons to international monitors. he said that might help them avoid military action. >> reporter: if the establishment of international control over chemical weapons in that country would allow avoiding strikes we would immediately start working with the syrian government. >> lavrov urged syrian leaders to join the prohibition of chemical weapons. he was with his syrian counterpart. he said members of his government welcomed the proposals. but he said they're concerned about the security of the syrian people. the united nations secretary-general is urging the syrians to transfer the chemical weapons to a safe place within the nation. he said then the weapons can be destroyed. >>> a chinese defense official has on firmed that an aircraft that threw near japanese air space belonged

>>> it's time now for newsline. many people in japan have paused on the 11th day of every month ever since the disaster in 2011. they pray for the family members and friends they lost when an earthquake and tsunami hit their communities. it's been two and a half years. the survivors still hover fears and uncertainty as they move forward on a path to recovery. all this week we're looking at the challenges that lie ahead and what we're about to show may upset some viewers. at 2:46 p.m. on march 11th, 2011, a magnitude nine earthquake struck off japan's northeastern coast. the earthquake triggered a tsunami, ten meeters washed through towns and cities. nearly 16,000 people were killed, over 2600 people are still missing. the disaster knocked out power at the fukushima daiichi nuclear complex, causing meltdowns in three reactors. explosions followed. the plants released massive amounts of radioactive substances. about 290,000 people are still living in temporary housing. survivors got up early in the morning to reflect

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's wednesday, september 4th, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president obama is trying to persuade lawmakers, privately and publicly. he has won the backing of some of the most influential politicians in washington. obama met with 16 republican and democratic leaders at the white house. he wanted to convince them to prove military strikes against the regime of syrian president bashar al assad. he told them an attack would hinder assad's ability to use chemical weapons. >> i think it is appropriate we act deliberately, but i also think everybody recognizes the urgency here and we're going to have to move relatively quickly. >> the republican speaker of the house of representatives has opposed obama's policy since he took office. but john boehner said u.s. forces need to act. >> i'm going to support the president's call for action. i believe my colleagues should support this call for action. >> secretary of state john kerry and secretary of defense chuck hagel are also backing

see their stories every wednesday on "the road ahead" right here on "newsline." >> japan's prime minister has called on the company in charge of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant to decommission all of its reactors including the two not currently scheduled to be taken apart. abe's appeal comes amid growing concerns of radioactive water leaks at the plant but executives at tokyo electric power company have not given abe a firm answer about what they'll do. nhk world reports. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe inspected fukushima daiichi on thursday and afterwards told reporters about his request to tepco executives. >> translator: i urge tepco executives to dismantle the number 5 and 6 reactors, to concentrate their work on dealing with the series of problems including leaking radioactive water. >> four reactors are already set to be scrapped. three have suffered meltdowns after the march, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. the other two, number 5 and 6, survived the disaster because of an emergency electricity system. tepco officials say both reactors are still stable, but local community

. >>> that's all for this degrees of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us. . . captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: battle lines hardened over federal spending today, a bill to fund the government looks set to clear the senate, but house speaker john boehner warned his chamber may block it. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. >> ifill: and i'm gwen ifill. also ahead, iran and the u.s. held the highest level face-to- face meetings in more than 30 years, each side reaching out to break the diplomatic ice. >> woodruff: and in film, in journalism, even on the farm, the interns work hard. paul solman reports on the legal debate over whether they should get paid.

. >>> that wraps up this edition of "newsline." thanks very much for joining us. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: all eyes are on the u.s. and russia to craft a plan to seize control of syria's chemical weapons and avoid military action. >> ifill: we get two takes on the president's push for diplomatic and military action. from former national security advisor zbigniew brzezinski and senator john mccain. >> the question is whether the russians are really sincere in this effort. >> woodruff: new york city mayor michael bloomberg is not on the ballot, but hari sreenivassan reports his legacy has dominated the race to replace him. >> new york city is

. >>> welcome to "newsline," it's tuesday, october 1st. a showdown between democratic and republican lawmaker in the united states is hours away from triggering a government shutdown. members of congress are at odds over a budget bill. if they

. >>> hello there welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 24th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. world leaders are set to discuss a range of international crises as they meet in new york for the united nations general assembly. it could end up being one of their most meaningful gatherings

. >>> welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, september 10th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. >>> u.s. president obama says a russian proposal could be a potential breakthrough in the debate over a military strike on syria. russian foreignis

. >>> welcome to newsline, it's wednesday september 18th. delegates from around the world are meeting face to face to discuss a debate some areas of common concern. they've gathered together

. >>> hello and welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 6th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the heads of the world economies have gathered in russia to chart a path towards growth. they are tng

. >>> welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 5th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the world's of the leading economies are fathering to confront the financial challenges they share. they can find themselves debating a military strik

. >>> glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, september 3rd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. leaders have drawn up a plan to address the crisis thea the fukushima plant as

. >>> it's time now for newsline. many people in japan have paused on the 11th day of every month ever since the disaster in 2011. they pray for the family members and friends t

. >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's wednesday, september 4th, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president obama is trying to persuade lawmakers, prily

welcome to "newsline." it's friday, september 13th. i'm catherine kobiyashi in tokyo. >>> syrian leaders seem to be taking steps to give up their chemical weapons. bashar al assad has endorsed a proposal. and he said his country is

welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, september 26th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> managers at fukushima daiichi have been trying to resolve a problem that has been hampering their work. every day more and more waste water

. >>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's tuesday, september 17th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. >>> the united nations inspectors handed in a long-awaited report on the use of chemical weapons in syria and found what they called clear and convincing evidence that suc

. >>> glad to have you with us on this edition of newsline. it's wednesday september 25th. the president of kenya says the siege at a mall in nairobi is over. islamic extremists stormed the

. >>> welcome to nhk "newsline." it's september 19th. policy makers at the u.s. federal reserve had to throw investors for a loop. many who work in the markets expected the people at the fed would decide to start ret