the show. well, that's it for today. we hope to see you again. sayonara. sayonara. bye. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com welcome to nhk world "newsline." lawmakers in the u.s. house of representatives have passed legislation to resolve the fiscal cliff. economists had warned about the simultaneous arrival of tax increases and spending cuts. in the end, republicans listened to those warnings and approved a bill to raise taxes on wealthy americans. >> on this vote the yeas are

257, the nays are 167. the motion is adopted. without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> the senate approved the bill then passed it to the republican-dominated lower house. the legislation maintains tax cuts for the middle class and it raises taxes with people of annual incomes of $400,000 or more. and couples with incomes of $450,000 or more. the bill also postpones by two months major spending cuts that were scheduled to take effect during the day. some house republicans wanted to rework the bill. they complained it did not contain enough cuts, especially on social security. economists have warned for months that if lawmakers did not reach a deal, the economy would fall over the fiscal cliff, back into recession. u.s. president barack obama said he succeeded in increasing taxes for the rich in the face of protests from republicans. >> there is a path forward, that it is possible, if we focus not on our politics but what's right for the country. the one thing i think hopefully in the new year we'll focus on

is seeing if we can put a package like this together with a little bit less drama, a little less brinksmanship, not scare the heck out of folks quite as much. >> obama suggested he would sign the bill, but he suggested lawmakers would need to revisit their discussions to bring down the federal deficit. the efforts to avoid the fiscal cliff in the u.s. gave asian markets a boost. share prices gained ground in the first trading session of the year. the hong kong stock exchange saw many buy orders after it opened on wednesday. the key hang seng index closed 2.9% higher than it did on december 31st and even surpassed last year's high the benchmark index in south korea rose 1.7% from the 2012 closing. and the main index in singapore gained 1.1%. analysts tell nhk investors can be comparatively optimistic about asian markets this year because china's economy shows signs of picking up and fiscal problems in the u.s. have been averted for now.

japanese prime minister shinzo abe will face challenges. abe will visit the united states at an early date to meet president obama so he can build a relationship of trust with him. the prime minister wants to confirm with obama that the realignment of u.s. forces in japan should steadily be carried out. japan's participation in u.s.-led negotiations for the transpacific partnership is another controversial issue. the obama administration wants japan to join the talks aimed at creating the free trade zone, but abe's government faces strong opposition from the domestic farm lobby and other groups. these and other pending bilateral questions have led some government officials to call for caution in setting the timing of abe's trip to the united states.

>> emerging economic powers still struggling with poverty, emboldened citizens still demanding democracy, the threat of violence, the push for peace, the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on south and southeast asia every weekday, live from bangkok, only on nhk world "newsline." a bomb has exploded near the site of a political rally in karachi, pakistan. at least four people were killed, 40 others were wounded. police say the bomb was planted on a motorcycle parked near a number of buses. the buses were carrying political workers returning from the rally. the bomb went off just as people were leaving the event. the pakistani taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack. the celebration of the new year in the ivory coast has ended in tragedy. more than 60 people in the western african country were killed in a stampede, 50 others were hurt. thousands of people gathered at

a stadium in abidjan to see a fireworks display. they were leaving when panic struck. >> translator: my two children, they went yesterday. they said they were going to go last night and i told them not to. when i went to bed, they went anyway. we haven't seen them since. >> many of the victims were children. some got lost in the confusion. >> translator: it's a national tragedy, of course, and i really hope that we will push ourselves to investigate to see what could have prevented this tragedy so that it will not happen again. >> authorities say they don't know what set off the stampede. a fire has swept through poor settlements in cape town, south africa. three people died. 4,000 people lost their homes. domestic media say strong winds spread the flames through the

densely populated area at dawn on new year's day. the makeshift shacks were built with pieces of wood and had tin roofs. firefighters managed to put out the flames about four hours later. >> i don't have nothing now. the way you see me, only the stuff i have on is all i have now. >> the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but many residents used fire for cooking. south africa has rich natural resources and is considered a growth engine for the african economy, but more than half the population lives in poverty. two groups of climbers have run into trouble in the northern alps in central japan. rough weather is hampering rescue efforts. the nagano prefecture police have had difficulty reaching a tent in the mountain range. two climbers are reported missing.

their climbing companion told police the men left their tent on monday to check the route but never returned. he reported seeing evidence of what appeared to be an avalanche a short distance away. a rescue team organized by police and residents has started climbing to reach the group. another rescue team is getting ready to ascend to a hut on the hotaka range. one member of a group of climbers on tuesday reported that a 60-year-old woman was too weak to move by herself and a 50-year-old man had suffered frostbite. local police say they are in telephone communication with the climbers. the rescue team is waiting for a snowstorm to end before they begin their search. the japanese economy has had its share of struggles but private research institutes forecast that an increase in exports will put it back on a growth track in the fiscal year that starts in april 1st.

reports released separately last month by ten private institutes predict gross domestic product will increase from anywhere from 0.8% to 2.3%. they expect improvements in the u.s. and chinese economies will drive exports. they say personal spending, including house purchases, is expected to increase ahead of the consumption tax hike scheduled for 2014. japan's gdp in fiscal 2012 shrank in real terms for two straight quarters. analysts say this means the economy is likely to have entered a contraction phase. >> translator: the public works and expansionist fiscal policy projects planned by japan's new government could push up the economy in a considerable way. however, overseas economies could be a risk factor,

especially credit woes in europe, which could cause setbacks for experts. >> some researchers warn there is still risks, such as strain reed lations with china, over a territorial dispute. japanese research letters look deep into the pacific ocean to look for metals used in everything from cell phones to satellites. later this month, they will survey reserves of rare earth metals in japan's exclusive economic zone. the japan agency for marine earth science and technology will send a ship to an area near an island about 2,000 kilometers southeast of tokyo. the ocean there is more than 5,000 meters deep. the researchers plan to extract samples of mud by sinking a pipe 20 meters into the seabed, then they will analyze the types, densities and locations of rare earth metals. a group from the university of tokyo found high concentrations of metals in the area last june. they estimated the deposit could satisfy japan's needs for those materials for more than 200 years.

analysts at the u.s. geological survey say china currently accounts for 97% of global output of the metals. fresh or frozen? gourmets say that's what separates fine dining experience from a soggy tv meal. now, a small japanese company is ready to send the question itself the way of the ice age. >> reporter: this high-end sushi restaurant in tokyo serves extremely good tuna. it's frozen, but you'd never guess. these are the advanced freezers which preserve the fish's freshness. the secret is magnetic wave he is. food is kept constantly vibrating so that ice crystal does not form. this water is below freezing. it's in a state known as super cooled. it turns to ice at the slightest change in conditions. this is the key to freshness.

these two sardines have been frozen and thawed. the super cooled fish releases far less blood and water. seen under an electron microscope, the super cooled sardine cells, on the left, are unbroken. the conventionally frozen cells are virtually destroyed. in traditional freezing, water moll leak calls in cells crystallize toward the surface. they expand and break through the cell walls. that's why when frozen food is thawed, water and flavor components seep out. but super cooling combines ultrafast freezing with electromagnetic waves. the oscillation keeps the molecules moving, even below freezing, ice crystals do not expand. on this day, a luxury food

service company from barcelona is sampling the super cooling freezers. this mushroom was froze an year ago. >> smells like the first day. >> mm-hmm. >> it's from last year. >> they also try an oyster. it's 1-year-old too. >> if you say it's frozen, then the people will say, maybe the quality is not good. but if you don't say it, they wouldn't notice. >> this man developed the technology. he was inspired by stories of 4 million-year-old mammoths being discovered unchanged. >> i thought there must be a way i could make frozen food last longer, like the mammoth. >> reporter: thought magnetic changes in the earth may have contributed to the phenomenon.

he started by coiling copper wire around a cylinder for holding food to produce a magnetic field. he trialed countless cylinders and other technology, spending 40 years make the freezer he has today. he can freeze food in its freshest state by preventing cells from breaking down. people outside the food industry have also begun paying attention. a new dental process enables patients to preserve their extracted teeth for implants in the future. this x-ray shows a transplanted tooth that was frozen by super cooling. a year after implantation, its nerves are alive. >> translator: the more living cells there are, the better the chance of healing and a successful transplant. >> reporter: university researchers are also studying super cooling to preserve organs

for transplant. >> translator: this technology has an enormous range of application. i would like to collaborate with specialists in every field. >> reporter: super cooling may change our food culture and health care and in the future, we may even see restaurants boasting their food is so fresh, it's frozen. japanese aerospace engineers and astronauts are reaching for the heavens. they are looking skyward at a range of new space programs. the people at the japan aerospace exploration agency plan to launch five rockets through march of next year. they want to put more satellites into orbit. they'll send up to three of the mainstay h2a rockets, the first later this month. they are also planning to launch an h2b rocket, which can carry heavier payloads. engineers plan to test out the next generation rocket, the epsilon, toward the middle of the year. it's powered by fuel that is solid rather than liquid. the cost of launching the

epsilon is roughly $44 million, about one-third that of an h2a. that's expected to attract orders from abroad. astronaut koichi wakata will embark on his fourth mission near the end of the year aboard the russian soyuz spacecraft. he is scheduled to stay on the international space station until the end of the year. in the final two months, he will serve as commander, the first japanese astronaut to do so. japan's population has are a record drop, it shrank in 2012 for the sixth year in a row. this is the largest annual decline since records became available. estimates from the health and welfare ministry suggest 1.03 million people were born in 2012, the lowest number since end of world war ii. more than 1.24 million died, the second most in postwar era. about 8,000 more died in 2011 when the earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern japan. the total population decreased by a record 210,000.

before 1950, an average japanese woman had more than four children during her lifetime. in 2012, that figure stood at 1.39, about the same as it was the year before. the population is expected to continue aging and declining yo. thousands of people waiting to go home. tons of debris waiting for disposal. vast tracts of land waiting to be restored. overcoming the challenges of japan's 2011 disaster won't be easy, but step by step, people are moving forward. find out how on the road ahead, every wednesday at 1 p.m. japan time, right here on "newsline." people have responded to japan's disaster around its aftermath in many ways. media report on it academics study it artists base works on

it. one filmmaker picked up his camera soon after last year's earthquake and tsunami and headed to the northeast. i wanted to form ties with survivors so he called his document rather "katawara" which means "on your side" in japanese. jun yosumatso has the story. >> reporter: the camera travels through japan's northeast and documents the aftermath of the disaster, showing people going about their daily lives, capturing the changing of the seasons. this man directed the film. he spent decades making documentaries featuring people who face challenges. he focuses on the preciousness of human life and the importance

of individuals. the march 2011 disaster was the subject he couldn't ignore. >> translator: i felt like i had no choice. i had to go to the disaster areas. i needed to make mental notes. >> reporter: isa's team went to miyagi prefecture four days after the disaster to check on a friend. the tsunami had slammed the town. the friend and his family were safe. isa decided to film but hesitated when he saw the extent of the devastation.

>> translator: i asked myself if it was the right thing to do, to aim my camera at survivors in such a situation. one survivor yell and the us saying, "what's so fun about filming somebody's misfortune?" >> reporter: but e >> reporter: but isa was determined to document the struggle of survivors so he kept fill umming and captured many moments. announcers at a radio station reading the names of the deceased on the monthly advisory of the disaster. [ speaking japanese ] >> reporter: survivors honoring

the loved ones they lost with prayer. and by latie i lighting lantern welcome spirits during the annual bone festival, a time when japanese believe the souls of the deceased return to their families. isa also filmed survivors who went on the water to float paper lanterns bearing messages for the victims. each light represented the soul of the dead. >> translator: ordinary people are always forgotten, as if they didn't exist. i want to really focus on those people, one by one. making films with this kind of focus, to me, means not

forgetting the victims and the disaster. >> reporter: the message is not lost on isa's audience. >> translator: i want to continue to have one part of my daily life that connects me with the disaster. >> translator: i don't know what i can do but the film made me determined to live my own life to the fullest and do what i can to help others. >> translator: movies are powerful because they encourage audiences to concentrate on the story, to ponder during the course of a screening. i'm not sure if it will be three years, five years or ten years, but i'll dedicate myself to conveying the memory of the disaster. >> reporter: isa hopes katawara will play in theaters across japan but also aiming for the

film to light up screening audiences. he wants people around the world to remember japan's disaster and reflect on the preciousness of life and loved ones. japan's emperor used his annual new year's greetings to call for tend support for those whose lives were shattered by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. the emperor made the speech on wednesday from the balcony of the imperial palace in tokyo. he stood alongside the empress and other members of the imperial family and they waved to thousands of well-wishers.

>> about 79,000 people visited the palace to celebrate the new year. sword smiths in central japan have ushered in the new year with an annual ritual. they hammered heated steel to pray for safety at work and prosperity for the cutlery industry. the ceremony took place in a noted cutlery production center. people started making japanese sword there is more than 700 years ago. about 30 workers took part in wednesday's event, among them, swordsmiths in traditional white garb and head wear them went through a shinto purification

ritual, then they started working on steel heated in a furnace to more than 1300 degrees celsius. they hammered the red metal to plant and straighten t >> translator: i was surprised to see the steel bend as the workers hammered it. >> visitors were busy snapping photographs as the sound of the rhythmical pounding filled the air. and now, here's the weather forecast.

once again, a look at our lead story. lawmakers in the u.s. house of representatives have passed legislation to resolve the fiscal cliff. economists warned about the simultaneous arrival of tax increases and spending cuts. in the end, republicans listened to those warnings and approved a bill to raise taxes on wealthy americans. >> on this vote, the yeas are 257, the nays are 167. the motion is adopted. without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> the senate approved the bill then passed it to the republican-dominated lower house. the legislation maintains tax

cuts for the middle class and it raises taxes on people with annual incomes of $400,000 or more and couples with incomes of $450,000 or more. the bill also postpones by two months major spending cuts that were scheduled to take effect during the day. some house republicans wanted to rework the bill. they complained it did not contain enough cuts, especially on social security. economists have warned for months that if lawmakers did not reach a deal, the economy would fall over the fiscal cliff, back into recession. u.s. president barack obama said he succeeded in increasing taxes on the rich in the face of protests from republicans. >> there is a path forward, that it is possible, if we focus not on our politics, but on what's right for the country. the one thing i think hopefully in the new year we'll focus on is seeing if we can put a package like this together with a little bit less drama, a

little less brinksmanship, not scare the heck out of folks quite as much. >> obama suggested he would sign the bill, but he suggested lawmakers will need to revisit their discussions to bring down the federal deficit. the efforts avoid the fiscal cliff in the u.s. gave asian mark it's boost. share markets gained ground in the first trading session of the year. the hong kong stock exchange saw many buy orders after it opened on wednesday. the key hang seng index closed 2.9% higher than it did on december 31st and it even surpassed last year's high the benchmark index in south korea rose 1.7% from the 2012 closing. and the main index in singapore gained 1.1%. analysts tell nhk investors can be comparatively optimistic about asian markets this year because japan's economy shows signs of picking up and fiscal problems in the u.s. have been averted for now. we will be back with more news next hour.

i'm gene otani in tokyo. have a great day wherever you're joining us and happy holidays.