glad to have us with us on this edition of "newsline." it is wednesday, january 6th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. u.s. president barack obama has announced he will tighten gun control by side-stepping a reluctant congress. >> we are the only advanced country on earth that sees this kind of mass violence erupt with this kind of frequency. >> in a speech at the white house, obama made a tearful plea about a society where children fall victim to gun violence. >> every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from their lives

by a bullet from a gun,er time i think about those kids, it gets me mad. >> obama's new steps include expanding background checks to more gun buyers and the measures will try to force those who sell firearms online to obtain a license. the president strongly criticized republicans for opposing tighter gun control legislation. the party defends the right of citizens to bear arms and republicans are critical of the measures claiming they violate the constitution. gun krol control is expected to be a major issue in the november presidential election. turkey is offering to help lower tension between saudi arabia and iran to prevent peace and stability in the middle east from worsening. saudi arabia broke off diplomatic ties with iran after its execution of a shia cleric led to an attack on the saudi embassy in tehran. >> translator: turkey is ready

to do whatever is needed to solve the problems between these two countries. >> the prime minister said both saudi arabia and iran are turkey's allies but condemned the embassy attack. turkey's latest move follows efforts by countries such as the u.s. and russia trying to calm the situation. iranian president hassan rouhani reiterated his condemnation of the cleric's execution. he said riyad cannot hide its crime by severing political relations with tehran. iran's government is distancing itself from the attack, but a spokesperson for the iranian government described saudi arabia's reaction as immature. the officials said iran will respond appropriately according to international rules. britain's foreign secretary has discussed the case of a missing hong kong book seller with chinese authorities. the man is associated with one of five known for those critical of the chinese government who

disappeared last month. the missing man lei bo is a shareholder in the publishing firm. four others involved with the company have been missing since october. some hong kong media speculate they've been detained by chinese authorities. >> the question must be settled in hong kong by the hong kong judicial system. that's an essential part of the one country two systems principle. >> wang said groundless speculations are unnecessary, but he did not comment on whether there have been any detentions. china says it will allow some of its citizens to make transit stops at one airport in taiwan before flying to other destinations. china's taiwan affairs office says a trial program will allow air travelers from chongqing, kunmim and nanchung to transit in northern taiwan. china regards taiwan as part of its territory and only requires

citizens who go there to have a travel permit. they're unable to transfer to other destinations. taiwan asked beijing to allow the new move to help increase the number of passengers using taiwanese airlines. the request was made when the request was met when ma ying-jeou met president xi jinping in november. the nationalest party is expected to tout the achievement as a pro-china policy ahead of the january 16th presidential election. china is hoping to dampen support for the main opposition, the democratic progressive party, which rejects closer ties with china. polls suggest the opposition party has a strong lead. let's turn to the markets now. the first day of trading this year was a volatile one. chinese stocks plunged 7% and investors are worried what could

happen go forward. ai uchida joins us from the business desk. what's being done to ease investors concerns? >> officials at the securities commission were quick to address the concerns. the 7% plunge happened monday and authorities were already making official comments the next day and they're saying there is a plan in the works to prevent similar sell-offs. members of china's securities regulatory commission say they're drawing up new rules to standardize selling by major shareholders. they're hoping that will help avoid sudden shocks on the market, temporary restrictions on sales by the investors will expire soon. chinese officials are also defending the circuit breaker system that was introduced on monday. they're responding to criticism that the new mechanism caused the plunge, they say it helped protect investors rights by calming the markets. tokyo share prices opened a touch higher this morning, but are moving without clear direction as global risks limit gains. the nikkei 225 is trading just a

touch lower but basically unchanged at the moment. analysts say some investors are hoping to see relief from the route in chinese stocks as beijing took steps to calm markets. energy related shares are over oil prices fell to near 11-year lows. the dollar is trading at the moment at 119.07-10, just a short while ago the greenback was hovering near a two and a half month low at the upper 118 yen level. losses on the chinese market and middle east tensions continue to drive traders to the safety of the japanese currency. the euro/yen pair is trading the at the upper 127 yen level, that's a level not seen since last april. looking at markets across the asia-pacific region, we are seeing a bit of a mixed picture, as you can see tokyo is back in the positive by just a touch. we're seeing losses in seoul and in australia, the south korean

stock market is trading lower by 0.17%. the australian one is down by just about 0.6%. the head of japan's central bank says he recognizes that wage hikes are crucial to improving the economy. bank of japan governor haruhiko kuroda made the comments at a new year's eve party hosted by the japanese trade commission in tokyo. he said achieving the central bank's 2% inflation goal is key for japan to exit deflation, maintain growth and sustain the standard of living. kuroda said wages should increase in step with rising prices. >> translator: i'm not simply hoping for prices to rise. wage hikes are essential for sustainable economic growth in japan. >> he went on to say that the country's jobless rate stands at a 20-year low and corporate earnings are at a record high.

that means conditions should be ripe for wage hikes. this week, "newsline" is airing a five-part series on the economic outlook for major markets. today we'll focus on the biggest economy in the world -- the u.s. last year the federal reserve raised the key lending rate for het first time in nearly a decade on the back of a recovering economy. i asked an expert on what he's expecting this year. university of tokyo professor motoshige itoh specializes in international economics. he's a policy adviser to japanese prime minister shinzo abe in compiling the country's growth strategy. itoh says the u.s. economy is in the process of recovering and should grow at about the same rate as last year, roughly 2.5%. >> in a sense, the united states is the only economy which is

recovering very quickly, low price of energy is very good factor for supporting recovery of the economy and also very rapidly emerging new type of technology coming such as information of things and computing and so on and so forth. this is providing a lot of opportunity for new firms coming to new business. these are lastly important in supporting factor for the recovering of the economy. >> is the economy in the u.s. really that good? >> the problem is they are still reciprocal the secular semination, which means a general trend of recovery is very slow. employment is good but not very, you know, dramatically improving, and we still have some kind of the standard which is the condition for the poor people. we are facing some kind of

international risk. i think probably the international economy in 2016 will be better, the economy in 2015, but still, the developing countries such as china, other emerging countries are still in the process of the adjustment. so the expansion of this region and the european economy is still facing many difficult problems, so the rest of the world is actually having some minor influence on the economy. i'm very cautiously optimistic about american economy this year. >> many are expecting a lack of political direction this year as americans vote for a new president in the fall, and itoh believes monetary policy will dictate the tone of the economy. >> there's not many things that the government can do at this moment. that is the reason why i said the monetary policy of the reserve should be cautious.

we may have a three or four times increase in 2016, which means just policy interest rate is reaching probably slightly below 2%, what we call balancing position of the reserve. we are not shrinking very quickly because they have to be very careful about the market conditions and watching the face of the recovery of the economy is important. >> we'll focus on europe in our next installment of world economic outlook 2016. if you missed any of our previous episodes, be sure to check out our website. that's the latest in business news. i'll leave you with a check on markets.

pakistani prime minister nawaz sharif promised his country will investigate last week's attack on an indian air force base. pakistani militants are expected to be responsible. sharif called his indian counterpart narendra modi on tuesday to offer his condolences and pledged to take prompt action. the attack on the base in northern india on saturday left seven indian soldiers dead. six members of the armed group were also killed. indian media say the government suspects the assault was carried by a pakistan-based islamic militant group. the attack came soon after modi visited sharif in late december. the leaders agreed to continue dialogue to build mutual trust. observers say sharif's call tuesday was intended to maintain that momentum as the base attack

is seen as an attempt to sabotage such efforts. the two south asian neighbors have repeatedly fought over control of the kashmir region. in this segment we feature women in japan who are influencing society. today we introduce you to a leading figure who's helping asylum seekers in the country. with refugees in the spotlight worldwide, there have been calls for japan to take in more of them. eri ishikawa has been raising her voice to bring about that change. nhk world's yuri ito has more. >> reporter: every morning asylum seekers wait in front of the japan association for refugees.

many are from africa and south asia. we're concealing their identities to protect their safety. the non-profit organization provides them with relief items like clothes, sleeping mats and food. >> i came here. they gave me this. this. this. >> reporter: eri ishikawa is the organization's leader. she says many people need the most assistance during the refugee application process. it takes three years on average. >> translator: many fled their country without bringing a lot of belongings. they arrive without food and clothes. we want to provide them with basic necessities. >> reporter: ishikawa organizes job fairs to match asylum seekers with japanese firms for interviews. new arrivals become eligible to work in japan six months after applying for refugee status. but without speaking the language, it's difficult to find out about positions. ishikawa's organization provides translators. >> okay. >> reporter: ishikawa says it's important for both sides to get to know one another.

>> translator: by offering many chances for japanese people and refugees to meet, i want to change any prejudice or misunderstanding that each side may have towards the other. >> reporter: assisting people in dire situations can be difficult work, but her colleagues say ishikawa's personality keeps them upbeat. >> translator: she's very energetic and really gets things done. >> translator: she's the reason why we can move forward without getting discouraged. >> reporter: ishikawa began volunteering in high school to fight for the well-being of others. in her university years, she devoted her energy to help launch the association she now heads. after becoming a mother of two, ishikawa also took on problems that affect female asylum seekers. her organization offers workshops to help them learn about reproductive health. >> translator: some women become pregnant unwillingly.

after experiencing pregnancy and motherhood myself, i feel for these women that are marginalized or put in vulnerable situations. >> reporter: and she feels for all asylum seekers in japan. she's calling on the government to accept more refugees. the country is doing far less compared to other industrialized nations when it comes to granting asylum. thousands of applications have been filed, but less than a dozen have been approved. ishikawa thinks that figure reflects the japanese people's mind-set towards refugees. >> translator: i don't think we're ready to live with people from outside. >> translator: we don't have the experience of accepting refugees or people who are different from us. >> reporter: ishikawa is trying to change that mentality and create an atmosphere where newcomers can feel at home. she and her staff are organizing

activities to give people a chance to learn more about refugees. >> translator: i want all of us in japan to think about what we can do. >> reporter: at this event, they invited a syrian man to speak. he's one of the more than 60 syrians who have applied for refugee status in japan. >> translator: please think about it and ask your own conscience, why isn't japan addressing the problem of syrians in this country? >> reporter: ishikawa hopes these events will stir more discussions. >> translator: i want japanese people to think about what they will do if a refugee moves in next door. i want them to think about it as something that concerns them. 2016 should be a year where we can deepen discussion without being afraid of having different opinions. >> reporter: ishikawa acknowledges there's still much more to be done, and she says she won't stop until japan becomes a home for everyone. yuri ito, nhk world.

people gathered at tokyo's tsukiji fish market tuesday for a new year ritual, the first auction of 2016 but the event left some feeling nostalgic. nhk world's yuji osawa reports, the historic wholesale market is set for big changes this year. >> reporter: like it has for decades the ringing of the hand bell marks the start of the new year's first auction, japan's top fish market. tsukiji market gathers the best tuna, frozen and fresh, from ports around japan and overseas. more than 1,700 were on sale early tuesday morning for wholesale dealers to bid on. the first auction of the year is seen as a celebration and commands the highest prices. this year, a 200 kilogram bluefin from northern japan

fetched about $120,000. >> translator: it has great importance as this was the last new year opening auction at tsukiji. >> reporter: and it marks the end of an era. the aging market will close its doors and be relocated to another part of the city in november. >> translator: it's regrettable. we have been coming here for decades. >> reporter: since it opened in 1935, tsukiji market has supplied many of japan's kitchens. and in recent years, has attracted many visitors.

it's become one of the most popular tourist spots in tokyo. store owners are working to keep it that way. the wholesale tsukiji market will move, but the outside market nearby is going to stay here. so the shop owners have regarded 2016 as the crucial year to continue their business. they plan to expand the outer market to house stores selling fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables. an open square will also offer visitors a place to relax. business owners hope this will help them keep their customers, tourists and professional chefs from nearby upscale neighborhoods. >> translator: we will try our best to keep customers coming back in the same way. we will make efforts to offer better products at cheaper prices so we won't lose our customers. >> reporter: they hope tsukiji can maintain the hustle and bustle that has made it a world-renowned culinary hub. yuji osawa, nhk world, tsukiji, tokyo. most parts of the japanese

archipelago people have been enjoying a warm winter but it's affecting businesses, fashion and food. in the northern prefecture of hokkaido, snowstorms are a familiar winter scene. lake abashiri is covered with ice as thick as 20 centimeters. anglers drill holes to catch smelt. however, the rest of japan is experiencing mild, warm weather. lake gando is also a popular spot for smelt fishing but only part of it is covered with ice. anglers are lowering their lines from floating tents. >> translator: next time i want to fish on the ice. >> the lift at this ski resort in western japan is running above slopes of grass.

>> translator: usually we have a pile of snow as tall as me but this year we don't have any. >> the only slope available for skiing is made of artificial snow. it's just 20 meters wide. >> translator: i was expecting a white winter scene with powdery snow. this snow is so hard. >> department stores are struggling to sell winter clothes. >> translator: i don't feel like even looking at down coats. >> the manager says many kuser in customers are buying lighter springwear in pastel colors. food sales are also being affected. this fruit shop in osaka serves shaved ice throughout the year. their sales this winter have more than doubled. one day in december they sold more than 20 servings. >> translator: i'm usually

freezing in the winter, i have several heaters at home but this year the weather is so mild. >> forecasters say the warm weather is expected to continue through wednesday. people in and around turkey are getting unusual amounts of snow. our meteorologist robert speta explains. >> yes let's talk about the cold weather that has been impacting southeastern areas of europe. we've looked at one storm after another blowing through the region. the latest one on the cloud cover pulling over turkey but then pushing there into northern areas of syria, where you also see some of the white stuff come down and that definitely is making for some hardships for a lot of people out here. i want to show you some video coming out of syria first, where you can just see the latest snowstorm really sunk down very far towards the south, covering many of these areas with that snowfall. now, this has taken a toll on thousands of refugees. you want to keep that in mind. many people are living in makeshift tents and settlements, as shown in this part of the

video, but the big issue with a lot of those is that they do not have sufficient heating in them, so really a lot of people are looking for wood to burn and that causes a fire hazard on top of that staying cold out here. hopefully the forecast does have a little bit of a warm spell in it but that's going to come by next week. we have another storm system pulling through this week bringing more rain and snow into the higher elevations across much of this region border cities looking at rain/snow mix there between turkey and syria. some rain pulling into it by thursday and friday and back towards the north, it looks like the snow is going to continue to stick around for those of you in kiev. back towards the west, though, abnormally cooler temperatures continue to impact western europe in fact. this will also continue this change-up as we go ahead into the weekend with the next storm system pulling through that will pump in warm air from the south but for now it is making for some blustery conditions into parts of portugal, toward spain,

high wind warnings in effect and winter storm warnings in effect across parts of the nexterlands and also into germany. we also have some more video coming out of germany, because this latest winter storm is causing some very serious travel hazards, you see right there, that is the de-icers working on that airplane, and that's also resulting in numerous delays and even cancellations at the airports. over 300 traffic accidents also been reported there across germany in a 24-hour period, same thing in the nexterlands, several cars sliding off the roads. it's not all bad. some pete out there trying to get around by a unique way, ice skating but the big thing that is indicative of why the roads sore slippery, they are on a road there on ice skates. put a car on that, that's what happens. it's very dangerous travel conditions. all that will be melting off as we look into the forecast. we have this low coming through pumping in warm air from the southwest. lisbon a high of 15, madrid at

9. back toward the north, warsaw minus 4. let's talk about northeastern asia here, i know the big topic we were talking about just earlier on, the above average temperatures in much of central and western japan. we've been looking at record-breaking, the plum blossoms are blooming across the tokyo area here because of the temperatures it's going to change up. we have cold air out of siberia, pulling down to the southeast. good news for those of you in northeastern china. you have the ice festival going on. the lines are close together right in here, that is that cooler air filtering in from the north, wednesday, thursday, over towards friday our freezing line dips farther to the south, that should bring much needed snowfall for some of the resorts off towards the north and western areas of japan. all right, i'll leave you now your extended outlook.

that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

>> hello and welcome to "global 3000." around the world, there is treasure just waiting to be found it can be precious metals... and also cash crops. in this edition of the program we'll be looking at the resources different countries hope will bring them prosperity and how they're trying to avoid exploitation. a curse or a blessing -- south sudan's global coffee industry booms while the country starves. new hope -- miners in bolivia turn to lithium to keep the industry alive. and nature without borders -- benin and togo join forces to protect the