welcome to "newsline." it's wednesday september 22nd, 11:00 a.m. in tokyo. glad you could join us. a chief prosecutor was arrested on tuesday on suspicion of data tampering during an investigation. sources close to the public prosecutor's office say that a colleague suspected the data tampering had occurred around february and argued with the chief prosecutor over the matter. the supreme prosecutor's office arrested tsunehiko maeda of the

osaka district office on suspicion of tampering with data while investigating a ministry official suspected of fraud. the supreme prosecutor's office carried out a search of maeda's residence for more than two hours on tuesday evening. the sources say maeda's colleague pointed out that the data may have been intentionally falsified. the sources say the quarrel was reported to higher-ranking officials of the district prosecutor's office. the supreme prosecutor's office will question the officials and colleagues who worked with maeda at the osaka prosecutor's office at that time. it's also trying to find maeda's motive for tampering with the evidence. more exchange events planned between japan and china have been suspended over the recent collision between a chinese fishing boat and japan coast guard patrol vessels. a chinese trawler captain was arrested after the incident near the senkaku islands off okinawa in japanese territorial waters. the islands are also claimed by

china and taiwan. a japanese court decided on sunday to extend the captain's detention by ten days. following this move,preparatory international conference in shenyang liaoning province has also been suspended. think tanks from japan and south korea had planned to discuss free trade agreements next monday. sources say the chinese organizer requested the postponement last week, citing the collision incident as the reason. a forum to discuss economic policies on the environment scheduled for next sunday in beijing has also been delayed. representatives from governments and companies of the two countries had planned to take part. sources say the chinese government made the decision to postpone the meeting. on tuesday china's foreign ministry spokesperson, jiang yu, said japan bears responsibility for the consequences. she repeated the chinese government's demand for the captain's release.

a tokyo internet security company suspects the attacks began around september 12th. it said the japan sport fishing association website was targeted on saturday. the hacker chinese text called for the release of the fishing boat captain now in custody. other websites including those at a university and a village office, both in western japan, have also been changed with chinese language messages. on websites in china the public has been urging attacks on japanese websites in increasing numbers since the senkaku islands incident. the japanese internet security company is calling for thorough safety measures to protect websites in japan. prime minister naoto kan will leave japan for new york on wednesday to attend the u.n.

general assembly. he'll also hold talks with u.s. president barack obama. during his four-day visit to the united states, kan will attend a u.n. summit on the millennium development goals that aim to reduce poverty by half in developing countries by 2015. he'll meet the u.s. president at a new york hotel on thursday. this will be the second meeting between the two leaders. kan is expected to tell obama that the japanese government hopes to proceed with the relocation of the u.s. futenma air station in okinawa based on the agreement reached in may. the two countries agreed to relocate the futenma base to a coastal area of nago city, also in okinawa. kan and obama are likely to discuss further cooperation in the areas of economy, security, and assistance to developing countries. kan will deliver his first speech to the u.n. general assembly. he'll emphasize japan's active role in contributing to the international community. kan is also scheduled to meet

u.n. secretary-general ban ki moon. welcome back to "newsline" business. the u.s. federal reserve said it was prepared to provide additional measures to bolster the economy if necessary but decided to postpone any move at its open market committee meeting held on tuesday. the fed's committee decided to maintain the target range for its key policy rate at 0% to .25%. it also said it will continue to provide the same amount of funds to maintain an adequate money supply. the u.s. central bank stated that the pace of recovery in output and employment has slowed in recent months. it said spending by firms on equipment and software is rising, but less rapidly than earlier in the year. the fed's decision to postpone additional easing comes after recent economic data on consumer spending and the housing market show better than expected results. u.s. housing starts were up

over 10% in august from the previous month. the better than expected rise marks the highest level since april, when expiring government tax credits boosted demand for new homes. the commerce department said on tuesday that last month housing starts stood at nearly 600,000 in annualized terms. that's up 10.5% from july and marks a second consecutive month of improvement. housing permits also grew 1.8% from july, which bodes well for the industry. attention is now on whether the recovery will continue in the future as the housing market holds a key to the u.s. economic recovery. on the tokyo foreign exchange the dollar is losing ground against the yen on wednesday morning. the dollar fell under selling pressure against the yen and euro after the u.s. federal reserve expressed readiness to further ease monetary policy. the greenback is currently trading at 84.95-96 while the euro's at 112.89-94.

and tokyo stocks were relatively flat on wednesday morning. the nikkei 225 ended the morning session at 9,605 points. that's up three ticks. trading was mixed. while a stronger yen weighed down on exporters, caution over further intervention by japanese monetary authorities in the currency market sidelined many investors. here's a look at the latest long-term interest rates. this is the yield on the benchmark 10-year japanese government bond. turning now to gold futures, gold for december delivery is currently trading at $1,289.30 an ounce. japanese is set to resume exporting some of its dairy products to china following the end of a foot-and-mouth epidemic declared late last month in southwestern japan. china's agricultural authorities have agreed to allow dairy imports such as powdered milk in the near future. the products will need to be

heat-treated first based on standards set by the world organization for animal health. on sunday restrictions were lifted on personal imports of japanese powdered milk by postal mail or as carry-on luggage on flights into china. the japanese product has been popular there after a chinese manufacturer sold contaminated powdered milk. japan's agriculture ministry says it will continue to have talks with its chinese counterpart on restarting exports of other products such as beef and pork. and the european union decided on tuesday not to appeal to a world trade organization ruling that supported a bid to overturn eu terrorists on high-tech consumer products. the eu will levy tariffs on electronic goods such as multifunction printers and liquid crystal displays for personal computers. japan, the u.s., and taiwan had filed a complaint with the world trade organization, saying that the eu's action goes against a

previous wto agreement to scrap import duties on high-tech goods. last month a dispute settlement panel ruled in favor of japan and other economies. japan's economy trade and industry ministry says the country's multifunction printer imports to countries had tafshd of nearly $65 billion levied. as the economy continues to struggle, japanese companies are looking abroad to expand their business. the move is prompting firms to hire employees who are proficient in english. and that trend has led to a surge in demand and cost for some english lessons. now, schools are offering educational bargains to reap profits from a rapidly growing industry. >> reporter: jun amemiya is a senior at university. he's set to work for an international hotel chain after he graduates next spring. to improve his english he's been

studying online every day since june. >> hello, jun? >> yeah. this is jun. >> oh, nice to meet you jun. my name is isabel. >> isabel? >> yeah. well, can you hear me clearly? >> yeah. >> reporter: the lessons only cost about $2 for 25 minutes. one on one. >> we don't charge. >> reporter: jun doesn't have to pay any telephone charges since the lessons are done over skype, the free internet-based software application. >> english and spanish. >> translator: the lessons only cost about $700 a year, which is easy on my wallet. i'm taking lessons every day. so i really feel like i'm improving. >> reporter: this low-priced e-learning service is provided by rare job, a company based in shibuya, tokyo.

the company was founded three years ago. >> -- the latest information. >> reporter: so far the number of online students has grown to more than 36,000. since all the teachers are located in the philippines, the online school can keep tuition low. there are 1,600 teachers registered with the company. all are students or graduates of the university of the philippines. they work part-time and whenever their schedule permits them. >> translator: many in the philippines speak english. labor costs are about 1/10 that of japan's. this business has a lot of potential. >> reporter: another company providing affordable english lessons is alobe, a venture firm in osaka. founded six years ago, its business of dispatching english teachers has grown steadily. even though the company only has seven employees, it has 2,400

students and over 200 registered online teachers. for a monthly fee of about $35 students can take one-on-one one-hour english lessons for about $35. >> translator: our tuition is about half of what major english language schools charge. we try our best to cut fixed costs so we avoid things like spending on facilities. >> reporter: the firm's biggest selling point is that students can schedule with their teachers exactly when and where they want to study. >> hello. how are you? >> i am fine. and you? >> good, thanks. >> go ahead. >> reporter: shohei yamaguchi is a certified public tax accountant. the firm he works for is increasingly getting more work

from overseas companies. so it's essential for him to communicate in english. because of this he's been taking lessons once a week since may of last year. his lessons take place in a variety of locations, including his office, in coffee shops, and even in bars. this helps him learn english in a variety of different situations. >> translator: sometimes i have to go to parties. so i need to be able to make small talk. to have lessons at barbecues or cafes makes it easier for me to learn conversational english. >> i'd like to take a lesson next tuesday -- >> reporter: with the growing demand for english skills in the workplace, the competition to provide low-priced, convenient, and diverse lessons is expected to intensify and may even help elevate the level of english in japan. >> okay. >> thank you. thank you very much.

next is a recap of the latest market figures. ♪ and that's all for now in biz news. the use of english in business is spreading across asia, but in a way that's different from standard english. robert jefferson explores the emergence of this new

international language for "newsline's" "one on one." >> reporter: a growing number of major japanese companies are switching their corporate language to english. as asian countries are now the driving force behind the global economy, non-native speakers of english are communicating with each other in a particular form known as asian-english. we're joined know by yoruki honda, professor emeritus at a university here in tokyo. welcome. >> thank you. >> professor honda, you spent many years observing the use of english all across asia. could you explain how it differs from standard english? >> well, as you say, english is here to stay in asia. we have adopted it and posted it for our own international and national purposes. so english here is blended with local languages and cultures. let me show you some examples over there. >> sure.

"you spend me drink, can or not?" so you say the can can be eliminated? >> can can be taken away from a sentence and become an independent word. like can. cannot. and the use of particle "the" there. >> an affirmation, you agree, don't you? >> exactly. >> mm-hmm. >> philippine english, open, close is often used for switch on, switch off. and in korean there's no f, v sounds. so some people pronounce philosophy as "pilosophy." in japan as you know many people say "i sink" instead of "i think." >> yes. >> but let me hasten to add here that those features of english are not taught in schools in those countries.

but if you are compelled to, expected to speak english, you are -- it's quite natural that you should do so in the way best fit for your own purposes. >> when in rome, do as the romans do. >> yes. something like that. >> how widespread are these forms of communication as tools? >> more than 100 countries where english is taught, learned and used as an international language. so as a result, no native speakers outnumber native speakers when it comes to english. and english is a very unique language. and because of this, non-native speaker englishes are getting more and more conspicuous these days. >> well, we have some video examples. so let's take a look at them. >> mm-hmm. >> late again. >> watch movie? >> okay. after movie then -- [ speaking foreign language ]

>> today i tried to go to park with my son but it's rainy. >> i often use remote control when i watch tv. >> so professor honna, as we can see, each asian country seems to have its own very special version of english. >> exactly. >> would you say that it's more easier today for non-native speakers of english to communicate with each other -- >> among themselves, yes. exactly. exactly.

because most non-native speakers use english with other non-native speakers than with native speakers. >> so native speakers like me may find it a bit awkward sometimes dealing with these types of -- these new types of english. is there a risk of causing misunderstandings between different cultures if asian english becomes prevalent? >> yes. this conversation occurred between singapore chinese and australian in a company in australia. in singapore english "have you eaten yet" means hello. it's a greeting. but the australian got angry because he thought that he was blamed for being -- taking too long a time during his working hours. >> i see. >> and also in china and other parts of asia face is often used to refer to a person's prestige or pride.

you know, i was really surprised to hear, i know your face is bigger than mine. actually, it means i know your prestige is more important than mine. this is the way english is being used in asia. >> reporter: so but how can we really embrace all of these different forms of english? >> well, you know, difference is what life is all about. >> reporter: true. >> we have to be aware that there's always another way or several ways of doing and saying the same thing. and we should be prepared, trained to understand and accept these differences so the key words today are sensitivity to and tolerance of world english, different ways of using english. >> well, your insights are very mind-opening and fascinating. >> thank you.

>> nobuyuki honna, professor emeritus from norigaki university. new medicines are at the heart of a conflict between developed and developing countries on ways to share the benefits of products derived from biological resources. companies and research institutions from industrialized nations use biological resources found in developing countries to make new drugs. the four-day preparatory convention on biological diversity or cop-10, ended in montreal on tuesday. the developing countries now say they will not provide further resources until the industrialized nations give them a fair share of the profits from the sales of these medicines. >> -- for the time being. >> we want benefits. we know our partners want access. one way to get to that, of course, is compliance. >> i believe we are running in circles here.

we're not really advancing the negotiation. >> the division between the two sides has raised concerns that a meaningful protocol may not be adopted at next month's u.n. meeting in nagoya, japan. nine troops from the nato-led force died in a helicopter crash in southern afghanistan on tuesday. the number of troop casualties so far this year is now the highest since the present conflict began. the international security assistance force, isaf, says it believes the crash was accidental as there have been no reports of enemy fire in the area. according to data compiled by a u.s. private organization, this brings the total number of isaf casualties this year to 529. the previous high was last year's 521. currently, there are 150,000 international troops in afghanistan. u.s. president barack obama has announced plans to begin pulling out from the country in july

2011, but there's growing concern about the intensifying taliban-led insurgency. hello there. welcome back to your world weather update. quite an active storm system moving across the korean peninsula has brought as much as 250 millimeters in seoul, and that's set to move into japan, really getting the brunt of it today and into your thursday. you can see ample amounts of moisture. there is that risk of flooding across the north, where the ground is already quite saturated. looking at your rainfall accumulation, many areas picking up more than 100 millimeters in the next 24 hours. the west coast picking up up to 150 and accompanying that is going to be some heavy downpours. thunderstorms as well as

possibly tornadoes as well. quite a stormy day today and into your thursday. now, southern china still dealing with some really drenching downpours, remnants of fanapi still with us, producing heavy showers. it's going to be moving to hailan island next, but it is generally weakening. over the pacific, a tropical storm is churning over the pacific and malakas is due into tensify over the next few days, taking a more northerly path. we have to keep an eye on where it decides to go. taking a look at your temperatures, tokyo is going to be 33 degrees. another hot day if it does indeed reach that figure, it will be a record for the most 30 degree days in a single year. looking quite cool in seoul, 20 degrees in seoul and 28 degrees in chongqing. over towards the americas, mexico has been dealing with lots of rains due to tropical storm georgette which rapidly intensified and made landfall across the baja california

peninsula. it's now downgraded to a tropical depression but it will continue to produce ample amounts of moisture across mainland mexico, the baja california and also into the southwestern corner of the u.s. as well. so flooding is going to be a major concern. across the midwest of the u.s. looking at some severe thunderstorms to break out tonight. we have a very active frontal system that's going to be producing damaging winds as well as large hail, pulling in cool air from the north as well so it's generally going to be quite chilly across canada again, 11 degrees in winnipeg but ahead of the storm, it's going to be very, very warm indeed. 24 degrees in chicago and 33 degrees in washington, d.c. finally, taking a look at europe, we've got plenty of wet weather working its way across the north, especially for norway today, and then of course for the british isles, this storm system will be spreading plenty of showers across the region but essentially, a high pressure system really in control across continental europe, so it will be dry and quite mild for many

of you. still got that line of showers working its way across western russia and the balkan regions but generally looking at plenty of sunshine across central and western europe. berlin coming in at 19 degrees, 21 in vienna, moderate temperature here but it will be much, much milder towards the west for places like paris, 28 degrees with sunshine. here's your extended forecast now. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us.