expanded their stimulus since they unveiled it in april of last year, so this is the first time for them to up the size. it wasn't a small change. they're now going to expand the monetary base at an annual pace of about 80 trillion yen. roughly $730 billion. and this is giving investors a reason to buy. the nikkei is trading at the highest level since october 2007. the broader topix index is also surging. up 3.2%. traders are buying shares of major exporters because of the weaker yen. $1 is trading at 1.136 to 65. in new york, it was at 14. the announcement comes at a time when the federal reserve is is ending their bond buying

program. traders are expecting the gap of the yield to widen. this is making the dollar more attractive to investors. in other trading, one euro is fetching 149.99 and in other markets in the asia pacific region, south korea is trading a such lower. in australia, the benchmark index is trading higher by about.01. prime minister abe raised the consumption tax in april. he's now contemplating another hike. robert lynch says abe's decision could dictate the direction of the yen. >> dollar itself we're still relatively positive on, but the prospect for further yen weakness is going to be in part o seeing the effects of this new initiatives out of japan.

>> abe is due to make his decision by the end of the year. analysts say the rise in the consumption tax in april and cool, summer weather made japanese consumers spend less. they say that probably caused gross domestic product to grow more slowly than expected. analysts from ten private research firms and financial institutions estimate gdp rose between 0.2 and 0.7% in real terms. that translates to a rate of between 1 and 1.28%. consumer spending accounts for about 60% of gdp in japan. finance min sfri officials will release preliminary gdp figures on november 17th. the man in charge of revitalizing the japanese economy says the government shuld give it a kick start if growth slows. he says the government may have

to use fiscal stimulus measures to prop up consumer spending. >> consumption has sagged. especially among low income households and those with young children. we need measures to help these groups. >> he denies such measures would be used to smooth a way for another tax hike. let's take a look at what economists and investors will be focusing on this week. on wednesday, toyota motor will announce its earnings results for the three months through september. in the previous quarter, the automaker reported a rise in boelt sales and profits. on thursday, policymakers at the european central bank will meet. last month, they decided to keep their key interest rates at a record low. on friday, u.s. labor department

officials will be introducing jobs data for october. in september, the unemployment rate fell to 9.8%. its lowest level since july 2008 and on saturday, china's trade figures for october will come out. exports jumped more than 15% from a year earlier. i'll have more next hour. for now, i'll leave you with a check on markets.

markets around the world l follow. >> from the decisions that could change the course of an economy. >> to the companies at the forefront of change. >> up to the minute market reports. >> and analysis by specialists from around the world. >> get all the latest business news and insight every day. here on "newsline." candidates in the u.s. midterm elections are making their final appeals to voters. one day before polling stations

open. president obama's democratic party is fighting to defend its majority in the senate. 36 of the 100 seats are up for grabs. all 435 seats in house of representatives are in play and voters in 36 states will choose their next governor. obama made stops in connecticut and pennsylvania. >> you've got to grab your friends. we've got to grab your classmates, your co-workers. you've got to knock on some doors. make some phone calls. >> analysts say obama's low approval rating poses a challenge for democratic candidates. obama had a 68% approval ratinging six years ago. the highest rating since john f. kennedy was in power. but obama's popularity has fallen has he struggled to revive the economy. he was re-elected in 2012, but his rating has been under 45% since last october and it dropped to 42% this september. the republicans are expected to

strengthen their position in the house. the latest polls suggest they magt also take the senate. turkish coast guard are searching for survivors after a fishing boat sank. coast guard officials say they believe they were more than 40 people on board. over five times the vessel's capacity. the people are believed to be mostly from afghanistan. migrants from the middle east have been stopped temporarily in turkey to earn money before heading to other parts of europe. officials with the -- eastern ukraine. drones to monitor the cease fire. now, they say one of the aircrafts has come under

attacks. it was at an altitude of about 150meter es when it came under fire. the u.s. envoy to the osc said given the location of the attack, it was likely carried out by russia backed forces. the attack occurred on the same day separatists in eastern ukraine held an election to choose new leaders. officials in kiev and some western nations have denounced the vote. they said it will worsen the conflict. been studying the measures drafted by the country's nuclear regulators and are questioning whether the science is sound. the authority has urged plant operators to take measures if -- would threaten a power plant.

but experts say forecasting eruptions isn't that easy. >> translator: we think the rules have to take into account the unique challenges and limitations of protecting volcanic eruptions. researchers and government officials need to hold some open discussions on the issue. >> in september, the regular laters approved measures for southwestern japan. the experts had questioned whether the plants operators -- >> four crippled reactors. a constant build up of water. radio active leaks. the people in charge of fukushima daiichi are stuck to control the plant. how will they stop the leaks? get the latest on the aftermath of the nuclear accident.

with in depth report and special features. nuclear watch. only on knew "newsline." japan's emperor has given this year's order of culture to outstanding citizens. an awards ceremony for the nation's highest honor was held at the imperial palace on culture day, a national holiday. the recipients include two winners of this year's nobel prize in physics. he created a high quality crystal, a material needed to make blue leds. he developed a very bright blue led. the other is professor maratis -- research on theoretical economics.

the e a photo session was held in front of the imperial palace. the people in charge of a popular temple in taiwan have -- they say they're trying to improve air quality and reduce waste. but they've changed the way worshippers offer prayers and the incomes of local businesses. nhk world reports. >> reporter: people in taipei go to temple to pray for many things such as prosperity and war. safe childbirth and success in nations and the prayers are always offered together with --

>> translator: in taiwan, we burn incense sticks as an expression of our sincerity. >> reporter: but there's growing concern about all the incense smoke. it causes air pollution and also poses health risk to people and volunteers, especially those who spend many hours inside. recently, a temple in the downtown city decided to address this problem. this is one of the best known temples in all of taiwan. in august it took a drastic step to improve its air quality. the practice of burning incense and removed two large -- from its precincts.

the temple also wants to reduce waste so it has also stopped worshippers from leading offerings of fruit or flowers. >> translator: we made this change in order to go back to the founding principle of our temple. the important thing is not to burn incense or to present offerings but to offer your prayers from the bottom of your heart. >> reporter: the sudden change of policy has drawn mixed reactions from worshippers. >> translator: i think it's good that there's not so much smoke now but it does feel strange to join my hands in prayer without having even putting a tray of offerings in front of me. >> translator: there are fewer people now and it feels a bit sad. >> reporter: the change has come as a blow to the vendors who used to sell incense and offerings. there used to be lines of stores around the temple. but the nearby streets are

rather empty now. >> translator: i used to sell incense sticks but now all i do is help my daughter in her shop. the temple made the decision, so there's nothing i can do about it. >> reporter: the long-time worshippers are positive about the change. this is a vendor. she has visited the temple almost every day for the past 40 years. she says she will embrace the idea of worshipping, even without burning incense. on this day, she brought some fruit as an offering but she said she plans to take it home with her. >> translator: i've brought some offerings today. these are to pray for good health. it is the will of the gods that we are thrifty.

>> reporter: times change and so do traditions. but that seems to have little impact on the religious devotion of people in taiwan. nhk world, taipei. as more japanese mothers enter the work force, there's a need for more day-care centers. but the local government is speeding up the building process are hitting a road block as many locals oppose the plans. >> reporter: this ward in tokyo has one of the longest waiting lists for day care in japan. over the next five years, the ward plans to build 29 new day-care centers.

last year, it appointed a special team to speed up the process. they hired a real estate expert to get some know-how. the ward is looking for possible sites for new centers. on this day, they met local land owners and asked for more information about new locations. while day-care centers are going up in some neighborhoods, a number of locals are putting up resistance. >> translator: it won't be a comfortable residential neighborhood anymore. i bought this house because it's quiet here. >> reporter: the department hears similar concerns almost every day. some locals are also concerned about parents' bad manners and

the traffic congestion they cause. >> translator: we're trying to convince the residents by saying we will operate this facility with respect for the community. >> reporter: in other parts of the country, locals have gone to court demanding compensation for noise by day cares. in some cases locals are filing lawsuits demanding preventive measures. in response, risk management companies are becoming more active. they specialize in mediating problems related to day-care centers. on this day, the director of a day-care center in tokyo visits a risk management company. she says a local turned up at the center ranting about children's noise. some specialists say the problem is heightened by the declining birth rate and aging population. so many people aren't used to seeing children in their neighborhoods. >> translator: as the number of children declines, many residents see day care as irrelevant to them.

something that simply disturbs their peace. >> reporter: some day-care centers try to prevent conflict by making personal contact with community members. this facility in osaka used to receive complaints from locals about excessive noise. so it began inviting neighbors to its events. here, local elderly people have been invited to sports day. >> translator: it's okay. grandma's here. we are all nanas. >> reporter: the day-care center says that since it began to build relationships in the community, there have been fewer noise complaints. >> translator: we can prevent

trouble and help local people to understand the situation by inviting them to see these wonderful children and watch them grow up. >> reporter: this people-to-people strategy might be what it takes to turn things around. instead of seeing day cares as a nuisance, locals might consider them a benefit. people across japan have celebrated culture day on monday. in the city of nara people gather to watch one of the country's oldest performance arts. ♪ dancers put on a performance of an art form associated with japan's imperial court. the setting was a 1,200-year-old shrine with unesco world heritage status.

dancers in battle armor acted out a piece. the piece is performed only on special occasions. ♪ >> beautiful scene there. it's time now for a check of the weather. a typhoon is heading toward eastern japan. meteorologist robert speta gives us the details in world weather. >> yes, katherine. we are seeing right now, this is one of the strongest of 2014 as far as typhoons go, not quite as strong as vongfong. this is up there at the violent typhoon category, however, as far as its intensity, on the satellite imagery has the circulation wrapping around here. i do think this is starting on its weakening trend. we are past the peak intensity.

this is going to be tracking off toward the north and then the northeast. staying away from the southern islands of japan here, even including just toward the west of it. still could be seeing even flooding and landslides for these outer islands. i do think people are making preparations and i wouldn't be surprised if there were some evacwass with this. now, one thing keeping our storm further off is this high pressure ridge in behind, which has been bringing some blustery conditions across much of hokkaido over the sea of japan. winds as high as 140 kilometers have been reported. we could see winds gusting up towards 120 kilometers per hour. so, good news there if you are out there, at least some sunny

skies, temperatures continuing to climb up into the high teens. down towards the south, high temperatures in the tropics, really just the east here -- i want to talk about a few areas down into south america, specifically through peru, then down towards argentina. two separate weather systems have been making for some rather rough conditions. let's show you the video. this is out of peru, where we have been seeing the heavy rainfall. caused severe flooding in some areas on sunday. see students sitting uping to g water. then we're talking about buenos

aires in argentina. actually, about 122 millimeters fell over the past few days, exceeding the monthly rainfall for that area. residents evacuated coming out of that. the good news is that we are still going to be seeing improving conditions. unfortunately, still scattered showers towards the north, but down towards the south, the it is moving away. high pressure's going to ridge in behind that, bring favorable weather. let's talk about hurricane vance into central america. mexico, specifically. that's fallen off towards the northeast. also good news with this, it's a hurricane category 2 right now. still bring heavy rainfall, even the threat of flooding for coastal areas. then the big topic is this cold front right there. you could see it pushing through parts of france into spain. severe weather potential into the western portions of italy, you could see large hail damage and winds. even the threat of tornados.

good news for those of you in eastern europe. high pressure is dominate iing. temperatures staying on the cool side. moscow with a high of 3. here's your extended forecast.

we'd like to remind you of our lead stories. tokyo's benchmark index rose above 17,000 this morning. the highest in seven years. the bank of japan's stimulus

package on friday is boosting stock prices. the nikkei is trading at 16,941. up 3.2% higher than the close on friday. the market was shut on monday for a public holiday. the dollar is now trading at 113.54 to 59. earlier in new york, the dollar was at 114 yen. that's the highest it's been in seven years. turkish coast guard officers are searching for survivors after a fishing boat sank off the coast of istanbul. the boat was carrying dozens of migrants. at least 22 people were killed. the accident occurred in the bospheres strait. officials believe there were more than 40 people on board. that's over five times the vessel's capacity. the people on board are believed to be mostly from afghanistan. migrants from the middle east

have been stopping in turkey to earn money before headi >> garrison keillor: maxine kumin lives on a farm in new hampshire where she breeds arabian and quarter horses, writing poetry, four novels, more than 20 children's books. she says, "i don't want to write poems that aren't necessary. i want to write poems that matter." >> this is a little one called

after love. afterward, the compromise. bodies resume their boundaries. these legs, for instance, mine. your arms take you back in. spoons of our fingers, lips admit their ownership. the bedding yawns, a door blows aimlessly ajar and overhead, a plane singsongs coming down. nothing is changed, except there was a moment when the wolf, the mongering wolf who stands outside the self lay lightly down, and slept. ( applause ) thank you.

here is your host. >> hi there and a warm welcome to our "highlights" edition shaping up this time with the following top reports -- we check out the latest works from british artist alex chinneck. ulla-lena lundberg of finland gets her inspiration from her island home. and in adventure. we go on safari in this picturesque region of spain. he's touted as the guy who makes houses melt, slide, turn upside down and even float. alex chinneck is a 30 year-old british installation artist who's fascinated with structural elements and tricking the eye. his latest project is presently on show in london in a prime position at covent garden. take my lightning bun'