glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday, december 9th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. officials at the u.n. say conflicts and disasters are leaving people worldwide in need of humanitarian aid. officials say people's needs are outpacing the u.n.'s capps toy respond. the u.n. has told donors next career, it needs more than $16 billion in funds ch officials plan to use the money to help about 58 million people across the globe. they've identified 22 countries

in need of aid including iraq, syria and ukraine. >> responding must be a shared responsibility and there must be a determined collective effort through 2015 to close the growing gap between needs and resources. >> another u.n. agency has already warned of funding challenges. last week, officials with the world food program said they'll have to temporarily suspend food aid for about 1.7 million refugees in syria. medical workers in four west african nations are receiving more japanese aid. they're getting thousands of sets of protective gear and will use the suits in their fight against the ebola outbreak. we have a report from ghana, where the u.n. has based its emergency response team. >> a japanese air defense force aircraft touched down on monday at the international airport.

in ghana's -- this is a part time sdf personnel to be dispatched on the related mission. japan's defense force uploading 20,000 set of protective gears. they are part of japan's assistance to the most hardest hit african countries. >> representatives from the u.n. and japan count a brief handover ceremony. leaders in tokyo announced last month, about 700,000 sets of protective gear. they began to use it to work in guinea, liberia, sierra leone. >> they need basic protective equipment to protection themselves as health care workers and they need training. what japan is doing with this contribution of this protective

equipment for the health system. >> translator: as a gesture from the japanese government, it should contribute to the global community. bringing the equipment here, i feel my heart is in africa. >> reporter: the virus has killed over 6,000 people in west africa. in some areas, medical personnel have refused to work in fear of being infected with ebola, and the outbreak is taking a major toll on the affected nations' economies. the u.n. is appealing for the international community to contribute more money and aid to help stop the virus from spreading. taro mitamura, nhk world, accra. degree gattis from nearly

160 countries have gathered in vienna to discuss nuclear weapons. the conference has drawn a record number of of attendees. nuclear powers in britain and the united states are taking part for the first time. participants will examine the use of nuclear weapons and discuss their consequences. hiroshima bombing survivor says now is the time to create a legal framework to ban nuclear weapons. >> how much more, how much longer can we allow the nuclear weapon states to continue threat threatening all life on earth? >> an american representative says the most effective way to remove the threat of nuclear arms is through reenlisting and gradual disarmament. he says the u.s. is opposed to a ban. the delegates will hold a session for open discussions on

tuesday. south korean government leaders are facing a difficult decision involving a close ally. they've been hearing from their american counterparts about a plan to set up a missile defense system on their soil and they're finding there's plenty of opposition around the region. >> south koreans are patiently wait waiting the deloimt of a new missile defense system. the terminal high altitude is a system which intercepts ballistic missiles in midair using powerful laser. the radio systems is -- set to be over 1,000 kilometers, so it

could -- northeastern china. what got them so fired up was a best-selling novel about a plan that involves china. thaad also warns that if south koreans are allowed to u.s. to deploy the system, they will be a force to oppose dhin china. >> up until now, korea has been a death at using the united states for security and china for trade. but that won't be possible any longer. >> the u.s. stations almost 30,000 soldiers in south korea to protect it from north korean threats. the u.s. want thaad in south korea to respond to north korea's provocative behavior, like firing missiles. in september, deputy defense secretary publicly announced the u.s. intends to deploy a battery. >> we are considering sending

the thaad to south korea. we're doing site surveys, we're working with the government of south korea now to determine if that is the right thing to do. >> reporter: the announcement angered china. last month, south korea entered into a free trade agreement with china hoping to strengthen economic ties. but the missile issue might become an obstacle. china suspects the u.s. military uses north korean aggression as a pretext for setting up thaad to monitor china's military facilities. an expert on south korean foreign policy says during a visit to china in october, government and military officials strongly opposed thaad. >> translator: chinese officials told me that if the united states uses thaad it will be

able to detect chinese missiles, and make preemptive attacks. there's no doubt that the u.s. is trying to intimidate china. that's why we object to deployment. >> reporter: south korea says the u.s. deployment of thaad will help defend the country. but it has avoided a clear stance on the issue. it says the u.s. has not formally approached south korea about the matter. meanwhile, politicians in south korea's national assembly have been debating the issue for a month. >> translator: if we decide not to use thaad, north korea will be free to threaten our citizens with nuclear missiles. >> translator: thaad could mean we are pulled into a dispute between the u.s. and china. >> translator: if thaad is deployed without civilian input there will surely be strong

resistance within korea. the current administration must exercise extremely careful judgment. >> reporter: with china on the rise, and the u.s. no longer the only super power, south korea's government walks a diplomatic tight rope. kim dae-young, nhk world, seoul. u.s. safety regulators are demanding a recall. they want all cars fitted with japan's ta kata air bags off the road. how are industry people reacting to the demands? >> it's been quits mixed. these can explode, injure and kill people in the car when it's warm outside. so, in several of the southern states, actually, recalls have taken place. millions of them. but safety regulators are demanding the recalls between

millions and millions of cars being replaced. executives at takata have been relucta reluctant, but honda motors says they'll dpo ahead on their own. they're issuing a recall for about 5.4 million vehicles. honda officials have filed the request with the national traffic highway administration and are expantding the recall to the whole country. they're asking drivers of 11 models from between 2001 and 2011 to bring in their cars for checks. the officials plan to replace the air bags and they'll test the air bag inflaters. investigators have found the air bags can explode and play shrapnel. they've linked it to a handful of deaths. honda officials agreed last week to cooperate with authorities. they're also recalling 135,000 vehicles in japan. they say they expect to recall

more than 12 million vehicles worldwide over the safety flaw. many traders are seeing the market for crude oil as a one way bet. they expect reserves to be in oversupply for months, so they're dumping oil futures and driving prices down to levels not seen in years. the benchmark west texas intermediate tumbled at one point on monday to less than $63 a barrel. that's the first time in more than five years it's sunk that low. it's also about 5% below the closing price last week. traders have watched the price fall in june when crude command ing $107 a barrel. analysts credit a range of factors. they say the bigs is the decision by opec countries last month not to cut their output and they say slowing growth in exports is causing a decline in demand. they also point to japan's downward revision of its third

quarter gdp figures. the analysts say u.s. shale producers are are also providing stiff competition, but they say falling prices could cut into their prices and force them to scale back. well, oil is weighing on market sentiment. investors sold energy related shares in european and u.s. markets and that negative mood is carrying over here in tokyo. the benchmark opened lower. it's trading lower by more than a third of a per sents from monday's close. many are taking profits from yesterday's gains. up until yesterday, the nikkei had risen seven days in a row. now, profit takinging, that is dominating as well. on monday, the dollar hit a seven-year high. analysts say many are buying the yen. they feel lower oil prices may cast a shadow on the world's economy. let's take a look at what's happening on other markets.

kospi down as well. down more than a third of a percent. in australia, the benchmark is down more than 1%. looks like a negative start to our asia pacific morning so far. executives at mcdonald's japan are struggling with the fallout from a food scandal. they had reporteded do you believe digit drop in sales for five months in a row. the executives say in november, sales and customers each fell about 12% from the same month last year. in july, the executives got caught up in a controversy over food safety.ve been buying chicken from a shanghai firm that has caught repackaging expired meat. executives are vowing to draw people back to their stores. they say they'll lift the quality of their products and take other steps to regain trust. they also plan to try a range of limited menus. researchers at japanese

electronics form hitachi developed technology more than a decade ago that identifies people by scanning the veins in their fingers. now, they've taken that a step further. people in the industry thought it was next to impossible for a machine to read finger veins while people were moving. but researchers have come up with a dice that does just that. when people pass through an automated ticket gate, for example. they say it's an industry first. they say it can handle 70 people a minute. >> translator: it will become very important to ensure security at large scale facilities such as shopping malls and sports venues. >> they say the company aims to put the device on the market in two years time. i'll have more business headlines next hour. for now, i'll leave you with a check on markets.

every morning, investors turn our attention to asia, the tokyo market leads the way and markets around the world follow. >> from the decisions that should 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 the latest business news in insight every day. here on "newsline." a traditional japanese toy is making waves across the pacific ocean.

an event in los angeles introduce introduced people to kendama, also known as cup and ball. about 300 people, mostly children, tried their hand at the wooden toy. they competed to see who could catch the ball with a wooden handle the most times while the clock counted down. pros dazzle d the crowd with acrobatic skills. the toy has been attracting attention out of town since videos appeared online. >> it looks like so simple from the start, but using creative, not just your hands, but your whole body. >> the event japanese sponsors as they hope the traditional toy will help familiarize american children with japan. members of the international olympic committee have announced measures to lighten the load. they've agreed to allow hosts to

stage events in other cities and countries and add events. the proposals are part of the president's plan to perform the olympics. they were unanimously adopted by the 96-member committee at a meeting in monaco. the reforms raise the possibility of the south korean possibility of pyongyang asking japan or other neighbors to host some events during the 2018 winter games. the city is said to be facing financial difficulties. officials in tokyo may speed up a review of the plan for the 2020 summer games to stage events in other cities. the ioc members have also approved a plan to scrap the current limit of 28 sports in the summer games. and they'll allow host cities a choice to bring in more sports. but they say there should be limits on the number of events and athletes. the new rules allow changes in sports to be made three years ahead of times. currently, any change needs seven.

tokyo will be the first host city of the summer games to propose additional events. it raises hopes for a possible comeback of baseball and softball. introduction of karate and squash a also likely. british officials promised scottish voters greater autonomy if they rejected independence from the united kingdom. now, a top scottic politics is holding them to their promise. former scottish national party leader has sent out he's going to run in the parliamentary election in may. he sat down as party leader in november. two months earlier, voters rejected a call for independence from the united kingdom. a british government report from before the election promised scotland greater autonomy if voters turned down independent, but he said the report failed to meet expectations. >> and with that, so much at stake for scotland.

i think it's important to stand on the sidelines. >> the scottish national party has been gaining support since the referendum. a chinese court has sentenced eight people to death for deadly attacks in the autonomous region. the incidents left 42 people dead. in may, attackers drove vehicles into shoppers and hurled explosives at an open air market in the capital. the attacks left 39 people dead and 94 injured. one month earlier, a bomb exploded at a train station. three people were kill ed and 7 injured. the state run sichuan news agency says the court gave death sentences to six people for the

may attack and two for the april bombing. the court gave suspended death sentences to five other defendan defendants. a suspended death sentence can be commuted if an inmate commits no new crimes during the suspension period. they were part of the separatists east islamic movement. the group is seeking independent dense for the region. police in japan's southern most prefaekture of okinawa are interviewing a u.s. marine. they're investigating a hit an run that left a man seriously injured. emergency crews discovered an unconscious man lying on the road last thursday. his motorcycle was nearby. police found a fragment of a car at the scene. and they determined the motorcycle didn't cause the accident. they say a vehicle belonging to the marine passed through the site. investigators have interviewed him several times. marine corps officials have declined to give details, but say they're cooperating with police.

the three scientists who shared this years noble prize in physics have met to share their thoughts on the award and discussed the state of research in japan. they spoke to reporters in stockholm. the japanese born trio was recognized for their work on the blue light emitting diode. >> translator: i think it's extremely good that the three of us won together. it's just that i really didn't imagine it would have such an enormous impact. on my life. >> translator: there are two few female scientists in japan. i want to help increase the number any way i can.

>> translator: it's my duty as a researcher to continue with my work toward the next new breakthrough. >> he added that the japanese government needs to monitor promising research even if it doesn't turn into a major project right away. he says that's the only way japan can produce more noble winners. it's decision time again in japan. prion minister abe has called a snap election just halfway through his four-year term. now, voters will give their vertd on his record. from east asia. to decisions on tax hikes and the future of nuclear energy. don't misour special coverage, japan decides, sunday, december 14th on "newsline." it's time now for a check of the weather. people in northern japan are trying to clear heavy snow off their streets. we have the latest there and elsewhere.

>> it's a short break from the snowstorms that western japan has been experiencing recently, but northern japan keeps on getting that sea effect snowfall, especially in and around the sea of japan, hokkaido. looks like the snow will add up into the the foreseeable future. the japan meteorological agency has reported an extreme cold wave will dominate much of japan starting start and it's forecast to be a week long event. the heavy snow is expected on the sea of japan side once again. this unusual weather was released because -- predicts a 30% of a big change in the forecast. compared to that of the normal, so this could really affect many people and businesses. i'm sure a lot of people in the northern japan area are just going to keep on shoveling this show snow. it's going to be another round of winter pressure today. it's going to be a sudden one

though. so, this is going to happen in very short -- the snowfall is diminishing right now into the next 24 hours. the snow piling up in a short span makes it for avalanche, so we have avalanche advisories across much of the sea of japan side of this country, but the pacific side remains dry, the typical patter earns, so sunny skies. in fact, actually too dry across south korea eastern locations of this korean peninsula, to see dry warnings. the dryness out towards the tropics is actually making this system to disbers, which is now a tropical storm status and likely to weaken steadily. but the rainfall amounts on top of the 400 have been piling up into eastern locations of the philippines. it's going to be adding up even more. so the rainfall accumulation on the land prone to flooding will heighten the risk for flooding.

it could make way over south china sea, so we'll keep a close eye on that because flooding could be a huge concern for the indoe china peninsula. out towards the birg pick chu, we're seeing hazy conditions due to the air stagnation. the system has been dom napt across the continue net. and in tokyo, just around the average range, but we have some northerly cold air, so it could make us feel a lot colder than the actual temperatures. out here across western u.s., there's going to be the rounds of rainfall. very heavy coastal rainfall will be moving in to the pacific northwest with up to 150 by noefr night tuesday, but into wednesday, plus 180 on top of that. so, more than 300 millimeters certainly could heighten the potential for flooding. the good news is that the rain will be moving in to california

where the drought conditions have been prevailing. not a lot of beneficial rain here.

that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for staying with us.

>> hello and welcome to "euromaxx highlights," and here is your host... >> greetings from the german capital, and welcome to our highlights edition, shaping up this time with the following topics -- a belgian photographer takes fascinating close-ups of the ocean's predators, we explain what's behind the normcore fashion trend, and why malta is worth visiting. it's a battle that marine conservationists have been fighting for years -- the fact that people are happy to take on the cause of whales and dolphins, while sharks are perceived as man-eating monsters. belgian photographer jean-marie ghislain is trying to change that, and after overcoming his own fear o