the task of perfecting our union moves forward. >> back to the white house. american voters decide barack obama should lead them for another four years. welcome to nhk world "newsline." president barack obama says he's more determined and more inspired than ever to do his job. he won re-election after a tough campaign that lasted months and

cost billions of dollars. republican challenger mitt romney just couldn't summon enough support to defeat the incumbent. our partners at abc news project obama won in 25 states and washington, d.c. that includes the swing states of virginia, wisconsin and colorado. his victory in the battleground of ohio pushed him past 270, the number of electoral votes needed to win. the latest projections say he secured 303 electoral votes. mitt romney took 206. florida is the only state yet to report. officials there are still counting ballots. reuters says the popular vote was 50% to 49% in obama's favor. obama gave his victory speech in the early hours of wednesday in chicago, illinois. he laid out a vision for his second term. >> the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an

american family and we rise our fall together as one nation and as one people. and in the coming weeks and months, i am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together, reducing our deficit, reforming our tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. we've got more work to do. romney made his concession speech in boston, massachusetts. >> i so wish, i so wish that i had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction. but the nation chose another leader. so ann and i join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation. >> americans also cast vote for their senate and house of representatives. abc news projects the democrats will hold onto their majority in

the senate and the republicans will keep the house. that means the political wrangling that played out for most of obama's first term could continue. barack obama has retaken the white house, thanks to voters with different backgrounds. but that same diversity could pose the president his biggest domestic challenge. we report from washington. >> reporter: the election was about a lot more than a new president. it was to set america's direction between big and small government. more for the poor or tax cuts for the rich. despite the sluggish economy obama prevailed. his main supporters were young voters. african-americans. and hispanic people. more than 90% of graph voters supported obama. in contrast, households of $50,000 or more voted romney.

nearly 60% of white voters supported the republican. the election clearly showed america's growing wealth and social gap. top of obama's to do list will be overcoming this division. he'll have to focus on the economy. it's what created the divide. another challenge will be the republican-controlled house. obama will struggle to pass his agenda and move things forward in congress. with these internal problems it's unclear how deeply the u.s. will engage on global issues such as syria, iran or china. u.s. relations with the outside world there are more difficult challenges to come. nhk world, washington. president obama won, but he

faces many economic challenges. we now ask an expert's view about his outlook. in our new york studio is richard katz, the editor in chief of the oriental economist report, newsletter on japan. mr. katz, thank you very much for joining us today. >> sure. >> among the many challenges president obama will first face the so-called fiscal cliff. how do you think he'll deal with it, and how will that affect asia? >> i think it will be very difficult to deal with it. the republicans have made it clear they continue to want to be the party of no. they're not willing to compromise on a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts. i say there's about a 50/50 chance the fiscal cliff could be avoided. at best it may be extended by a few months. if the fiscal cliff is short and then people come to their senses and compromise, the impact on asia will be small. but if the fiscal cliff goes on for several months, there's a very good chance the u.s. will back into recession, say drop a 3% annual rate. that will have a disastrous effect on asia. it will cut u.s. imports from asia.

it will hurt japan. it will hurt the european recovery. it would be a disaster. >> with president obama staying in the white house, what policy do you expect from the fed going forward? >> well, ben bernanke has one more year to go in his term. he will continue the same policy. the federal reserve will take the burden of stimulating the economy since there will not be any fiscal stimulus. his replacement will continue the bernanke policy. >> the u.s. has deep economic the u.s. has gotten very frustrated with tokyo. it no longer believes the noda administration is capable of joining. and when prime minister abe when i becomes prime minister may want to join for security

reasons to shore up the u.s./japan agreement, there's little faith in washington he could do anything until after the upper house election in 2013, and perhaps not even then. so the u.s. will go ahead with tpp, without japan, let japan join later. the u.s. would like japan in it, but japan has got to live up to the standards. that's the obama position. >> reporter: japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda has congratulated the u.s. president, and promise cooperation. the foreign policy will also welcome obama's second term. senior officials expect the u.s. will maintain its international policies, including focus on asia. but problems remain for japan/u.s. ties. there is a call to relocate the

u.s. air station in oak thank you way. the deployment of the u.s. osprey transport aircraft is another sticking point. defense officials have yet to convince local population to accept training flights over their neighborhoods. in okinawa people are calling for stronger controls on u.s. troops after the recent sexual assault of a woman by u.s. servicemen. on the economy japanese officials will be preparing a response should the u.s. press japan into joining free trade talks for the transpacific partnership. there may be friction if the u.s. insists japan drop its tariffs. but overall, obama's win should be good for japan. there's the chance of stronger

u.s. ties. with china relations gone sour over the senkaku islands conflict, that's sure to be reassuring. june oikawa, nhk world, tokyo. chinese leaders have welcomed obama's re-election. nhk world reports from beijing. >> reporter: foreign ministry spokesperson said president hu jintao and premier wen jiabao each sent a congratulatory message to president obama. >> translator: we intend to keep working with the united states to further develop our relationship and cooperation. >> but the new leaders in beijing may have to brace for increased from the pressure from the u.s. during obama's second term. chinese authorities recently boosted their presence in the east china and south china seas. obama has refocused u.s. attention on asia, by strengthening the military in the region. these moves have strained u.s./china ties.

obama has criticized china for unfair trade practices. members of the u.s. congress share his view. they've decided some chinese business activities. human rights and democracy are also a point of difference. obama's secretary of state hillary clinton has been outspoken on these issues. china may disagree but its leaders could be confident a serious standoff with the u.s. is unlikely. the two countries economies are too intertwined. nhk world, beijing. the heads of other nations have joined the leaders of china and japan in offering barack obama congratulations on his

re-election. south korean president lee myung-bak is among them. lee sent a written message saying he's very pleased. he said he's sure the u.s. and south korea will continue to develop their alliance. he added the ties linking the nations have gotten stronger and more dynamic than ever over the past four years, especially because of a free trade agreement. a spokesperson for the presidential office said wednesday south korea will keep working closely with obama for peace and stability on the korean peninsula and northeast asia. russian president vladimir putin sent obama a telegram congratulating him. putin's spokesperson declined to discuss the contents of the message, but said he hopes obama's re-election will have a positive impact on russia's ties with the united states. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has congratulated obama. in a statement he said he'll continue to work with the u.s. president to ensure interests vital for the security of israel's citizens.

the two leaders are divided over how to deal with iran's nuclear ambitions. the u.s. is urging netanyahu not to take military action. palestinian president mahmoud abbas also released a statement saying he hopes obama will continue his efforts to achieve peace in the middle east. the elite officials in charge of china are gathering in beijing to chart the country's future. the communist party is about to begin its transition of power. hu jintao and other leaders who have been at the top for a decade are stepping aside. and the next generation is taking over. the 18th congress of the chinese communist party starts thursday. the meeting happens every five years.

delegates will approve new policies and appoint new party leaders for the five years to come. chinese authorities waited until the eve of the congress to confirm details of this year's gathering. nhk world's michitaka yamaka in beijing has more. >> reporter: chinese communist party gathered in beijing's great hall of the people to make their long-awaited announcement. they said the national congress will start thursday and run for seven days. the meetings wraps up a ten-year-long, two-term rule of general secretary hu jintao and his associates. they led a nation that has become a global power. china is the world's second largest economy, but it has its share of problems. chinese worry about the widening income disparity between urban and rural areas. they are concerned about the environment and pollution and are angry about widespread corruption among local and national authorities. the case involving bo xilai

highlighted this issue. party officials expelled the former head of chongqing city over accusations he abused his power and accepted bribes. he's expected to face criminal prosecution. his wife is already in jail for the murder of a businessman. the communist party wanted to show they take this kind of case and other pressing issues seriously. they are expecting to incorporate the concept of scientific development in the party's action guidelines, the centerpiece of its platform. president hu backs the concept. it calls for sustainable approach to economic and social progress that takes into account the environment and the citizens.

it will be up to the party's next generation of top members to promote scientific development. delegates to the congress will choose about 200 people to serve on the central committee. then officials will announce the new leader lineup which is expected to be headed by xi jingping. sources close to the party say the number of political standing members will be reduced to seven from the current nine. the change is intended to speed up the decision-making process. party members will spend the coming days jockeying for position. then in a week people in china will find out who will lead them for the next five to ten years. michitaka yamaka, nhk world, beijing. >> michitaka and the rest of our team will be following the

congress every step of the way and guiding us through the issues. stay with "newsline" for continuing coverage of china's transition of power. cradle of culture. economic powerhouse. many enjoy the fruits of prosperity along the path to a new china. but millions are missing out. at a time of growing public discontent, members of the communist party are choosing their new leaders. "newsline" correspondents will report from the party's national congress. don't miss our special coverage, "china: the next generation" starting thursday, november 8 at 8:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." a new form of transportation in bangladesh is becoming popular and overtaking traditional pedal powered rickshaws. modern versions have a rechargeable battery. but they're so in demand that the country is struggling to

by a group wielding guns and acid. the attack happened days after militants tried to kill a teenage girl who campaigned for education rights. about 20 students were on their way home from university in northwestern pakistan when a van pulled up beside them. nhk is conceding the victim's identity for her own safety. >> translator: our van was attacked by an armed group and my brother and i were burned. they targeted us because they're against girls getting an education. >> the attackers fire ed gun shs and threw what seemed to be acid at the women. it melted their cloaks and they suffered burns to their faces and bodies. >> they are ignorant. i would rather die than lose our right to education. >> no one has claimed

responsibility trt ait can, but it's likely to be the work of an islamic militant group. some pakistanis have organized rallies for closing the pakistani taliban. the incident happened just days after gunmen shot a 15-year-old on october 9th. the campaign of girl's education rights survived that attack and is receiving treatment in the united kingdom. a new form of transportation in bangladesh is overtaking traditional pedal power in popularity. modern versions have a rechargeable battery, but they're so in demand, the country is struggle ling to keep up. nhk world's yuko funazaki has more. >> reporter: the city in northwest bangladesh, ordinary people rely on man-powered rickshaw taxis to get around. rickshaws carry only about two adults. they travel at the speed of a bicycle. but recently a new type of

vehicle is in the fast lane. it's the ultrarickshaw. the high tech vehicle works on electricity instead of gasoline. on the streets, they're becoming more and more common. it's electric so there's no gas emission. it's quiet, relatively stable and smooth, and quite comfortable. the vehicle runs at a maximum speed of about 15 kilometers per hour. it can carry more passengers than man-powered rickshaws. and it can travel more than 130 kilometers on a fully charged battery. the battery is the main reason for the surge in popularity. it's easy to charge overnight from a regular wall socket. >> translator: i bought this

auto rickshaw for about $1600 a year and a half ago. the vehicles are more expensive now. it's really good to have my own auto rickshaw. now i can go anywhere, any time. >> translator: this factory in the capital assembles auto rickshaws. the core components, the battery and the motor, are imported from china. battery performance has improved dramatically in recent years. the smaller size allows the creation of the auto rickshaw. the dhaka factory ships five or six vehicles each day. >> poor people who don't have much money to buy a car, can buy this kind of vehicle. all over bangladesh, i hope that electricity, people can buy.

>> reporter: but the rapid spread of auto rickshaws has brought an unexpected problem. bangladesh suffers serious power shortages with blackouts every few hours. residents say power cuts last longer these days. >> translator: the blackouts are messing up my business. i have to use five or ten candles every day. >> reporter: many people blame the spreading use of auto rickshaws for worsening shortages of electricity. >> we understand the impact on social life. but our problem is -- is a shortage of power. for ten years, when this problem is solved, then we can have enough power. >> reporter: an invention has made the lives of people in provincial areas of bangladesh more convenient.

as demand for auto rickshaws accelerates, the government may have to review its energy policies. yuko funazaki, nhk world. and that will wrap up our bulletin for today. a japanese court has overturned a man's conviction for murder. he was granted a retrail after new evidence cast doubt on his guilty. >> i am so happy. >> after his acquittal, he spoke to journalists from the balcony of his house in katmandu. the tokyo court ruled not guilty

of the 1997 robbery and murder of a woman in tokyo. he had been serving a life sentence, but was released in june after prosecutors found someone else's dna under fingernai fingernails. after sandy, there's another storm americans need to worry about. it's hovering near the northeast. robert is here with that and more in weather. robert? >> we are watching the southeastern coast of the u.s. here. have the nor'easter right off the coastlines and across portions from new england to pennsylvania. you're going to expect some gusty winds. near 100 kilometer winds and right near the coast, hurricane force winds. this is not by any means a hurricane, it's a nor'easter, but still, it's going to be packing these strong winds. then talking about the snow. all that cold air coming down and this heavy snow expected in

here. even winter storm advisories are in effect in eastern pennsylvania. this is going to create some whiteout and business ard conditions. if you're outside in this too long, frostbite could be a major concern. this is really very dangerous for all these people still recovering from sandy last week, so definitely want to continue to watch this storm system on wednesday into thursday, but it's not the only strong winter storm. idaho into montana, we have this area pushing off towards the northeast. that's going to bring 20 to 40 centimeters of snow. that's also bringing whiteout conditions even towards portions of montana. you're seeing temperature downs to around minus 14 degrees for the low. that's going to be a very cold windchill here going into thursday. for wednesday, winnipeg, 5, denver at 23 and houston, you're the warmest spot on the map here at 27.

right along the gulf coast. over towards japan, we've been watching this storm system for a few days now, spinning off just towards the west of hokkaido. it's really been kicking up rough weather. over 320 millimeters of rain has been seen here in the past 24 hours. record breaking for the month of november. not to mention, we're seeing these gusty winds over 100 kilometers per hour. and 120 millimeters of rainfall is going to be effected across this area as the storm system continues to move across the northern portions. we have high pressure coming in behind it bringing in fair weather to western japan. colder, but fair weather. not for long though. see this area? that's going to develop and push off towards the east there in central china, then moving off towards the east into western japan over weekend. zero for your high. the flip side, down in the tropics, still to the 30s. let's look into europe. also watching several systems.

first starting off into the u.k., this low pressure moving into the scandanavian peninsula. bringing snowfall there. 75 mile an hour winds have been reported across the west coast. that frontal area diving down to the south, then the i beer yan peninsula, this has brought flooding rains and will continue to move off towards the east. earlier this evening, we were talking about the heavy rains that hit the area. romania, 83 kilometer hour winds. temperatures across eastern europe, as we look into the west though, we have a pair of 12s there in london an paris. here's a look at your extended forecast.

we'll be back with more in 30 minutes. from all of us here in nhk world, thanks for joining us.