tokyo. delegate to the u.n. climate conference in paris are considering an ambitious goal, keep globing warming below -- hurdles remain before a new accord is finalized. officials managed to reach a consensus at ministerial meetings. their goal is to agree on a framewo framework. a goal of keeping global temperatures from rising 2 degree celsius more than preindustrial times. they're considering a tighter 1.5 degree celsius goal. it's a demand from island

nations and african countries. but divisions remain on reduction targets and financial support for developing countries. france is set to present a draft agreement later on wednesday. french foreign minister laurent fabius hopes the dlebts continue their talks to reach an agreement. ja man is pitching a program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions in cooperation with developing nations. the program is called the joint crediting mechanism or jcm. japanese officials met are ministers from asia, africa and other areas already taking part in the jcm. so far, 16 different countries have signed on. >> jcm does not only discuss greenhouse gas emissions reductions but at the same time realize them. >> mongolia was the first country to join the plan. >> translator: we are looking forward to seeing the results of

the jcm. >> so here's how it works. a partner country like mongolia needs help to cut emissions. and that's where japan comes in. it gives funding and new technological ability to help reduce emissions. those reductions then get credited to japan. officials say the jcm will reduce up to 100 million tons of emissions over the next 15 years. that's about 7% of japan's annual emissions. many countries still rely on the burning of coal for heat and electrici electricity. it's one of the biggest contributors to global warming and a hot topic at the u.n. climate talks in paris. nhk world reports. >> reporter: ngo representatives held a panel discussion on the impacts of the coal industry. >> there are more than 90 people in this room right now.

greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution began. >> reporter: the panelists stress that people affected by climate change are paying the cost of coal burning while coal producers reap huge profits. they say the world needs to shift to alternative sources of energy. developing countries like china or india defend heavily on coal, a cheap way of fueling economic growth but they are not alone. in 2013, 30% of japan's electricity production came from coal-fired power plants. that's three times more than in 1991. one of the many reasons of this coal renaissance is the fukushima accident. it led authorities to shut down most of japan's nuclear reactors and to look to fossil fuels to make up the difference. power companies are now planning

to build at least 40 coal-fired plants across the country. ngo members following the climate talks warn that japan's policy will draw severe criticism. >> almost all countries started to move away from coal and only japan still plans to be able to -- >> it is true that compared to the conventional technologies, current state-of-the-art japanese technology is better. the most efficient technologies, coal power plant emits a lot of co 2. you cannot ignore that emissions so you have to think about another option such as renewable energy which doesn't emit emissions, co 2 emissions at all. >> reporter: many people here in paris say japan's low profile in the battle against global warming is disappointing. they say leaders in tokyo care

more about cost effective power generation than they do about the environment. a bad image that's undermining japan's fading influence at the climate talks. takahumi terui, nhk world, paris. people in beijing are rushing to protect themselves against a thick haze. they're under the first ever red alert for pollution. they're finding much of the chinese capital is shut down. vehicle use is restricted and schools are closed. xinhua agency says 2,100 factories in the city have either suspended operations or cut production all because of the unprecedented levels of pollution. one retailer says sales of air purifiers jumped tenfold after the red alert was issued. >> translator: i'll buy an extra

air purifier because my house is large and the air pollution is in beijing is awful. >> clerks at this store say air cleaners capable of removing hazardous particles are selling well. despite having a price tag of around $800. face masks are also in high demand. the red alert is expected to remain in place until thursday. malaysia has welcomed the arrival of its first group of syrian refugees. two families fleeing syria's civil war were the first of many who will eventually enter the country. the southeast asian nation plans to accept 3,000 refugees and migrants over the next 3 years. both families arrived at kuala lumpur international airport on tuesday night. they were greeted by malaysian government officials. their plan is to live with relatives who have already settled in malaysia. >> the malaysian government, help us to bring our family to

be safe here. >> malaysian officials say they'll continue to accept migrants and refugees as planned but given recent high-profile terror attacks will carefully screen those who enter the country. muslims account for more than 60% of malaysia's population. figures out from japan's cabinet office this morning gives us a hint of how company managers are dealing the country's economic prospects. ai uchida joins us from the business desk. >> the numbers show an upbeat trend. managers have been spending more on upgrading their equipment and facilities. this tells us many businesses are optimistic. government officials say japanese companies place machinery orders worth about $7.3 billion in october. that's up 10.7% in yen terms from the month before marking a two-month consecutive rise. the numbers don't include the ship building and power sectors which tend to see large fluctuations. manufacturers increase their spending by 14.5%.

improvements by nonmanufacturers were up 10.7%. new york crude oil futures briefly hit their lowest level, nearly seven years on concerns of a global glut. the benchmark wti futures on tuesday fell below $37 a barrel at one point. its lowest level since february 2009. sell orders continue to surge following a decision last week by the organization of the petroleum exporting countries to maintain their current output. oil price started to slide in autumn last year. the prices looked like they had bottomed out this spring but then renewed their decline as investors predicted stagnant demand due to china's economic slowdown. so far oil prices have fallen more than 40% from may when they were around $62 a barrel. market sources say a rift among opec members is deepening. venezuela and other countries want a cut in oil production. a move saudi arabia opposes.

the sources say the disagreement is making it difficult for opec to control prices. they also say some investors are pulling funds out of the crude oil market, possibly triggering a further slide. now overnight lower oil prices led to stock market t declines worldwide and tokyo share prices opened lower too this morning. nikkei trading lower, 19,413. machinery orders for october came in much stronger than expected. analysts say that's giving some support to share prices. let's move on to currencies, see what's happening there. the dollar moving in a tight range against the yen this morning. the pair fell overnight as many traders sold the dollar on lower u.s. stock prices. falling equities guided investors to shift to less risky assets, such as the japanese yen, the risk averse mood has caused the euro to edge up against the dollar as well.

and taking a look now at some other markets across the asia-pacific. a bit of a mixed picture. australian shares are trading pretty flat. they are down just 0.02% at the moment. over in seoul, though, we are seeing gains with the kospi trading higher by just about a fifth of a percent. we'll see where trading takes us throughout the day. japanese officials want to export their nuclear expertise to india, an emerging country that needs to upgrade its power grid. but the officials want their technology used strictly for infrastructure, not for making weapons. the japanese prime minister will head to india to reiterate that stance. shinzo abe will visit from friday through sunday. he hopes to come home with an agreement that allows japan to export its nuclear plant technologies to india. abe will sit down with indian prime minister narendra modi. japanese officials say the talks are in their final stage but

it's too early to be optimistic. japanese and indian officials have been discussing a nuclear power deal for five years. the indian side is interested in the japanese technology to cope with a serious shortage of electric power. but the japanese officials are worried their overseas customers could convert the technology for military use. japan wants a promise that spent nuclear fuel will not be used to produce nuclear weapons. a group of japanese firms is getting on board with a brazilian rail company. they'll build and operate urban transit systems in time for the rio olympics. west japan railway, trading house mitsui and private/public fund known as j.o.i.n. will have a 40% strange in the new firm. they'll be in charge of urban railways, subways and light rail transit systems in three cities including rio de janeiro and sao

paulo. infrastructure upgrades are needed to help transport visitors expected at next year's olympic games. department stores in japan are enjoying sharp sales from tourists but worried about growing competition from online shopping sites and specialty stores. they're fighting back by listening more closely to consumers and creating products to meet their demands. >> reporter: sales people of this major department store are gearing up to market a new line of shoes. out of the store's own label. managers made the decision after hearing complaints from shoppers. >> translator: they're often out of my size. >> reporter: the stores typically carry women's shoes in a wide variety of colors and styles. the problem is keeping sufficient stock on hand. >> translator: i've heard of

customers who came to the store but left without buying because we didn't have what they wanted. that really alarmed me. >> reporter: she is working on developing the new line. she visits a wholesaler to secure a stable supply of high-quality leather. the department store contracts directly with a shoe manufacturer. if things work out as planned, the factory will flexibly adjust production in line with sales. this is a sample based on customers' requests. the elastic makes it easier to put on. after a few more improvements, the shoe will be ready to sell.

this department store began its own brand of women's clothing. it's tee didesigned especially e store's core customers, people in their 50s. most mainstream apparel for this demographic comes in subdued colors. but executives realized that many shoppers wanted to buy bright, colorful clothes. so they hit on the idea of creating an inhouse brand. this blue cardigan sweater with a light sparkle is the bestsell bestsellbest seller. the department store steadily expanded its clothing line. it rolls out nearly four times as many new products per season as large manufacturers do. >> translator: i'm drawn to these clothes. the colors are nice and as i get older, i tend to go for brighter colors and younger looking styles.

>> reporter: producing such a wide variety of styles does mean the store could make more than it sells but executives believe their strategy will pay off. >> translator: in the longer term, we're very concerned that our industry could shrink. even though we face risks, we aim to succeed with a brand that offers new colors and designs. >> reporter: veteran retailers are adopting new strategies to stay competitive in a changing environment. the key is whether department stores' inhouse brands will keep customers coming back. >> that's the latest in business news. i'll leave you now with a check on markets.

the u.n. general assembly has adopted a japan-sponsored resolution calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. >> draft resolution 13 as a whole is adopted. >> japan has submitted the draft resolution successfully for 22 years in a row. this year's resolution calls attention to the inhumane damage brought by nuclear weapons. it urges nuclear powers to step up disarmament efforts and invites world leaders to visit hiroshima and nagasaki to hear the stories of atomic bombing survivors. 166 countries voted in favor of the draft resolution on monday. 16 countries including the u.s., britain, and france abstained.

they believe the draft puts too much emphasis on the inhumanity of nuclear weapons. three countries including china and russia voted against the draft claiming it distorts history by calling attention only to the damage suffered in hiroshima and nagasaki. japan's leaders say they're boosting their ability to fight international terrorism. they launched two government bodies they say will help tackle the threat. officials gathered at the prime minister's office. they inaugurated a foreign ministry intelligence unit and body to coordinate the work of several ministries and agencies. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga says japan needs to strengthen intelligence-gathering capabilities. he called on officials to work together. >> translator: i would like all you professionals to eliminate barriers between departments and do your job on vital information about international terrorism.

>> deputy chief cabinet secretary sugita will lead officials from the foreign ministry, the national police agency and public security intelligence agency to coordinate intelligence-gathering measures. foreign ministry will appoint officials to monitor south asia, southeast asia, the middle east and africa. they'll work with diplomatic staff overseas and exchange information with foreign intelligence services. a new government is set to take office in myanmar next year. its electoral victory marks another pont in the country's transition to democracy after half a century of military rule or at least strong military influence. members of the muslim ethnic minority rohingya who live in japan were closely watching the election but could not participate. nhk world explains.

>> reporter: a group of rohingya people living in japan held a demonstration in october demanding myanmar nationality. they said they wanted to take part in the election. first general election since the country moved to civilian rule four years ago. the demonstrators made their case outside the myanmar embassy in tokyo. rohingya muslims are a minority both ethnically and religiously in the mostly buddhist country. the government refuses to recognize the rohingya as citizens. it made sure their names were not on the list of voters. increasing numbers are becoming refugees. the city of tatebayashi in japan's guma prefecture has a sizable rohingya community. about 230 rohingya people are

thought to be living in japan. 90% in the tatebayashi area. mohammed came to japan 14 years ago. the japanese government recognizes him as a refugee. in myanmar, he had been engaged in political activity. he fled after friends of his were killed. >> translator: many people were arrested. authorities entered our friends' homes, beat them quite hard and finally killed them. similar cases happened often. that's why i left. >> reporter: yasin has not been back to his homeland since then. his mother died there three years ago. yasin wants the myanmar government to grant him citizenship and the right to vote. >> translator: i can't cast a ballot in an election unless i

have citizenship. this makes my heart ache. i desperately want the government to recognize the rohingya as myanmar nationals. >> hello. hello. >> reporter: this man lives in an apartment in tatebayashi, and he came to japan nine years ago. he was a village leader in myanmar's western state of rakhine. one day authorities ordered him off his land. his failure to obey put him under strict police surveillance. finally, he'd had enough. >> this is my family. >> reporter: hussein has five sons. two of them fled myanmar two years ago, but they went missing on their way to australia. >> on the boat my second son called me.

he said this time, father, is my last call. i cannot contact to you again. i see the news from australian government that one of the boats from indonesia go to australia and sink. >> reporter: today his wife and remaining three sons are separated between myanmar and malaysia. he hopes that somehow, somewhere, they all can live together again. that was the main reason why he wanted to vote in the recent election. >> if our government changes, maybe i hope i can go back to my country and i can join my family. >> reporter: the new government led by the national league for democracy takes office in march. but unless something changes, even rohingya people inside the

country will watch as outsiders. yukiko matsuki, nhk world. it is time now for a check of the weather. people in tokyo are seeing sunny blue skies this morning. offer meteorologist robert speta joins us with more in world weather. >> yes, across most of japan for that matter we're looking at fairly decent weather. high pressure is moving in from the west, so clearer skies definitely continuing to linger out here. that will be changing as we head through thursday and friday. a new low-pressure area starting to develop down here toward the south already bringing widespread rainfall across southern areas of china. could see upwards about 120 millimeters of total precipitation before this all starts to shift off here toward the east impacting western areas of japan first. now, i do want to make note of that high-pressure area because it also is still dominating northeast china. despite those red alerts being in effect, the government really

taking action there in the beijing area against the air pollution. we are still seeing a lot of the air quality indices continuing to climb today. and one of the only relief in sight is this area of low pressure because that's going to be stirring up the atmosphere across this area at least for a short time period heading into the weekend. but as it does that, take a look at this throughout the day on thursday, a lot of those are going to be dispersed farther here toward the east including much of the korean peninsula and also all the way over toward hokkaido. this is not just a problem there in beijing but once you get winds that start to kick that up, it does spread across much of northeastern areas of asia as well. back toward the west i do also want to make note, look at northern india, we still have a pollution problem here. this has actually been a problem for several years now and especially this time of year. you get those dry northeasterly winds coming through. it does make for clear skies. once the haze sets up it does continue to linger right in place. farther toward the south, though, the rain showers really finally starting to taper off

for those of you, but not the case in sri lanka, toward the east, the whole monsoonal rain bout continuing to drift down here to the south. areas of thailand, over toward malaysia definitely looking at heavy rain showers the course of the next several days even with strong thunderstorms flaring up into that as well. let's now look at northwestern europe and specifically this intense storm system which has been bringing absolutely rough weather across parts of iceland, you have been seeing winds upwards of 216 kilometer per hour gusts there. also down toward the british isles we have a separate low coming in with that that's going to bring some rough weather. you have to remember this is right on the heels of winter storm desmond. i do want to show you some video coming out of northern areas of england because you still have recovery efforts in place here, actually at least 45,000 homes remain without power. due to the storm in one particular area, one person was killed. nearly 5,000 homes were

completely inundated as well. see right there a lot of people still cleaning out their homes from those floodwaters. you still have crews out here trying to repair electric lines. when this storm comes through, it could be bringing winds upwards of 100 kilometers per hour over toward ireland and farther here toward the east see about 70 to 80 kilometer per hour winds. definitely a forecast looks like a rough one there for you. now central and eastern europe, we have a storm system pushing through there that's going to bring mixed precipitation across vienn vienna. moscow, zero for your high, but sunny skies on wednesday. all right. here's your extended outlook.

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

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