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tv   Newsline  PBS  November 9, 2015 7:00pm-7:31pm PST

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hello there, and welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, november 10th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. voters in myanmar are eagerly awaiting the final result of the general election, the first since military rule ended in 2011. opposition leader aung san suu kyi appears confident of victory. [ cheers and applause ] >> translator: at the moment, the official results from the ballot count are not out yet, but i think you all have the idea of the results. [ cheers and applause ] >> aung san suu kyi called on her supporters not to provoke defeated rival candidates.
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the election commission has been updating vote count results since monday. officials now say that aung san suu kyi's national league for democracy, or nld, won 49 of the first 54 parliamentary seats. they account for 10% of the total contested seats. nld party members have put forward their own projections based on reports from observers at vote-counting stations. >> translator: our party has won over 70% of seats nationwide. i believe we have secured the necessary number to form a government. >> the nld needs to win more than two-thirds of the contested seats to take the reins of power. a quarter of parliamentary seats are allocated to the military. aung san suu kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency because she has foreigners in her family. the acting chairman of the ruling union solidarity and
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development party has conceded defeat. he told reporters his party accepts the results without any reservations. russia's government is considering new possibilities in the cause of a passenger jet crash in egypt. prime minister dmitry medvedev says the plane could have been downed by an act of terrorism. u.s. and british officials strongly suspect there was a bomb on board. the russian-operated plane crashed into the sinai peninsula on october 31st. all 224 people on board were killed. a group affiliated with islamic state militants has claimed responsibility. medvedev told a government-owned newspaper that a terrorist act remains a possible reason for what happened, but he said investigators are looking into all possible causes, including mechanical failure. russia's presidential spokesperson said that britain had shared some intelligence with russia, but he declined to comment on the nature of the information. analysts say russian officials
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are considering how the public would react if the crash were in retaliation for russia's air strikes in syria. top officials of europe pledged more help to the migrants arriving each day. interior ministers met in brussels to discuss how to accommodate asylum seekers from syria and other countries in the middle east. most have been crossing the mediterranean and arriving in italy and greece. the ministers renewed their commitment to agreements made in september. eu leaders approved a plan to resettle 160,000 asylum seekers among member nations. opposition from some countries and slow registration hindered the plan. only 147 people have been relocated. the ministers discussed how to
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take some of the burden off greece. more than 10,000 refugees arrive in the country each day. officials are considering setting up registration centers in other eu countries and the balkans. members of a world anti-doping agency panel say they've uncovered a deeply rooted culture of cheating in russia's athletics. they're accusing the government of state-sponsored doping, and they're recommending the country be banned from competition that could include next year's olympic games. the independent panel appointed by wada released a report. it accuses a number of russian athletes and coaches of being involved in an organized doping program, and it says authorities in charge of testing were also involved in covering up violations. the commission was chaired by dick pound. he says the panel's findings were worse than they expected. >> one of our hopes is that they will volunteer that so they can
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undertake the remedial work in time to make sure that russian athletes can compete under a new framework, if you like. if they don't, then it has to play itself out, and the outcome may be that there are no russian track and field athletes in rio. >> the commission said russia should submit a list of athletes and coaches who are involved in doping, and they named nine they say should be banned for life. the athletes include mariya savinova, who won gold medal for the women's 800 meters at the 2012 london games. ekaterina poistogova also is named and won the bronze in the same event. russian sports leader said wada has no authority to ban athletes from competition, including next year's olympic games in rio de janeiro. he added that he has not seen
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any new evidence in the report, but he needs to examine it. officials at the organization for economic cooperation development have released their outlook for the world economy. you've been reading through the report. >> this comes out twice a year. this shows they are expecting a more sluggish year than they expected back in the spring. they downgraded projections from global growth and japan and say it's because of slowdowns and emerging markets. the latest data released monday showed the oecd officials are projecting global growth of 2.9% this year. that is down 0.2 points from their previous forecast. the officials say the downgrade is due to a slowdown in the chinese economy. they say this has led to slower economic growth in emerging countries. for japan, they are projecting
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growth of 0.6% in gross domestic product this year. that's also down by 0.1 point from the previous projection. the officials forecast that japan's economy will grow 1% next year as higher wages boost consumption, but for 2017, they predict growth of 0.5%, as the country's sales tax is scheduled to be raised to 10%, a move expected to dampen consumption. looking at the chinese economy, the officials project expansion of 6.8% this year, 6.5% next year and 6.2% in 2017. they say they should closely monitor the possible impact the slowing chinese economy has on the global economy. well, japanese government officials have been trying to figure out ways of boosting gdp. now a panel has unveiled a draft plan the officials say could expand the economy by 600 trillion yen or about $5 trillion a year. they say achieving that goal
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outlined by prime minister shinzo abe involves cutting taxes for companies and raising workers' wages. the private-sector members of the council on economic and fiscal policy say japan has made a lot of progress toward economic recovery and lifting itself out of deflation. they also point to improved corporate earnings, but they say corporate capital investment and wages have yet to fully recover. the panel members are urging the government to lower the corporate tax rate to the 20% level as soon as possible. they want businesses to consistently expand their investment and hike wages, but that may not be easy to achieve. officials at the finance ministry stress that securing tax revenue is more important. the panel officials say large pay hikes are necessary, including raising minimum wages. the panel's recommendations are aimed at boosting nominal economic growth to about 3% annually over the next five years or so. the panel officials describe
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their strategy as urgent, and they say they'll compile it by the end of this month. let's check in on markets. tokyo share prices opened in the negative this morning. the nikkei average now trading lower by 0.8%, 19,485. the index rose for four straight sessions through monday. analysts say the downgrade on the growth outlook for the world economy also weighing on market sentiment. on to currencies. the dollar moving in a tight range against the yen this morning after hitting a 2 1/2 month high on monday. the dollar rose after the u.s. released stronger than expected jobs data on friday. analysts say some traders are selling the dollar to take profits from those gains. many are staying on the sidelines. the euro is moving without clear direction. let's take a look at other markets. a pretty negative picture so far
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this morning. sydney shares trading lower by 1%. kospi down by 0.9%. the energy minister says it's ready to go ahead with its planned energy projects despite a sharp drop in oil prices. more than 2,000 energy-related firms and organizations from 120 countries are taking part in the abu dhabi petroleum exhibition and conference. the uae minister commented on the country plans in his keynote speech. >> we are not canceling our projects. we are dedicated to the world, to our suppliers, and we will continue to be a reliable supplier of energy. >> he added the country is sticking to its plan to increase its daily crude oil production
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to 3.5 million barrels within the next few years. that's up by 500,000 barrels from current output. japanese are keen to renew their rights to an offshore oil field in the uae. that contract expires in three years. against this back drop, the government-backed japan bank for international cooperation and abu dhabi national oil company sealed a pack aimed at strengthening their partnership. japanese officials set up their first pavilion at this year's exhibition. it features japanese space technology for monitoring pipelines and compact satellites used in the development of new resources. >> well, the sake industry has fallen on hard times. people are drinking less of the traditional drink than in the past, but some young entrepreneurs hope to turn things around and they have a new way of doing business. nhk world's giang nguyen reports. >> reporter: it's a busy time
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at sake brewerers across japan. this season's rice crop is in. here, it's being steamed and mixed with water and yeast. today, something else is taking place at this brewery, a tour of foreign visitors. the guests are getting their first taste of freshly made sake. >> ooh, i like it. >> reporter: the tour costs about $60. it's a nose-in and hand-on experience, a mix of sips and stir. [ applause ] >> good job! good job! yeah! >> i always enjoyed having sake while eating sushi in the u.s., so i thought i'd learn more about it. >> reporter: this 26-year-old began running the tours last year. wara noticed a growing bag of sake lovers overseas. turned on to the drink with a spread of japanese cuisine. sensing a business opportunity,
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he persuaded 20 breweries to open their doors to visitors. >> translator: i take care to guide people on my tours. i'm confident that helps get the word out about my business. >> reporter: and when the tour's over, participants can buy a bottle or two to go. >> translator: our next step is to have overseas restaurant own ers join the tour so more people get a taste for sake. >> reporter: this recently opened bar is also spreading the word on sake. >> ooh! it's good! >> reporter: as you can see, customers are in their 20s and 30s and are open to trying out new flavors. for about $25, this bar offers them an all you can drink sake service.
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over 100 types are stocked in the fridge. it's self-service, meaning you're free to experiment. >> mm. i love it. >> reporter: foreign staff steep in sake knowledge are on hand to help tourists make a choice. >> translator: i like the way you go get the sake you like by yourself. >> reporter: the owner is 27-year-old yasuro ogiwara. his family has been in the sake wholesale business for generations. ogiwara's staff are often on the road looking for new varieties and flavors. the focus is on traditional small brewers that have gone unnoticed nationwide. >> translator: a fruity scent works well with young people. >> translator: our business will dry up if we don't do anything.
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we're focusing on tokyo. that's why we're doing business together. >> reporter: staff are now busy setting up a website in english to reach international customers. it will offer popular items from the bar. >> translator: first, i wanted to create a casual environment for people to try sake. now i want to expand sales online worldwide. >> reporter: it may be japan's traditional drink, but younger entrepreneurs are bringing a modern spirit to the industry. one they hope will cultivate a new generation of sake lovers. giang nguyen, nhk world, tokyo. >> japanese officials released their latest current account data, the broadest measure of trade investment with the rest of the world. the balance for september remained in the black for the
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15th straight month. finance ministry officials say the surplus in september came in at around $12 billion. the trade account returned to the black with a surplus of about $670 million. the number was up from a year earlier as falling crude oil prices reduced energy imports in value terms. as for overseas investment, the primary income account shows how much japan earns from its foreign investments. that had a surplus of about $13.6 billion, down 18%. >> and that's the latest in business for this hour. i'll leave with you a check on markets.
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photographs reportedly taken on a chinese-built island in the south china sea have been posted online. a hong kong newspaper says the images are the first from the island. the photos uploaded to weibo, the chinese version of twitter, are said to be of mischief reef, which china is reclaiming in the spratly islands. one of the images shows a monument inscribed with chinese characters, including some that say china's nanchang islands. others show an excavator digging on a beach and concrete block-like objects lined up on an embankment. another photo shows a sign on the beach that reads in chinese, "let's establish a firm foundation in the sea and win glory for the nation." a major hong kong newspaper says the photos were taken by a worker who was on the reef for ten months, but it does not say when they were shot. china's foreign minister will meet with his counterpart from the philippines on tuesday to discuss ties. the move is an attempt to ease
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recent tensions over territory in the south china sea. the two sides will also discuss the meeting of the asia-pacific economic cooperation, or apec, which will be held in manila next week. a spokesperson for china's foreign ministry said the two countries are facing difficulties for well-known reasons. he added that china does not want this. >> translator: china places importance on its ties with the philippines in order to resolve the issue properly through dialogue. >> the permanent court of arbitration in the hague has recently ruled that it will hear a case submitted by the philippines about beijing's activities in the spratly islands. china had argued that the court had no authority on the matter. analysts say chinese officials want to keep the territorial dispute from becoming a focus at the upcoming apec meeting.
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scientists are zeroing in on a hormone we make in our brain. researchers learned it plays a role in deepening human communication. that is raising hopes of developing a treatment for disorders such as autism. >> reporter: in clinical trials. nine years ago he was found to have asberger's syndrome. he has trouble making eye contact and speaking with other people. >> i find it hard to tell from someone's expression whether they're tired or if they're in a bad mood. >> reporter: he excelled at a tough university, but at work he found it hard to communicate
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with others. he changed jobs often as troubled with depression. the aim of his research is to win approval to treat people with disorders including asbergers. >> unfortunately, until now, there hasn't been a treatment to improve communication skills for those who have trouble with it. i want to develop a way to meet this need. >> reporter: he tested it on 40 adults with autism spectrum disorders. he had his subjects watch a video of people speaking. he then checked how well they can read the feelings. >> you're in a good mehmood.
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>> reporter: man appears friendly. this is an easy example because his facial expression matches his words. >> you are in a good mood. >> reporter: the person is saying the same words but his face and tone of voice indicate he's being sarcastic. his research focuses on situations in which a person's words and facial expression do not match. here's the main finding. people without autism were able to judge facial expressions appropriately 26 out of 40 times. those with autism could only determine 22. when the test subject with autism spectrum disorder were
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given oxytocin, their score rose by about 10%. this is the first time tests have shown any improvement in the ability to read complex expressions. further research was done on the subject's brain function. it found the part of the brain that reads people's expressions was more engaged after taking oxytocin. he says the next step is to establish the optimal dose and regiment to confirm safety and effectiveness, he has started a clinical trial in which oxytocin is administered twice a day over a six-week period. >> translator: some people have actually experienced a reduction in difficulties at work. i can anticipate some practical ways in which oxytocin can be
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helpful. >> reporter: about 1% of people are thought to have autism spectrum disorders. there are high hopes that oxytocin might offer a practical limit. it is time for a check of the weather. people in tokyo are popping up their umbrellas as they step outside this morning. meteorologist robert speta has the latest. >> this is starting to pull away from the country. we are still looking at a few lingering showers. a lot of you monday did have your umbrellas with you. i wouldn't put them away yet. we are looking at cooler air spilling in from the north. farther towards the north across parts of hokkaido, we are seeing the white stuff come down.
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15 to 20 centimeters. definitely good news for those of you. behind it, sunny skies setting in across much of north eastern china towards the korean peninsula. that will make for fairly decent weather the next several days. unfortunately with that we are looking at this cool air coming in out of russia. only a high of 1 there. that's chilly for you. beijing with a high of 9, cloudy skies. seoul at 14. tokyo getting up to 21. we do have those rain showers in the forecast. down towards the south in the tropics, afternoon showers pop pg up for those in bangkok with a high of 34. towards europe, high pressure is dominating the south across the mediterranean. this is fairly good news for those of you specifically across the ball can peninsula towards italy. you have been wanting better
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weather. over the past several weeks we have been looking at one low after another bringing those rough conditions. finally, that's set in. since the jet stream lifted farther north, this is where you are seeing the disturbed weather across parts of the of uk. specifically over towards ireland and scotland. you could see winds as high as 110 to 120 kilometers per hour. snow on the higher elevations. the most part you'll be looking at the rainfall across parts of denmark extending into poland. berlin with a high of 15. moscow, 4 for your high. looking at the snowfall. kiev at 8 but looking at the rain side of the precipitation here on your tuesday. we have a tropical system out here. this is tropical storm kate. it is on the lower end of the
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skach scale. joaquin wrecked several islands here. what we have going on is another low out of the south eastern u.s. this will act like a snowplow and kick our storm to the northeast. as we go over the course of the next 48 hours, this is not going to be a major threat on the u.s. eventually making it toward the north atlantic. we do have going on, it's a big topic by mid week is this storm system here. that is bringing snowfall into montana, eventually moving to ontario. some areas looking at several centimeters of the snow. it will die as far as southern california. vancouver with a high of 7. chicago 14 here on your tuesday. i'll leave you with your extended outlook.
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that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thank you for staying with us.
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announcer: "euromaxx highlights." and here is your host, anne o'donnell. anne: hello and welcome to "euromaxx highlights." here are the best bits of the week. let's have a look. the sky's the limit -- a dutch artist and his indoor clouds. underground art -- an italian city brightens up its subway stations. and drone alarm -- when quadrocopters light up the sky in austria. for someone who has his head in the clouds, dutch artist berndnaut smilde seems to be very well-grounded. he generates a storm of attention with his work by creating indoor clouds. his creations really make you question reality, even if it's only for a split second.

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