hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. >> all the votes have been tallied in scotland's historic referendum on independence. the majority of scots wanted to be part of the united kingdom and voted no. >> reporter: those who said yes to independence cannot hide their disappointment as they hear the result. >> this is our last chance and we ruined it for ourselves, so i'm disappointed. >> i am disappointed in the people of scotland. i thought we should get our

independence. >> no voters are expressing relief that scotland will stay in the united kingdom. >> i was a no voter, and i think common sense has prevailed in terms of the economy. i think the campaign didn't answer enough questions for so many people. >> election officials have declared the outcome 45% voted in favor of independence. 55% of voters cast their ballot against separation. the anti-independence vote has secured a clear majority. campaigners against independence gradually consolidated their support. they said leaving the united kingdom would be bad for scots. many business leaders expressed strong concern that companies would move their headquarters out of scotland if they became independent. prime minister david cameron said it would have broken his heart to see the uk come to an end. >> the people of scotland have spoken and it is a clear result.

they have kept our country of four nations together. and like millions of other people, i am delighted. >> cameron said they have the opportunity to change the way they are governed. and change it for the better. scottish national party leader alex salmond conceded the defeat after the results. >> scotland has by majority decided not at this stage to become an independent country. i accept that verdict of the people and i call on all of scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of scotland. >> he commended scottish voters for a high turnout and called it a triumph for the democratic process. and participation in politics. the movement toward independence for scotland is the product of a long and sometimes troubled relationship with the british central government. nhk world explains.

>> reporter: scotland was united with england more than three centuries ago. over the years, scots have gone through periods of weariness with the central government in london. the current movement began in the 1980s, key industries such as coal mining were in decline many scots blamed central government policies. the economic down turn fueled such sentiments. london became the business hub of the u.k. and many scotts were frustrated with the widening disparity. oil rigs were built off scotland to tap reserves in the north sea. that raised hopes that tax revenue from drilling could fund an independent scotland. the first step of scottish devolution came in 1999. under the process, westminster

grants powers to the scottish parliament. britain allowed it to convene for the first time. the scottish national party gained support on an independence platform and soon won a majority in the regional parliament. the pro independence movement grew and british prime minister david cameron agreed to let scotland hold a one-time referendum. >> pursuing policies the people of scotland support, our country, our scotland, our independence. >> reporter: the yes or pro independence camp gained momentum as the vote approached. but the majority of people voted no, that means scotland will continue as an integral part of

the united kingdom. but the process of scottish devolution is forging ahead. prime minister cameron has promised to cooperate with other major parties to give wider autonomy to scotland. >> we have delivered under this government and we will do so in the next parliament. the three pro union parties have made clear commitments on further powers for the scottish parliament. we will ensure that those commitments are honored in full. >> the proposal from the central government includes considering whether to let the scottish government determine tax rates within a certain range as well as some welfare policies. cameron has laid out a timetable. it includes a review of legislation to devolve power. he says the united kingdom will arrange for a transfer of powers by the end of 2015, following

discussions with the scottish government and deliberation by britain's parliament. but some british lawmakers disapprove in these proposals made in the last days leading up to the referendum. they said they would concede too much to scotland. although the referendum is over, the central government still faces challenges in maintaining the unity of the united kingdom. nhk world. investors around the world have heaved a collective sigh of relief with scotland's decision. to stay in the u.k. the no vote has triggered a buying spree in more risky assets like equities. that has pushed up tokyo's major benchmark to a near seven-year high. the nikkei rose 16,321. 1.58%. its highest close since november 2007.

the weaker yen lifted broader market sentiment, especially linked issues in the auto and machinery sectors. other stock markets in asia finished higher. british related names stood out. in australia, shares were bought back. of national australia park which owns glasgow based bank. hong kong list shares also performed strongly. exercises could put a check on russian intentions in eastern ukraine. they are training with ukrainian forces at the opposite end of the country. 1300 soldiers are participating in drills in the region. one scenario included an enemy attack on a checkpoint and another seized a building occupied by an armed group. they agreed to a cease-fire two weeks ago with pro hugs separatists in the east. nato officials claim about 1,000

russian troops are still there. >> our free nations will stand united so further russian provocations will only mean more isolation, more cost for russia. >> translator: russia will understand that ukraine is receiving support from the united states and european nations. >> leaders in moscow revealed a plan to build up military forces in crimea, the region's residents voted to rejoin the russian federation in march. france has launched air strikes against the islamic state militant group in iraq. u.s. forces began to target the group last month. the french presidential office announced two fighter jets left a base in abu dhabi in the united arab emirates.

on the outskirts of mosul. they said air strikes will continue. >> translator: other actions will take place in the coming days with the same aim, to weaken this terrorist organization and to support the iraqi authorities and soldiers. as well as the peshmerga in iraqi kurdistan. >> he ruled out the possibility of sending ground troops. australian authorities are cracking down at home on terror suspects they think have ties with the islamic state group. they tightened security around the country's parliament. police raided more than 20 locations around the country on thursday and detained 15 people. prime minister tony abbott said communications between the detained people and islamic state supporters suggested they were planning to attack the

country's political nerve center. he says the targets included the parliament building as well as lawmakers and government officials. abbott urged citizens to carry on as northerlial and said the government will do all it can to protect them. the u.n. security council has declared the ebola outbreak in west africa a threat to international peace and security. it's urging all-out global efforts to tacking the crisis. >> the gravity and scale of the supervisi supervision, require action unprecedented for health emergency. >> delegates gathered for an emergency meeting. >> if the international community does not stand up, we will be swept out. we need your help. we need it now. >> the delegates unanimously adopted a resolution co-sponsored by 130 u.n. member

countries. the resolution urges international support for west africa. and calls for lifting travel bans imposed by surrounding nations and eliminating restrictions on flights and maritime travel to and from countries affected by ebola. the world health organization says more than 2600 people are known or suspected to have died of the ebola virus in four west african countries. the number of cases is doubling every three weeks. japanese prime minister shinzo abe is trying to mend fences. he would like to hold summit talks with south korean president park. abe had former japanese prime minister give park a letter. officials at the south korean presidential office say abe suggested meeting her on the sidelines of conferences this november.

park said the japanese must first take action on the so-called comfort women issue. she said relations after past summit talks became worse. and she said she would need to make thorough preparations to realize a meeting with abe. a much awaited report on officials abducted to north korea will likely be delayed. officials in pyongyang have informed japan their investigation is still in the initial stage. japan's cheap cabinet secretary suga says pyongyang conveyed the information through diplomatic channels in beijing. >> translator: north korean officials said their special investigation committee is sincerely conducting investigations related to all japanese. they added that the investigations are still in an initial stage and expect they will be completed in about a year. they said they cannot comment

beyond the current stage at this point. >> prime minister abe said he regrets that more time is needed for the first report. he said when north korean officials started the probe in july, they setd the first report would be ready by late summer or early autumn. >> translator: it's no use receiving a superficial report that doesn't contain anything substantial. we want a solid credible report after a thorough investigation. >> abe said relatives of abduct ees may suspect that pyongyang is buying time and closely watching the probe's progress while japan maintains its policy of dialogue and pressure. the government says at least 17 japanese nationals were abducted by north korean agents in the 1970s and 80s. five returned to japan in 2002. chinese president xi jinping

ended a landmark trip to india in talks with prime minister modi here's the latest. china and india's relationship hasn't always been smooth with border tensions that stretch back decades, when it comes to trade they see huge potential in the combined population of 2.5 billion. during talks on thursday, china agreed to invest $20 billion in india over the next five years. and nhk world has more from new delhi. >> reporter: prime minister modi made the rare decision to greet his chinese guest on wednesday not in the indian capital but his home state. india and china clashed in 1962 over a border dispute that remains unresolved. but when it comes to trade, they are deeply connected. everything in this gift shop is

imported from china, including these photo frames. these jewelry boxes, and even this statue, the most popular indian god. made in china toys are big sellers in india. consumers appreciate their quality and value for money. high tech products are also taking off. the smart phone went on sale in india this summer. >> translator: chinese products are well priced and well designed. >> translator: it's got good functions for games.

many of my friends say they like it. >> reporter: the growing tide of chinese imports is a headache. for the government. modi's election victory in may came with the promise to revitalize the economy but india is running a $35 billion trade deficit with china. modi wants chinese firms to shift operations to india to make trade more balanced. this plant is run as a subsidiary of a chinese toy manufacturer and started operations three years ago. it makes stuffed toys for western brands and exports them to places including the united states and europe. labor costs in india are about two-thirds lower than in china where wages have surged. most workers at this factory come from farming areas.

they say their lives have improved. >> translator: joining this company changed our standard of living. my children are in school and the family is happy. >> we found that india is a place where we have a longer future, we have more working hands. china is again going high tech and where labor intensity is required, more working hands is required, labor wages are required, india is the place. >> reporter: the leaders are hoping for a win-win relationship. india needs to boost exports and create jobs. while china is looking for a more affordable source of labor. but only they can settle the simmering border issue, their relationship will have room for improvements. nhk world, new delhi. thousands of people in philippines have fled tropical

storm fung wong. heavy flooding and rain forced schools and the stock market to close. it made landfall on northern luzon island. it has affected more than 400,000 people. flood waters rose quickly. residents of low-lying areas were told to move to higher ground. more than 7,000 residents were evacuated. >> translator: our home is submerged. all our belongings were washed away. >> local authorities sent boats and amphibious vehicles to rescue the stranded. >> translator: we should find a way to evacuate people in at least one community, there are people trapped on their roofs.

>> government work was suspended and schools were closed. luzon has suffered two storms in two weeks. >> a typhoon last week claimed eight lives and displaced more than 360,000 people. it is expected to be heading out to sea by late friday. that will wrap up our bulletin i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. china may have the largest population but businesses are scrambling to keep the manufacturing boom going. so they are turning to robots to fill the gap. nhk world reports. >> reporter: this factory is located in hangjo, an eastern coastal city near shanghai. along with the human workers, eight robots are working here to make exercise machines.

the company exports rose steadily over the past two decades. but last year, tougher competition resulted in falling sales. they slumped by 30% compared to the year before. he manages the factory's operation and says in recent years it's been harder to find a number of skilled workers he requires. >> translator: as the population continues to age, fewer and fewer people, including the young, want to do physical labor. the traditional human labor wave tactics will be getting smaller. >> reporter: for example, he needed welders, but they are in short supply in china. they are crucial for making good quality products, but the fire sparking process is dangerous and physically demanding.

to attract more welders, the company offers higher wages only to find that it drove up production costs. so the company tried something new. it installed robot welders. just one can do the work of four humans. >> translator: the cost for welding has decreased by around 20% to 30%. it's normal in our industry. >> reporter: the number of robots sold in china has kept rising over the past decade. with a 30% increase in average every year, last year 30,000 robots were sold. that made china the world's largest robot market. >> translator: there's room for expanding the robot industry,

even in china's interior. in my opinion, the demand will keep growing 30% a year for more than three years. >> reporter: robot makers are going all out to take advantage of this opportunity. a japanese manufacturer in the factory in june last year. most of its robots are for the auto industry. their factory makes more than most plants worldwide. naturally the facility uses robots to make its robots. this machine is used to clean products. it uses dry ice and this helps speed up production. to meet china's growing appetite for robots, this factory has been stepping up manufacturing during the past year. it completed its expansion three

months ahead of schedule and now it can produce 400 robots per month. on average, the plant now takes in 10% more orders than it had planned for. >> the chinese market is still very unpredictable. i am looking forward to seeing what kind of robots sell well here. i'm having a good time wondering what kind of factory would want this to become. >> reporter: cheap labor used to fuel china's economic growth. but as wages rise, those days are vanishing. now some factory owners are turning to robots to ensure the country's economy keeps expanding. daisuke azuma, nhk world.

two communities north of tokyo are fighting government plans to store radioactive waste there. some of the material comes from the fukushima nuclear accident. assembly members voted unanimously to try to block construction of final disposal sites. government leaders want to build storage facilities in the towns of kami and shioya. they use the facilities to hold radioactive material including sludge and ash. they aim to set up storage sites in five prefectures near fukushima. the town assemblies approved ordinances to hamper the government's plans. assembly members in kami declared they would not accept radioactive waste because it would threaten the natural environment. counselors in shioya designated a spring near the waste storage site as an important industrial

asset. their ordinance gives the mayor a veto over any waste disposal. officials at the environment ministry say they'll keep telling communities why they think the storage facilities are necessary and safe. japan has just gotten a little bit bigger. coast guard officials reported that fresh lava flows continuing on an island south of tokyo that took on new proportions last year. the island is located about 900 kilometers from tokyo. it made its way into the news in november when a new island formed nearby, the result of lava flows from an underwater volcanic vent. in a month, the new island had joined with the original island. an aerial survey by a coast guard aircraft has found several craters in the center of the island. three of them were observed spewing lava and cinders 100 meters into the air, with smoke reaching roughly 1500 meters. the island is now about seven times larger than before the

eruption in november. coast guard officials are warning ships operating around the island to be on alert for any sudden changes in volcanic activity. check out the latest market figures. here is the weekend weather forecast.

. that's all this hour on "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. thank you for watching and have a good day.

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