welcome to nhk world "newsline." people in tokyo spent the day trudging through piles of wet slushy snow. the japanese capitol got a rare winter wallop courtesy of a fast-moving low pressure system. flights have been cancelled, trains delayed and getting around has been downright dangerous in some places. officials with the meteorological agency say snow has been falling over wide areas along the pacific coast in eastern and northern parts of japan. so far about 8 centimeters has accumulated in central tokyo, the highest amount since 2006.

residents of yokohama has also seen about 13 centimeters of snow. streets and sidewalks have become slippery in some areas and strong winds are making things worse. nearly 400 people have been hurt in car accidents or because they slipped. the weather has led to the cancellation of more than 650 flights across japan. it's also disrupted some train service. meteorological officials say it's not over yet. they've issued warnings for snow, strong winds, stormy seas and icy roads. people in beijing are having hard time getting around, too, because of smog. there are worst levels of air pollution on record over the past several days. the air is a soupy mess.

it comes from car exhaust and other emissions. it can penetrate into the lungs and cause asthma or bronchitis. the smog prompted people to drive with headlights on throughout the day. beijing municipal authorities set the air pollution alert to the highest level. children are told to stay in schools and factories are told to scale back operations. >> translator: we avoid going outside. we never open the windows at home. >> hospitals in the capital reported an increase in the number of patients with respiratory problems. many residents are wearing masks. beijing authorities explain at a emergency news conference that fumes from coal heating devices are mixing with car and factory emissions. they also said weak winds and high levels of humidity in recent days may have made the situation worse. japan, the united states and other nations use strict environmental regulations to control the levels of fine par

tick lat matter. the chinese government set its own standards in february of last year after a wave of criticism both at home and abroad. but public discontent continues to grow mainly in urban areas as authorities in china struggle to clear the air. french fighter pilots have pounded islamist rebel positions in mali. they say they're determined to eradicate terrorism in the west african country. the rebels control northern mali and they're moving south. the french ruled the country for decades until independence in 1960. government leaders asked their french counterparts for help. pilots started carrying out air strikes on friday. they launched attacks across the middle of the country. a senior islamist leader was reported killed. the french defense minister says they will refocus their a text to the north to uproot terrorists. french president francois hollande said french troops intervened to ensure the security of residents. leaders of west african nations

fear the rebels could use mali as a base for attacks on neighboring countries. they'll hold an urgent summit meeting this weekend to discuss sending in troops. police in india have arrested six men for an alleged gang rape on a woman traveling on a bus. they made the arrest just weeks after the gang rape and subsequent death of another woman. indian media quoted officers as saying the latest attack took place on friday night in the northern state of punjab. the report said the woman is 29 years old. they say the bus driver drove her to a deserted location, then assaulted her along with several other men. the men are reported to have freed her the next morning. six other men are facing charges for an attack last month on a woman in new delhi. they gang raped her on a bus and threw her off while it was still moving. she died later in the hospital.

she was 23 years old. protesters have turned out in cities across the country. they are demanding that government leaders do more to prevent violence against women. some point to the case of a 17-year-old girl in punjab who was gang rained last month and then committed suicide. police pressured her to marry one of the men who attacked her. thousands of russian protesters are questioning the morality of a new law banning americans from adopting russian children. lawmakers passed the legislation last month. they were retaliating against a u.s. law which imposes visa and financial restrictions on corrupt russians. organizers say 60,000 people took part in a rally in moscow. government officials put the number at 9,500. protesters criticized members of parliament who voted for the law.

some carried posters with the lawmakers photos and the word shame. thousands of children grow up in state institutions. americans make up about a third of all parents who adopt russian children. people angry over a different government policy took to the streets of paris on the weekend. hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered to protest against a plan to legalize same-sex marriage. police estimate 340,000 people took part in the rally. they carried placards saying children are best off with a mother and a father. the french government is preparing to submit a bill that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples. it would also allow them to adopt children. similar rallies were held elsewhere in france and europe. more and more people are putting down their notebooks and picking up tablets. u.s. researchers say sales of tablets this year will surpass

those of notebooks for the first time. analysts at npd display search say manufacturers shipped 147 million tablets last year and around 218 million notebooks. they estimate this year shipments of tablets will increase to 242 million. those of notebooks will drop to around 207 million. the researchers say consumers want more mobility and touch screen controls. they project by the year 2017 manufacturers will ship three times as many tablets as notebooks. japanese can do things at age 20 that they couldn't do at 19. they can vote and drink alcohol legally. people across the country are celebrating the turning point on coming of age day. about 10,000 people filed into an arena in yokohama near tokyo in snowy weather. they dressed in traditional

kimonos and business suits. about 1.2 million people received invitations to ceremonies this year. that's about the same number as last year, which was a record low. and now here's the weather forecast. and before we leave you, if

finally. hindu pilgrims are braving bitterly cold waltter and washi away their sins. celebrations happen in other places along the sea. 11 million people gathered on monday, the first day of the religious festival. they bathed in the cold river and rinsed their mouths out with the water. they believe doing this cleanses them of their sins. >> translator: i pray for the world, a better future for people all over the world. >> it is held until early march. we'll be back with more news next hour. have a great day wherever you're joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com