hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. members of the u.n. security council are considering a new plan to crack down on the militant group islamic state. they're looking at a resolution that would help starve the militants of funds. the plan calls for countries to put an end to all oil deals and to stop paying ransom for hostages. russian officials submitted the draft resolution. it focuses on major sources of revenue for islamic state and other extremist groups including oil, ransoms and the antiquity trade. it threatens sanctions for

countries that violate certain rules. security council members have already adopted several resolutions to contain islamic state. observers say this one is likely to pass as officials from western nations have raised no objections. a new propaganda video by islamic state militants shows a captured british photojournalist. he says it's the video service. concern about his safety has surged among british media. >> hello. i'm john cantlie. in the last film in this series, we are in a city that has been at the heart of the fighting since summer 2012. >> cantlie was seized by the militant group in syria about two years ago. in the video posted online on monday, cantlie reports from a town believed to be in northern syria. he describes how air raids by syria's army and the u.s. air force have destroyed large parts of the town. he also interviews a member of the group about a series of attacks in france last month. cantlie first appeared in an

islamic state video last september wearing an orange jumpsuit. since then he has been in a series of videos by the group. earlier the president of the international committee of the red cross sat down with gene otani. peter morer talked about the challenges of trying to protect victims of war and the increasing risks journalists face in conflict zones. >> first off, icrc's main mission is to assist victims of violent conflict. this has been going on since world war i. you have been a long will have time mediator for things like this. tell us how your organization gets involved and how the recent situation in syria. >> i think we are confronted today with an international environment with a conflict environment which is increasingly fragmented and difficult. while decades ago we could negotiate access with countries and there were frontlines. we see frontlines disappear. movements disintegrate and we

find out the command and control structures in those conflict environments is extremely difficult. we need days and months in order to negotiate just a convoy from damascus to aleppo because there are so many groups on the way which you have to get hold on. it's changing fundamentally the access and security regimes for an organization like this. >> briefly, if you may, your thoughts on kenji goto. >> on a person level for myself and all my colleagues, this is always a shaking experience in 150 years of existence of the icrc. we never got used to people being abused, tortured, killed. this is as shaking as many other events are.

on a professional level it's an expression on what we see in today's battlefields. an extremely radicalized situation, violence getting increasingly -- violence getting increasingly radical. and this is an environment in which access and security for humanitarians, protection of civilians which is at the core of our mandate is increasingly difficult to deliver. more journalists get involved because the communication part of the armed conflict becomes an integral part of the conflict itself. it's not only the weapons speaking, it's also the communication on the violence and i think we have seen it over the past couple of weeks and months. not only with islamic states and other groups as well that communication is an integral

part of warfare, and therefore journalists are in more danger today than probably in any time before. >> we often hear about some of the failures in terms of negotiations. has there been much success when you have intruded in becoming negotiators. >> success is a big word in that context which is so difficult. we consider it for instance a success that today we can still in the whole of syria, not every day, every place, but we can operate in the whole of syria. we can bring water and sanitation and food and medical assistance together with our partner the syrian red crescent, for instance. we can operate in iraq. we can send medical goods to the hospitals in mosul or in fallujah. these are small successes of negotiation in an environment which is immensely complicated and i would never pretend that

we are out of the woods and in a situation where this is by far a satisfactory what we are encountering. >> you're going to have a trip to hiroshima. and you have long history with the city of hiroshima, ever since the atomic bombing of the city. tell us what your plans are there and what kind of message you try to intend to have. >> since icrc has been the first international organization to come to hiroshima in '45, 70 years after the promise of disarmament is unfulfilled. i think it is time today to remind the work community states that this is a promise still unfulfilled. so i want to go there. i want to talk to the survivors, and also to sensitize the public opinion worldwide that this is an important work to be done still.

u.s. chipmaker qualcomm has agreed to pay chinese authorities an anti-monopoly penalty of $975 million. the fine is the largest china has ever imposed. on a foreign firm. officials with the country's antitrust regulator say qualcomm abused its market dominance and broke a law on unfair pricing of products. they say qualcomm charged chinese cell phone manufacturers and others unfairly high licensing fees to use its communications technology. and they claim qualcomm made chinese manufacturers accept contracts that were disadvantageous to them. qualcomm officials say they're disappointed with the results of the antitrust investigation, but they're not contest the fine. the officials say they will

adjust the business practices in china. the prime ministers of japan and mongolia are taking down barriers to trade and investment. they got together in tokyo and signed an economic partnership agreement. >> translator: we would like to take this opportunity to deepen our mutually complimentary relations in the economic field. >> mongolian prime minister chimed saikhanbileg said the deal will help them work toward even friendlier relations. he agreed to scrap a 5% import tax on japanese cars and he promised to make sure his country gives japan a stable supply of coal and rare metals. and as part of the trade pact japan and mongolia are solidifying business ties. prime minister includes a japanese consortium that reveals a japanese company will likely

development a project in mongolia. the prime minister spoke with nhk. this is the first overseas trip since he took office in november. he said a group including japan's sumitomo corporation is expected to win the bidding for one of the largest projects in the world. the international bidding was made public in 2010. >> translator: mongolia's rich mineral resources will be a compliment to japan's advanced technologies. i'm sure we can build a good relationship with each other. >> saikhanbileg hopes the signing will create a better environment for japanese investors. >> translator: our aim is not only developing mineral resources, but also expanding our economic opportunities. >> the prime minister added he

wants to expand cultural exchange between the countries. in other news, honda motor is gearing up for its first formula 1 motor race in seven years. the japanese automaker has unveiled the car to be used for this f 1 season, which opens in australia next month. honda has joined hands with british racing team mclaren in providing its engine. honda executives say the 1.6 liter engine can deliver 600 horsepower. they say the car also comes with the ecofriendly technologies required under f 1 regulations. the technologies installed include a hybrid system that collects the heat from the engine's exhaust. >> translator: developing ecofriendly technologies required for formula 1 is a great challenge in energy management. i believe they will help further improve honda's technologies. >> ito said he believes the technologies developed for f 1

races can be applied to ordinary vehicles in the future. next, let's take a brief look at the market figures. every morning investors turn our attention to asia. the tokyo market leads the way. and markets around the world 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."

prosecutors in taiwan have indicted more than 100 people in connection with the occupation of the parliament building in taipei last year. the protesters consisted mostly of students. they hope to stop lawmakers of the ruling nationalist party from ratifying a trade deal with china. the three-week occupation began in march. the protesters were opposed to a service trade agreement with china signed in 2013. they said the pact threatens smaller businesses in taiwan. prosecutors announced on tuesday 119 people face charges for occupying buildings and obstructing official duties. the protests highlighted public anxiety over president ma ying-jeou's attempt to bring closer ties with china. some began pushing for legislation that would allow parliament to scrutinize any new agreements with china before they're signed. however, the ruling and

opposition parties members remain divided, and the controversial trade pact has been put on hold. and the person in charge of taiwan's relations with china says he is handing in his resignation in protest. mainland affairs council minister wang yu-chi says he is taking the step because his former second in command has been cleared of leaking secrets to china. he says he disagrees with the verdict. >> translator: i'm going to hand in my resignation to take responsibility for the troubles that have been caused. >> wang says he has already conveyed his intention to step down to president ma. earlier, prosecutors decided not to indict former deputy council minister. he was forced to resign last august after allegations surfaced he had spied for china. wang assumed the post of mainland affairs council minister in 2012. he attended the first ministerial meeting between taiwan and mainland china since

1949 in february last year. wang's resignation may deal another blow to president ma. about 200,000 children reportedly go missing in china each year. some are abducted and sold. this practice has its roots in the past and lives on despite the country's rapid development. nhk world has the details. >> reporter: these are scenes from the movie "dearest," a big hit last year in china. it's based on a true story about families dealing with abduction of children. one reason so many chinese children go missing is a lingering custom in rural areas. many farmers are willing to pay money for boys who can some day support them. >> translator: many people in china's farming villages need boys to take care of them when they get old.

they're concerned the government can't provide adequate support. >> reporter: the fear of child abduction is so widespread that parents crowd outside schools every day to wait for their children. >> translator: i'm worried. there are many malicious people now. >> reporter: new products appearing to help tackle the program. these shoes are equipped with a global positioning system. parents can use a smartphone application to keep track of their children. when a child ventures beyond a certain area, the parents get the warning. the shoes went on sale in september. the manufacturer expects to sell one million pairs a year. there are no simple solutions

when children disappear. for many families life becomes an endless search. now parents from around china are speaking up. this month they called on residents to come forward with missing children information. it's one of the cities where children have gone missing. this man is from shanxi province has has spent more than six years looking for his only son. >> this is my son. >> reporter: the boy was abducted at the age of 1. he said someone abducted him while he and his wife were sleeping. police turned a deaf ear when he went for help. so he and his wife have been searching near and far on their own. >> the chance of finding our son is very small.

but if we don't look for him, we'll never find him. >> reporter: he says many people have contacted him with information. but he thinks most of them are really after reward money. someone sent this doctored photo. the picture on the right is the one he described. it's clear the other one has been manipulated. he is not giving up hope. for several months he has been waging a campaign to find missing children and raise awareness. he visits village after village, and tries to persuade farmers to stop the practice of buying

children. >> translator: it has been devastating. i hope these kidnappings will end. if people raised only their real children, then eventually i would find my son. i'll keep looking. >> reporter: for now, parents like uu continue the long search to find the children they love and have lost. nhk world, hunan province. populous prosperous pushing ahead. china's rise brought it wealth, power, and problems. an income gap divides its people. pollution threatens their health and differences over territory strain relations with its neighbors. find out the challenges china faces. on "newsline." the ruling party of india

under prime minister thatnarendra modi. >> the defeat for the ruling party is the prime minister's first major setback. the bjp has won a series of state assembly elections since a landslide victory in the general elections last may. india's election commission says the common man's party won an overwhelming victory in the assembly of new delhi, the nation's capital. >> translator: it is a victory of our workers. the landslide mandate by the people of delhi is scary. i would like to urge all our workers to refrain from being arrogant. >> reporter: the number of seats the bjp has managed to secure has plummeted to the single digit range. the ruling bjp rejects the idea the election loss will have an impact on national politics

saying the result was not a referendum on the central government. the bjp had been winning one local election after another ever since its landslide victory in the general elections. the party's election victories reflected the high expectations voters placed on modi's economic policies. some experts say the latest election symbolizes the end of modi's honeymoon period with the public. state governments have a lot of power in india. the ruling bjp aims to become the leading force in state assemblies so it can promote modi's economic reforms nationwide. malaysia's top court has rejected an appeal by opposition leader anwar ibrahim over his sodomy conviction. the court's decision effectively ends the political career of anwar, once seen as a rising star in the ruling party. malaysia's federal court on tuesday upheld anwar's five-year prison sentence. he was viewed in the 1990s as the likely successor to then

pima their mohamud. it disqualifies him from running for election for the next 100 years. hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the court's building. >> translator: we had high hope that's an war would make changes. but if he is imprisoned, who else can we count on? >> sodomy is considered illegal in muslim majority malaysia. in an interview with nhk in december anwar criticized the trial, saying it was about politics, not justice. >> well of course it is fabricated, politically motivated charge. as in the previous charge of sodomy, only applicable to me. >> anwar was deputy prime minister under mahathir. he was driven out of office over differences in economic policies. he was later convicted of abuse of power and sodomy in an earlier case. he spent six years in prison. anwar has been seen as the

biggest threat to malaysia's political establishment. he led a three-party opposition alliance in a lower house election in 2013 challenging the ruling party. the alliance failed to win, but took a record number of seats. the prolonged decline in crude oil prices continues with benchmark wti crude oil futures plunging nearly 50% over the last six months. malaysia, asia's major exporter is feeling the impact both on its national finances, and in daily life. nhk world reports. >> reporter: last month, nation prime minister expressed deep concern over the decline in crude oil prices. >> translator: the decline in crude oil prices is directly linked to falling government revenue. >> reporter: malaysia's annual

exports of petroleum and petroleum products are $26 billion. the government collects nearly 30% of its revenue from taxes on the petroleum-related industries. the drop in crude oil prices has posed the malaysian government to take exceptional measures cutting its budget for the new fiscal year by around $1.5 billion. >> the demand for oil is still low. i think the government, the multilateral agencies will pressure. the opec and non-opec nations to adjust their projections. >> reporter: declining oil prices have also affected the nation, which has fallen more than 10% since last august. but it has led to an unexpected

development in prices near the board were malaysia's neighbor singapore. crowds of singaporeans are now flocking to malaysia for cheaper shopping. this shopping mall in malaysia sells the same clothes as in singapore, but at less than half the price. sales at this shop surged by 15% in december compared to the same months the previous year. >> we're happy. we can shop and buy a lot of things here. >> they are having a serious effect on malaysian people. the price of imported fish and rice. >> meanwhile, the weak currency is having a major effect on people's lives. the price of imported fish and rice has risen. local people like to have breakfast at street stalls but with rising import prices store owners are struggling to

maintain their standard prices. one way they can cope is by cutting the amount of rice in each dish by nearly 20%. they also reduce the size of the other ingredients. >> translator: i won't be able to manage if the ringit keeps on rising. i'm very worried about rising food prices. >> reporter: declining crude oil prices coupled with a weakening currency are striking at the heart of the malaysian economy. other countries are keeping a close eye on malaysia to see whether it can minimize the impact while continuing to expand the economy. nhk world, kuala lumpur. >> that are wraps up the bulletin from bangkok.

emerging economic powers still struggling with poverty. emboldened citizens still demanding democracy. the threat of violence, the push for peace, the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on south and southeast asia every weekday live from bangkok only on nhk world "newsline." >> now here's the three-day outlook on the world's weather. ♪

and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. and from all of us at nhk world thanks for watching.

"the influence of money has reached toxic levels," that's how nobel laureate and former us vice president al gore sums up the way financial markets rule our world. initially designed to provide finances to businesses worldwide, the money economy has long outgrown what is now

referred to as the "real economy". you're watching a global 3000 special edition on money - and here's what's coming up over the next half hour. top secret -- why negotiations over the historic ttip trade agreement are kept from the public. good investment -- why namibias rhinos are worth far more alive than dead. and india -- meet the woman determined to stamp out