-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com hello, there. welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, october 23rd. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. police and military officials in canada's capital are on alert after brazen shootings at the parliament buildings. an armed attacker shot and killed a canadian soldier before he was also shot dead. the officials are trying to confirm if there is another gunman still at large. [ shots ] >> ottawa police have locked down the parliament buildings and the downtown area.

they say a man with a rifle shot and killed a soldier standing guard at the national war memorial. the man that entered the parliament buildings, witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots. police say the gunman was shot dead by a security guard. at least two guards are being treated for injuries. a government spokesperson says prime minister stephen harper was safely taken away from parliament hill. a member of parliament describes hearing the gunshots. >> right now we are waiting to see when we can leave. it started this morning. it guess about nine hours ago. as a parliamentary reporter i was here talking to members of parliament about legislation that was coming down regarding canadians who go and fight with isis. legislation about tracking them and so on. all of the sudden we heard gunshots down the hall. i have never really heard

anything like that. certainly not in the parliament building. everyone kind of scattered. everyone just said run, duck, hide. it's a big, huge, beautiful neogothic building. at that point it was each man for himself. every man was running. i was lucky enough to bang on the door which was lockeded. office doors. i got there with a few staff members, the cabinet minister. there were three of us there. we holed up there for five hours. we put furniture up against the door, we stayed low, we stayed away from the windows and we waited. and the problem is, it's a big building, and we couldn't really tell what was going on outside. outside our door or outside the building.

but eventually, a s.w.a.t. team came and evacuated us with other -- and then we ended up joining other people. and so, now we're just kind of waiting to see what happens next. so, it's been a crazy, crazy day. it's a very -- i mean, over the years, i've seen security tighten up around here, especially since 9/11, but overall, it's a pretty accessible building. people play football on the lawn. there's actual yoga sessions during the week when you come in. to see the proceedings of parliament, you have to go through a metal detector and everything, but it is secure, it is tight, but it's still accessible. but i really don't know what this is going to do. this was really -- this was someone who wanted to kill people. there was no doubt about it. he wasn't just trying to, you know, do a stunt. he came in with the intent to kill.

and luckily, a lot of the mps were already in their meeting rooms. and if he had come earlier, they would have been milling about a lot more, because he was just shooting all over the place, willy-nilly, and it went on for quite some time. it was very, very, very dramatic. we could hear it from where we were. and so, it's been a very frightening day. the canadian government decided to join the u.s. led operation against the islamic state militant group. they stepped up alert ps for terrorist attacks after the decision was made. u.s. president obama called harper and pledged a coordinated response to the incident. >> we don't yet have the information about what motivated the the shooting. we don't yet have all the information about whether this was part of a broader network, plan or whether this was an individual or series of individual who is decided to take actions.

>> a u.s. intelligence official says they areeeping a close watch on developments in canada. the official said there is no evidence of a threat to the united states. but precautions will be taken. japanese government officials are seeking a meeting with the person in charge of north korea's investigation into the fate of missing japanese nationals. a delegation will visit pyongyang next week to press north korean leaders that resolving the abduction issue is the top priority for prime minister shinzo abe's cabinet. >> translator: we want to resolve the abduction issue during my administration. i'm very committed with strong determination to get results as we continue to pursue the principle of dialogue and pressure, action for action. >> abe says he wants to know the current status of the probe. japanese government officials say the delegation's four-day

visit to pyongyang starts on monday. it plans to meet members of the special investigation committee on tuesday and wednesday. so taha leads the panel. the japanese delegation is junichi ihara, head of the foreign ministry's asian and oceana affairs bureau and officials of the national police agency. government officials in tokyo say north korean agents kidnapped at least 17 japanese nationals in the 1970s and '80s. 12 of them are still missing. japan's finance minister has suggested that the leaders of japan and china meet for some talks next month. foul was arrested on suspicion of secretly distributing bibles. christian evangelism constitutes it hostile conduct in korea.

they reported the release of foul who was referred to as a u.s. criminal. it said kim took into consideration the repeated requests of u.s. president obama. observers say pong yonge tried to use it as an opportunity to start negotiations with washington. >> we remain focused on the continued detention of kenneth bay and matthew miller and called on the uk to release them. the u.s. government will work on both cases. >> two other u.s. nationals are detained in north korea serving sentences of hard labor. kenneth bay was arresteded in 2012. pyongyang said bay committed hostile acts. matthew miller was arrested in april on charges of disturbing law and order. japan's finance minister has suggested that the leaders of japan and china meet for some talks next month. taro aso made the proposal to a

high-ranking chinese official. aso had a five-minute exchange with vice premier zhang gaoli in beijing. they were attending a group from the economic corporation forum. >> translator: i told zhang that it would be very significant for improving bilateral ties if the top leaders could talk on the sidelines of the apec summit in beijing next month. >> aso told reporters that japan's direct investment in china for the first half of this year dropped about 49% from a year earlier. he said continued dialogue is necessary in order to improve ties between the two nations. aso is the second ranking position in the cabinet of shinzo abe. zhang is the number seven man in the chinese communist party. china is trying to expand in

asia. so what can you tell us? >> the chinese president proposed last year the creation of a new bank. it would be for investing in infrastructure in asian countries. he called it the asia infrastructure investment bank. now china's finance minister is backing the idea. he held a uh news conference after the apec meeting and said there is a massive short fall of money for funding infrastructure in the asia pacific. he said nobody brought up the issue at the meeting though they are aware of it. >> it would compliment the world bank and asian development bank. officials welcome the idea. >> sources say araengsment where is r made for nations supporting the proposal to exchange memorandums of proposal in beijing. japanese government officials

have said they will not participate. they have expressed doubts about the transparency of management. let's check on markets now. investors on wall street worried by shootings in ottawa and another fall in oil prices. u.s. stock prices ended the day lower. the blue chip dow jones shed nearly 1%. now an update on how investors in japanese shares are reacting. he's standing by at the tokyo stock exchange. good morning. what can you tell snus. >> good morning. it looks like the nikkei and topix are following the down figures. let's talk about how they are opening now. both indexes down. the nikkei down three-quarters of a percent. we'll see how that 15,000 level fareses for the morning. a larger than expected rise in u.s. oil inventories drove down the price of crude futures in

new york to two-year lows. hovers around $80 a barrel. here we have to watch out for energy related shares. oil and gas field refiners. and the trading firms which rely on commodities for profits. investors are looking at the effect weaker commodity prices have an asian markets because of slower growth in china and related currencies such as the australian dollar which is heavily pegged toward commodities. on a brighter note, investors looking at corporate earnings results in the u.s. and investors can take cheer prosecute the fact that many earnings results are beating estimates. one such example has been yahoo! which rose around 4.5% during normal trading. we'll watch for related mo bind intranet shares here as well. >> we have seen volatility in the currency markets, too.

where is the dollar yen trading? >> wet let's look at that pair. right now it's at 107.14 to the 15. it rose a touch after the data showed u.s. consumer prices had risen 0.1% on the month. american shoppers are paying slightly more for goods and services. the federal reserve watches inflation closely and the figures confirm market ex peck tags that is the fed will keep to its current path of scaling back the quantitative easing program. i'll she can on how the nikkei progresses. if we can stay above 15,000 and also an eye on asian indexes in particular. we'll have the china slash hsbc manufacturing data later this morning. we'll see how that affects asian indexes and japanese-related shares for the china markets as well. for now the nikkei and topix

lower. more in a few hours. back to you. >> thanks for that update. russian officials are telling oil and gas companies to cut dependence on foreign technology. the deputy prime minister and energy minister made the call after u.s. and european companies slapped russian energy firms with sanctions. the officials were speaking before the heads of energy companies in moscow. deputy prime minister dvorkovich said they are confront challenges and need their own technologies and continue improving them. he said he's thinking of providing the industry tax incentives. energy minister alexander novak took to the podium. he said moscow plans to reduce the ratio of foreign made equipment the energy sec tor uses by 20% p. energy firms serve as vladimir putin's power base. western countries imposed sanctions on russia over the prices in ukraine including a ban on technology exports.

that's the latest in business. here's another check on markets. the new president of afghanistan will travel to china next week on his first overseas trip since taking office. ashraf ghani is expected to met president xin jinping in a bid to boost investment in his country. ghani took office in september

after an election standoff that carried on for months. he is seeking to rebuild the war-torn country. afghanistan has been launched in an internal struggle ever since a u.s.-led multinational force toppled the taliban regime in 2001. the united states, european countries and japan have been at the forefront of extending assistance. the majority of u.s. and other forces are scheduled to pull out of the country by the end of december. a chinese foreign ministry spokesperson says ghani's four-day tour will begin next tuesday. she says china attaches great importance to his visit. observers say afghan officials are worried the international community will become less safe after the military withdrawal. chinese officials seem ready to take on a bigger role in helping rebuild afghanistan. it's thought they view improved ties with afghan officials as a way to help stem domestic terrorism.

the demonstrations have brought things to a standstill and now they've been removing barricades that are blocking major roads in the central shopping district. student leaders and hong kong officials met for the first time on tuesday to try to resolve the more than three-week crisis. but they made little headway. the students have been protesting beijing's decision to screen candidates for hong kong's chief executive in 2017. after the talks, the student leaders said the demonstrations would continue. the announcement prompted people who have grown tired of the protests to take to the streets and begin removing the barricades. >> translator: the clash, someone's glasses were broken. i just feel anger. we are all citizens. >> at one point, a man tried to set fire to the barricades with a flammable liquid. he was stopped by people around

him. it doesn't look like things will return to normal yet. there were protests of remarks by the territory's leader. chief executive made a statement rejecting democratic elections. in an interview with foreign media before failed talks. he said if candidates were nominated by the public people with lower incomes would likely dominate the process. about 200 labor union members and students took to the streets to protest. they demanded leung retract his words and resign. >> the government must listen to the opinions of all people. we can't accept a situation where people with low incomes don't have the right to vote. >> the chief executive doesn't understand the role of citizens and everybody should have the right to vote. nepalese officials require

trekkers to take guides and gps devices with them. last week the himalayan countries had one of its first avalanche disasters. that left dozens dead. >> translator: the main reason for the high number of casualties is that trekkers without proper guides were encouraged to beat the approaching storm. we will strictly enforce rules against hiking without proper guides. >> reporter: the tourism official also said the government is working with agencies to invest in a gps system that would help authorities find people in emergency situations. the government plans to implement the regulations nationwide before the start of the next trekking season in spring. last week, an un-seasonal avalanche struck the 10th highest mountain in the world. there were 41 deaths, including

foreign tourists. nepal attracted many tourists last year. 12% more trekkers. japan's bullet train made its historic debut 50 years ago. domestic firms are ramping up efforts to sell the railway over seas. despite the record the system lags behind other countries in the take up rate abroad. here's a look at where the industry could do better. >> reporter: about 300 visitors attended this event in tokyo. potential buyers came from

countries including the united states. the companies who hosted were railway companieses, train car makers and other firms. >> translator: it is a gathering point for the technologies that japan takes pride in. it also brings together the research and development efforts of many domestic firms. >> reporter: the 50 year experience, it may be said to have an edge over many foreign rivals. global demand for fast trains is rising. the u.s. plans to construct a total of 13,700 kilometers. the indian government is considering as many as seven new lines.

the leaders of singapore and malaysia say they want to build a connecting railway. of all the countries in the world that built railways, only a handful have the skill to deliver on demands. yet, japanese firms are struggling to secure orders. the european competitors have lower investment costs by using existing tracks. japan has something special to provide. its long experience and safety record. it runs on dedicated tracks.

japanese firms believe this puts them above the competitors for peace of mind and accuracy. the cost could be another factor. >> in terms of time, travel, frequency, all are impressive. >> how can we customize high-speed rail through our country situations? >> translator: we want potential customers not only to know about the good aspects of this high-speed rail system, but also it spans enormous features. this is all thanks to how the system was established long ago and has been polished over so many years.

the government and private sector are resolved to fulfill their roles in sending this abroad, to work together and take up the challenge. >> reporter: technology and safety alone will not be enough for japan to send its high-speed railway system. they will also depend on convincing customers of the need, including the funds. nhk world, tokyo. >> time for a check of the weather. robert speta joins us with the latest. >> yes, catherine. this is all still going back to remnants of hurricane gonzalo oh. it's now pushing off to the east. it moves through the british isles. then moved out to the ball can peninsula. you have been seeing nasty weather. i want to take you to video we have coming out of germany where you have been seeing significant storm surge actually because of the storm. police divers rescued cars flooded right there. because of the surge coming up

from this event. power lines were downed by tree branches and roads blocked by debris. cleanup operations definitely still under way as you can see there. the good news is the rough weather really has tapered off farther here towards the north, but now the storm is still down here towards the south. it is still bringing some nasty weather. actually, in some areas across parts of austria into the higher elevations there in the alps, you've seen about 30 centimeters in the past 24 hours of snowfall. still could see an additional 45 centimeters out here for some of you. winds continue to gust upwards about 100 kilometers per hour. then in the lower elevations, you're continuing to see the rain. so, this severe weather threat continues to linger here with this storm as it rolls farther off there towards the east. high pressure setting in back towards the west and northern portions of the british isles. you're still going to be seeing gusty winds due to the very tight pressure gradient out

there for you. but this is what i want to show you. take a look at the temperatures. a lot of areas in blue back towards the northeast. moscow just with a high of 5 here on your thursday. now let's move over towards the americas. we have a new tropical depression, and the tropical depression's typically very weak. the bulk of the convection with this is back towards the east, so what we are seeing is some precipitation across the yucatan, and eventually, that will move into cuba. but if you are in the u.s., specifically across the northeastern states, you are being impacted by this. a very slow-moving nor'easter over the next 48 hours. this is still going to be out here. and it is going to bring in some rainfall. actually, about 50 to 100 millimeters still could be seen out here. but i think the biggest threat is the coastlines of new england over through nova scotia. you have to remember, we're right now at the time of a new moon. actually, some people could be seeing a solar eclipse, which you can only see at the time of a new moon. well, that combined with high tide -- new moons create high tides -- with these persistent winds could create coastal flooding for you, so that will be the big topic coming out of this. back west, still thunderstorms across the central plains and

also remaining messy there into the northwest. 13 and 16 there for your high in vancouver and seattle with those rain showers still in your forecast. let's wrap things up moving over here towards eastern asia. look at this. this is the past three days across japan. if you have been out here, you may be thinking where is the sun? it's coming soon. the cloud cover's been put in place, but high pressure is going to be pushing this down towards the southeast. those showers in tokyo will taper off during the morning hours. behind it, clear skies for much of japan, korea, eastern china. you do still have to deal with some fog, but at least the precipitation has stopped. and also looking at some thunderstorms down towards the south across the tropics. all right, i'll leave you now with your extended forecast.

>> that's all for this edition of "newsline." thanks for staying with us.

♪ the yemeni human rights act vist tawakkol karman became the youngest winner of the nobel peace prize at the age of 32 in 2011. with the arab spring pro-democracy movement spreading in the middle east, karman led anti-government rallies in yemen which was under autocratic rule.