hello, you're watching "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. european countries have stepped up security for possible terrorist attacks during new year celebrations. they canceled some customary events or limited the number of people allowed to gather at a public square. authorities in the belgian capital of brussels canceled new year's eve festivities including a fireworks display. they say the events could have been targets for terrorist. belgian police arrested two men on tuesday on suspicion of plans to attack brussels on new year's eve. think's detained six more on thursday. they are searching for a man in connection with the paris attacks on november 13th.

the french capital canceled a fireworks show to celebrate the new year. it also shortened a new year's eve event along champs elysee. and the arc de triomphe. authorities in russia restricted access by citizens to red square in central moscow. plets in austria said a terror attack could take place in crowded places in european capitals in the days between christmas and new year's. an islamic state fighter captured in syria says air strikes by the u.s.-led coalition and russia have dealt the group a heavy blow and he suggests members will launch more terror attacks outside their areas of control. the man said to nhk about the air raids that prompted many fighters to flee to turkey. >> translator: it was too dangerous to go out during coalition air strikes. we had to hide in buildings for as long as nine hours.

>> he said leaders told him after the attacks in paris that they were next targeting russia. islamic state fighters pulled out of the northern iraqi city of sinjar in november. they gave up the city of ramadi 100 kilometers west of the capital baghdad this week. the group is now showing signs of withdrawing from suburbs of the syrian capital damascus. a massive fire at a highrise hotel in the center of dubai, united arab emirates, has injured at least 16 people. local authorities say the fire started on the 20th floor of the 63-story address hotel. they add that the flames mainly spread on the building's exterior. firefighters are trying to determine the cause of the blaze. >> it happened so quickly. i thought, oh, look, there's a

fire. i never in my head could imagine the fire to become so big so quickly. so then i realized that it was dangerous for us to be here, we have to get out. >> the fire started while local residents and tourists were gathering near the hotel to watch an annual new year's fireworks display. the show went on as planned at burj khalifa, the world's tallest building, located near the hotel. worshippers crowded a shrine in central tokyo on new year's day to pray for good luck in 2016. they waited in line for hours at meiji jungu before the clock struck midnight. when a drum was pounded to signal the arrival of the new year, people threw monetary offerings into a fenced area in

front of a hall and prayed. they bought fortune-telling slips and good-luck charms. >> translator: i wished for good health, to stay together with my wife for many years to come. >> translator: there was so much bad news last year. i just want to have a better year. >> the shrine is expected to attract 3 million visitors in the first three days of january. japan's prime minister has expressed his commitment to addressing global challenges as host of the upcoming summit of the group of seven nations. shinzo abe says japan will lead international efforts to create a better world and brighter future. in his new year message, abe said japan shoulders great responsibility for global peace and stability as a nonpermanent member of the u.n. security council.

he cites an increasingly unpredictable global economy, the fight against terrorism, poverty and climate change as challenges facing the international community. abe says his government will take on new challenges in 2016 to deal with japan's low birth rate and aging population. the prime minister says this year will mark the start of the creation of a society in which all people play an active role. he reiterates his commitment to boosting the country's gdp, more support for child raising and more assistance for working people taking care of their aging family members. japan has, for the first time, acquired the right to name an atomic element. a research team at the government-backed riken scientific institute produced the element and an international chemistry organization recognized the accomplishment. >> translator: i am deeply moved by the fact that the new element

has been recognized, and its name will be listed on the periodic table. >> the team, led by morita, created element 113 in 2004. they made it artificially by causing zinc ions to collide with bismuth atoms in a particle accelerator. they produced the element again in 2005 and 2012. a u.s./russian team claimed it created the element in february 2004, five months earlier than japan. but an international chemistry organization recognized element 113 as a new synthetic and handed the naming rights to japan. the organization said data recorded by the japanese team are conclusive. >> translator: i will discuss with the co-researchers what to name the element, but we haven't come up with any candidates yet. >> the new element's name will be decided in about one year.

chinese president xi jinping has delivered his new year's speech through state broadcasters. he expressed his resolve to expand his country's presence in the world. xi said china must not be absent from international affairs as the world is looking forward to voices and answers from the country. he also positioned 2016 as the first year to build what he describes as a moderately prosperous society in all respects within five years. xi pledged to carry out structural reforms to improve the quality and the efficiency of the economy. he emphasized the desire to improve the lives of tens of thousands of poor people in rural areas. china's defense ministry confirmed the country is building a second aircraft carrier. this is the first of its kind being built using entirely

domestic technology. a ministry spokesperson told reporters that the vessel is under construction in the northeastern city. the carrier is conventionally powered, has a displacement of 50,000 tons and has a ski jump for take-offs. china's navy currently operates one air craft carrier, the "leonin," which it bought from ukraine and refitted. the country commissioned the carrier in 2012 and has used it for landing and take-off training. in january 2014, the online edition of a hong kong newspaper reported a top official as saying the country expects to operate at least four aircraft carriers in the future. many of the war-displaced japanese have already perished. others endured years of hardship before returning to japan. but for one war orphan, china

became home. >> reporter: hoichi is taking a journey with his wife. he recently turned 80 and he's been reflecting back on his life. >> translator: i remember a lot of things, regrettable things, painful things. >> reporter: watanabe lives in beijing and has a chinese name. he has come to the province where he lived with his japanese family during the war. this is the first time he has returned. it was formerly a part of manchuria. watanabe was 5 years old when he arrived with a group of settlers from japan. his parents worked very hard to

clear the land. they finally saved enough money to buy horses and cows. then their lives took a devastating turn. his father was drafted into the japanese army. he later went missing. soon after, russian soldiers killed his mother. he and his siblings were separated. a chinese couple took watanabe in and later adopted him. he says they raised him as if he was their own child. >> translator: they helped me when i had nowhere to go. they took very good care of me. i remember everything. >> japan and china restored

diplomatic relations in 1972. watanabe could have returned to his home country. but he couldn't bring himself to leave his foster mother, who had been disabled by a stroke. he decided to remain in china. now, he's back where it all started. he's heading for the settlement where he and his family suffered such hardship. the fields are filled with corn. low hills can be seen in the distance. it looks just like it did 70 years ago. a path runs through a field. it's the same path watanabe took to school every day. >> translator: it's been 70 years. it brings back memories of my

childhood. i walked on this path when i was young. it's changed a bit. >> reporter: but the old houses are gone. and so are the japanese families who lived in them. these days, there are only chinese people in this area. >> translator: we japanese should not have come here, but china's land and people made it possible for me to live. i pray from my heart there will never again be fighting between japan and china. >> reporter: the memories are painful but watanabe fears what will happen if people forget. he wants to see peace endure.

south korea's presidential office is asking citizens to support a historic reconciliation with japan. a spokesman asked them to stop criticizing a deal that settles the issue of those referred to as comfort women. >> translator: stirring the public to think south korean officials failed to negotiate properly does not help the victims in the few years they have left. >> the spokesman says the scars from the comfort women issue are so deep that any kind of settlement would be inadequate. he said south korean officials tried to come up with the best result. police in seoul took away about 30 students on thursday who were protesting the agreement. the students were inside the building that contained the japanese embassy. they stuck up flyers describing

the deal was invalid. a group supporting those known as comfort women says the agreement is not acceptable as it does not recognize japan's legal responsibility. some south korean media say president park geun-hye should meet the women herself. many indian women face discrimination, sometimes from the moment they are are born. social traditions make some parents favor boys over girls. a campaign to change conservative mindsets is taking off using a simple medium of our age, the selfie. >> reporter: the parents and daughters selfie campaign started in a village in a northern state in india. this village head had the idea. >> translator: please take a selfie with your daughter.

>> reporter: he posted the message on facebook in june and received more than 2,000 selfies in just two weeks. >> translator: the parents' smiles show how much they love their daughters. you can see just how precious their daughters are to them. >> reporter: people in rural india often prefer sons over daughters because people believe only men can carry the family lineage. >> translator: a daughter leaves the household after getting married, but a son inherits the house. that's why people prefer sons. >> reporter: indian marriage

dictate that a bride's parents should pay a dowry to the husband's family. the custom is illegal but still a common practice. some couples expecting a girl choose an abortion instead. jaglan started the campaign to raise awareness about discrimination against girls deep-rooted in many rural areas. he recalls the birth of his own daughter and the cold reaction of hospital staff at what should have been a moment of joy. >> translator: no one should be discriminated against because of their sex. daughters, mothers, elder and younger sisters, they should all have the same rights as men. >> reporter: jaglan's message even caught the eye of the prime

minister. >> translator: prime minister narendra modi has shown support for the selfie campaign to protect women. >> reporter: closing the status gap between men and women is one of modi's signature policies. he called on indians to join the selfie campaign. emboldened, jaglan has been visiting villages and holding photo sessions to spread his message. >> translator: everyone who sincerely loves their daughters, please raise your hand. >> reporter: many parents in this low-income community have never had the chance to be photographed with their daughters before. jaglan does it for them in an instant with his smartphone. >> translator: after seeing the photo, i realized just how beautiful she is.

i will be there for her. >> translator: through this campaign, i hope to create an environment which will advance women's rights. i will appeal to the entire nation to participate in the campaign to eliminate discrimination against women. >> reporter: various measures haven't yet managed to end deep-rooted gender discrimination in india. this grassroot initiative to change parents' values is one more step towards the goal of social equality of indian women. a recent survey suggests many young singles want to get married but are having difficulty finding that special someone. so more and more businesses are

coming up with ideas to find them the perfect match. >> reporter: this party might seem like a typical get-together for young people, but not everyone is allowed to attend. each person must sign the pledge that says they aren't married. a matchmaking company organized the event. company officials know some singles don't want to seem like they are desperate to find a partner. so they hold a party with shared interests. >> translator: i know people who went to event like this and met someone special. even a life partner. >> translator: i can't meet many people at work. it's really exciting to meet single men with different careers.

>> reporter: the party drew over 250 people and about 20 of them were able to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. >> translator: many people these days don't like to give the impression they are so serious about finding a partner, so these parties can help satisfy the needs of the younger generation. >> reporter: the publisher of a leading magazine is taking a different approach to matchmaking. it began an online dating system. the unique point of this service is this web page. users complete a survey with 18 doing during their down time. the system uses an algorithm to find the most suitable matches, then it suggests four potential partners to clients each day.

when clients choose a profile, the system adjusts the algorithm to better select the future candidates. >> translator: we don't just consider criteria like age and vocation. thing like sharing similar values are very important. >> reporter: another matchmaker is trying to stand apart by tailoring its services to individual customers. these two people look like they are on a date, but their relationship is of a different kind. the woman is matchmaker yukari and the man is her client. she will not only introduce him to potential partners, she will give him tips on how to carry out a relationship. >> translator: now let's enjoy the meal. don't just concentrate on

eating. >> reporter: the client usually eats alone at work, so he's not used to enjoying a pleasant meal with a woman. >> translator: it's really nice to have a professional give me advice, because she knows things that a lot of men don't know. >> reporter: she works with clients until they find the exact person they are looking for. she gets a contingency fee when one of them gets married. >> translator: many men aren't so smooth the first time they meet someone. the goal of the lessons is to make potential partners want to see them again. >> reporter: with more japanese people seeking how to find a life partner, the business of relationships is getting serious.

we're now joined by our meteorologist robert speta from the weather desk. on this new year's day, we're seeing sunny skies here in tokyo. how is the outlook for the rest of the world? >> it does look fairly decent across japan. i'll get to the rest of the world in just a second. we are seeing severe weather in a few areas. if you are out here this morning in the tokyo area, absolutely beautiful. we do still have some snowfall back toward the north across parts of hokkaido, even extending into far eastern russia, fairly blustery conditions. with a low pressure area over into that direction. this is just a few hours ago. very big event here in japan, watching the first sunrise of the year, and the weather really let it be quite extraordinary. you can see a little bit there. diamond fuji we call it. it looks like a jewel sitting on top of the summit of the mountain there. as far as the forecast is concerned, the next several days, fairly decent weather. above-average temperatures

across the pacific coastline of japan. above average back towards the north. still on and off snow showers for those of you in sapporo. tokyo getting up to 16. by the way, that is the average for mid-april. definitely feeling almost spring-like across this area. nagano getting up to 10. you are seeing some snow on friday. but it's going to be warming up beyond that. same thing with over towards osaka. as we look back towards the west, into northeastern china and mongolia, we are looking at fairly chilly temperatures. ulan bator minus 13 for your high. high pressure toward the south is bringing in some warm air from the south, so hong kong with a high of 21. day pay getting up to 22 with some passing showers. let's talk about the cold weather in eastern europe, though, and you can see right here. this on the satellite picture. this is what we call cold weather cumulus. coming in from the north, it looks like sea-effect snow. that we typically see off the

coastline of japan. actually, it really is. this is across the black sea. you've got cold air picking up moisture and it is dumping an excessive amount of snowfall there into northern areas of turkey. over 260 flights cancelled in istanbul. also we are looking at very hazardous conditions out there on the roadways. numerous accidents have been reported. definitely very rough weather. an additional 80 centimeters could be occurring in a few of these locations. as far south as syria we're going to see white stuff with this just because of the storm system continuing to stay in this large pocket of cold air in eastern europe. meanwhile, back towards the west, we're seeing above average temperatures and more rain showers for those of you across london and most of the british isles. have been seeing some very severe flooding. talking about severe flooding here in the central areas of u.s., the last thing you need is more rainfall. it does look like we're going to be seeing more precipitation across the gulf coles.

we have this river of moisture continuing to push through here. the big issue is since back before christmas, the rain has been falling here across the mississippi river valley basin. this is out of missouri. this is not flash flooding. it's river flooding. the difference is flash flooding occurs when you get an abundance of rain in a short period of time. river flooding, on the other hand, is when you have this large area of rain and all that water has to go somewhere. it's flowing downstream in the mississippi river. right now, you are still talking about flooding. it does look like that's going to be a very serious situation heading through the next several weeks, even extending as far south as new orleans before things start to drain out. definitely an ongoing story there. back toward the north, we're talking about that lake-effect snowfall. in some areas could see as much as 50 to 60 centimeters in upstate new york, due to this cold air continuing to spill out of canada. all right. i'll leave you now with your extended outlook.

that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm keiko kitagawa in tokyo. thank you for watching.

steves: the dramatic rock of cashel is one of ireland's most evocative sites.

this was the seat of ancient irish kings for seven centuries. st. patrick baptized king aengus here in about 450 a.d. in around 1100, an irish king gave cashel to the church, and it grew to become the ecclesiastical capital of all ireland. 800 years ago, this monastic community was just a chapel and a round tower standing high on this bluff. it looked out then, as it does today, over the plain of tipperary, called the golden vale because its rich soil makes it ireland's best farmland. on this historic rock, you stroll among these ruins in the footsteps of st. patrick, and wandering through my favorite celtic cross graveyard, i feel the soul of ireland.

-on this edition of "native report," we attend a summer youth program at the university of wisconsin-eau claire, we visit leech lake tribal college and learn about the development of the campus, and we revisit the "cobell" litigation. - --by having all these lands held in trust for individual indians. -we also learn something new about indian country here from our elders on this "native report." narrator: production of "native report" is made possible by grants from shakopee mdewakton sioux community and the blandin foundation.