> announcer: nhk world tv fr japan. ♪ glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." the turkish government says the islamic state militant group is behind a deadly explosion in istanbul. a suicide bomber killed ten people and injured 15 others in a popular tourist area. >> translator: i condemn the terrorist incident that is believed to be an attack by a suicide bomber linked to syria. >> the country's deputy prime minister told reporters the attacker was identified as a syrian in his latest 20s. the blast occurred tuesday

morning near sultan ahmed square, a unesco site. the dead or wounded came from countries including germany, norway, and peru. german chancellor angela merkel told reporters in berlin that eight germans are among the dead. she said the perpetrators are the enemies of all free people and indeed all humanity. norway's premier said his country condemns the attack and the strongest terms. the united states says it stands together with turkey and pledges ongoing cooperation and support in the fight against terrorism. turkey has suffered a spate of terrorist attacks in the past few months. last july, a suicide bombing in a town near the syrian border left more than 30 people dead. the victims included young kurds

taking part in a rally. more than 100 people were killed in october when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a peace rally at the incident was described as is worst terrorist attack in turkish history. prosecutors said the two bombers were linked to the islamic state militant group. an explosion at a train station last month in istanbul injured one person. an explosion at an airport in the city killed one person and damaged several aircraft. turkey launched air strikes on islamic state militants in syria. it has also stepped up military operations against kurdish insurgents. chinese authorities have formally arrested and charged several human rights lawyers on suspicion of subverting state power. a chinese advocacy website says

beijing-based lawyer, a colleague, and four others were arrested last week. he had been held in secret since last summer. the state-run news agency reported last july that the public security ministry had raided his office. it alleged he was inciting anti-government sentiment. more than 200 people including lawyers and law firm employees have been detained by police since then. authorities have also reportedly detained a swedish national who worked on legal aid and rule of law. observers say they're trying to suppress government criticism and crack down on activities aimed at protecting people's rights. beijing began the year by continuing controversial moves in the south china sea, this time by sending test flights to an artificial island it has built in disputed waters. nhk's senior split commentator sat down for a 2016 outlook with

a top arab advissia adviser to house. here is part 2 of that interview. >> how will china react to the criticism from neighboring countries? >> i think the situation in the south china sea is going to be a situation of what i call a slow boil. it's a pot of water on the stove that gradually gets hotter and hotter. most of the actors in east asia right now are trying to cool things down. but there will be isolated provocations and actions. i see no indication that the chinese are interested in real dialogue. i see no indication that they're going to back away from these very substantial artificial islands that they have built in the south china sea. so i don't see that issue having a positive trajectory. last year was the first time the u.s. sent a ship within the 12 nautical mile zone around the

island. but why did the u.s. do that? the u.s. did that because china was adopting an increasingly assertive posture through its very active land reclamation activities. the u.s. strategy toward china is to encourage china's rise in a way that contributes to international norms and rules on both economic and security issues. but at the same time we need to stay true to our interests and values. and i'm confident that the u.s. will do that. i know u.s. thinking, especially president obama's thinking on china very clearly, and he understands the breadth and depth of the china challenge. >> what do you think is going to happen in the east china sea? china is infringing into japanese territorial waters. >> from japan's perspective it's an unsatisfactory status quo, especially when the chinese intervene in the 12 nautical mile zone around the island.

but i think the -- i don't think there's any prospect of major accidents, miscalculation, or escalation. but i think that japan and the u.s. need to watch very carefully to make sure there's no sort of creeping efforts by china to change that status quo. xi jinping has recognized that he needs to stabilize the china-japan relationship. he's trying to grow japanese investment in china. and so in 2016, for those reasons, and others related to him hosting the g-20, i don't anticipate a major provocation by china. time now for the latest in business news. crude oil is trading at prices people haven't seen in more than a decade. what's keeping prices so low? >> it's a classic lesson in supply and demand. in this case of course there's too much supply and not enough demand. officials at the organization of

petroleum exporting countries are pumping oil into the market. but china, a guzzler of energy, is slowing down. on tuesday, the west texas intermediate hit a 12-year low at below $30 a barrel. prices start sdi in e laer half of . investors became waryf a prolonged surplus. opec decided to put off a reduction in output. prices recovered mid-last-year but slidft iran said it would raise its experts once economic sanctions were lifted. after summer, the trend sped up with concerns over china's fragile demand. and this year we began with a sharp drop in share prices in shanghai. investors are placing sell orders on crude oil futures. they're concerned about the global economic outlook and want to avoid risks. some u.s. investment banks warn

that crude may hit $20 a barrel. the oil glut and weak demand from china continue to be a concern for investors. but markets in the u.s., europe, and china finished tuesday trading in the positive after recent volatility. and this wednesday morning, share prices here in tokyo opened higher. the nikkei is still trading higher, up nearly 2%, 17,554. investors are buying shares across the board after declines over the past six sessions. analysts say investors are now seeing a bottom. and the stronger dollar is feeling a risk on sentiment. let's check on currency. the greenback is firmer again the yen. the dollar is holding steady after u.s. stocks rebounded overnight. the higher yield dollar is also up against the euro. and that's after chinese regulators intervened to stabilize the yuan. the euro dollar is trading at

$1.08. other markets across the arab-pacific region, we are seeing a positive start elsewhere too. australian shares trading higher by 7/10ths of a percent. china topped world in new car sales, but sales growth was slower than before. another sign that the economy is losing steam. the china association of automobile manufacturers says 2 24.5 new cars were sold on the domestic market last year. >> sales growth declined to 4 by 6% year on year, down would 2 percentage points from 2014. analysts say consumers were cautious about buying big-ticket items amid the slowdown. the government is encouraging public workers to save money. tax cuts and other stimulus

measures help support demand but not enough to accelerate sales growth. japanese automakers sold 3.3 million new vehicles in china last year, up 8.6% from 2014, exceeding the market's overall growth rate. japanese firms together expanded their share in china to 15.9% with other foreign manufacturers seeing decline. a chinese conglomerate is buying the u.s. film studio that produced block busters like "jurassic world" and "godzilla." it will acquire legendary entertainment. the current ceo will stay on and they'll help the company to expand, especially in the fast-growing chinese market. they say they want a global voice in the film industry. their main business is real estate but investments in china are rapidly falling.

the company already has a film-related unit. analysts say the group wants to solidify its earnings base by diversifying its operations. 2016 is shaping up to be an important year for trade in the arab-pacific. the aec is now a reality and members of the trans-pacific partnership are aiming to sign a deal next months. one country that sands to be most affected is vietnam. here's why. >> reporter: vietnam shifted into the fast lane more than a decade ago. exports and foreign investment caused annual growth to average 6%, one of the best-performing economies in the region. people can travel from hanoi in just over an hour, less than half the time it took before this highway was completed. construction of roads like this is vital, as vietnam is going to

take full advantage of the trade agreement. no one has gained more from the free trade agreement than the textile and apparel industry. if it goes into effect, companies will be able to export cheaply to the u.s., one of the biggest clothing markets in the world. china, the main supplier of garments to the u.s., is not a member of the tpp. that gives vietnam a critical advantage as a production base. its lower labor costs are also attracting foreign manufacturers. this japanese garment maker is gearing up for the ttp. they used to have unlimited operations making basic fabrics. that all changed in november. the plant is now a fully-integrated garment center, starting with yarn production. that's because the export to the

u.s. has to be made from yarn in the country of origin. >> translator: by spinning, dyeing, and producing yarn here, we were able to shorten the delivery time and increase productivity. we're now ready for the tpp. >> reporte >> reporter: vietnam's auto industry is also preparing for free trade. but the adjustment could be painful. right now city roads are clogged with motorbikes. incomes are rising. many in this country of 90 million people are ready for an upgrade in their mode of transport. >> translator: i want to drive a car. >> translator: i can go far away with a car. >> reporter: japan's mitsubishi motors has been operating its factory in vietnam for 20 years. most cars on the road are assembled in the country. that's because imported cars are

hit with a 40% tariff. foreign car markers are now at that crossroads. after the aec, members will abolish altar i was by 2018, including those on cars. that means it may be cheaper to import vehicles than assemble then in vietnam. the government has set the auto industry as one of its main pillars for economic growth. but with time running out, officials have yet to announce any measures to support local car markers. foreign auto markers are warning they may have to shut down their assembly plants. >> translator: the current government's measures are not in line with the country's long term policy for economic growth. the auto industry as a whole is hoping the government will soon come up with a strategy for a o automakers to stay in the country. >> reporter: the doors to free trade are opening in this emerging economy.

not everyone will benefit. but policy will play a role in ensuring there are more winners than losers. >> for you in business next hour, i'll leave you now with a check on markets. ♪ the result of a new nhk poll suggests japan's prime minister shinzo abe's popularity is

holding in the new year. the cabinet support stayed the same as last month at 46%. the disapproval rate went down 1 point to 35%. respondents were asked whether they approve of the abe cabinet's policies. 81% of people said they're concerned about north korea. 15% said they're not concerned. respondents were asked if they support the agreement japan and south korea reached last month on the issue of those referred to as comfort women. 63% said they support the agreement. 29% said they do not. the south korean foreign ministry plans to have more meetings with those referred to as comfort women to persuade them to accept the deal with

japan.isited a home for some of the women in seoul to brief them on the negotiations and the accord. a spokesperson told reporters on tuesday that the government's priority is to restore the honor and dignity of the women and heal their psychological trauma. he said the government will continue to brief them, listen to what they have to say, and seek their understanding. japan's top spokesperson says officials in tokyo are considering what will be the most effective measures at pyongyang. >> translator: we have been taking a resolute stance against north korea jointly with the united states, south korea, and other members of the international community. that includes working with the u.n. security council. >> at the same time, japanese officials are studying the best possible way to settle various concerns about the north. they include the abductions of japanese nationals in the '70s and '80s as well as the nuclear

missile development programs. 13 million people packed into 2,000 square kilometers. that's a combination that provides countless chances for taking pictures. a french photographer has seized the opportunity here in tokyo. >> reporter: jeremy cetera roams the streets of tokyo, camera in hand. he's searching for the next object of inspiration. the theme of his pictures is tokyo's residential neighborhoods. >> translator: this house is quite new, isn't it? >> translator: things can change. if you don't come around for five years, you won't believe it's the same place. >> there are so many unique,

contemporary architecture. they have to tear down houses to build new ones. that's why it's amazing. >> reporter: tokyo through his lens was the subject of an exhibition in the city. the pictures capture the paradox of all the new and the old, side by side. it's the essence of tokyo. cetera came to japan six years ago. he, his partner, and son live in an urban apartment. it's a room with a view. >> translator: this scenery is my favorite. >> this is a very interesting view for me. you can see from very small and narrow and old houses. it's full of contrasts and it's full surprises.

>> reporter: cetera says he never feels confined in tokyo. even though many houses stand shoulder to shoulder. he senses openness from the way people make use of space. this house gets a lot out of a little. he asked the family to show him around. it's only 35 square meters. >> translator: is this the kitchen and the dining room? >> translator: yes, it's pretty small though. >> reporter: the design eases the pressure. the hallway and staircase are outside.

and the space between indoors and out opens up the atmosphere. >> very close to nature. >> reporter: even narrow alleys in the neighborhoods have depth. but cetera sees it as a matter of dimension. >> it brings a sense of nature to the city. to sometimes we really feel like we are in the countryside, if you really look into a very small part of tokyo, even the small part of a house.

it's really amazing. >> reporter: cetera is not one to rail against the lack of space. he's making a career out of picturing how people use what they have. and living that way himself. nhk world, tokyo. time now for a check of the weather. people in the canada/u.s. great lakes region are seeing wintry conditions. >> across the northeast we really have been seeing some of this weather continuing to roll through. it's been windy. heavy snowfall down south. earlier this week we had reports of tornadoes across parts of florida. right now, an area of low pressure pushing from west to east, a big topic out here, already starting to see lake-effect snow bands. keep in mind that one thing that really influences that lake-effect is the fact that the lakes are not frozen over yet. what that means is that you have

more moisture but also it includes some spray near the immediate coastal areas. for the person who parks their car a little bit too close to the water, just outside of buffalo, new york right there. this is just one of the things that you do see across this region when you get that supercooled water coming off the lake. it freezes immediately on contact. i'm sure that will take a while to thaw off. that will be influencing these areas. the lake-effect snow band, a few locations will see as much as 30 to 50 centimeters, definitely influencing travelers across this region as well. in toronto, 1 to 2-hour delay on average. meanwhile, even cold back towards the west, minus 16 in

winnip winnipeg. some showers pushing through the l.a. area on your wednesday too. on the other side of the world, i do want to talk about some severe thunderstorms possible across southern australia towards victoria. you see the storm brewing there. this is along this line, which is a stark contrast from hot to cold. whenever you get that, and you get that chance of thunderstorms. i think one of the bigger topics is going to be this mid-summer front that's going to be pushing through here. take a look at some of these temperature differences. look at melbourne here on wednesday, over a twenty-degree drop here from wednesday to thursday because of that front pushing through there for those of you towards japan, we still have that snow machine impact parts

of hokkaido, going to be bring precipitation for you. tokyo is going to stay on the dry by cold side over the coming days, maybe a flurry or two coming up later this week. high pressure dominating northeastern china, keeping things on the dry side for out there. but cold. look at shanghai's high, just 6 there heading through wednesday. all right. let's wrap things up here into europe. we have been talking about the rough weather in the east, across the balkans. actually some thunderstorms are possible out there. also very cold air in west russia, even blizzard-like conditions in moscow. partly cloudy skies here on your wednesday. here is the extended outlook. ♪

♪ one more story to share with

you before we go. travelers in japan will soon have a new way to appreciate the country's culture and countryside at the same time. on tuesday, a railway company revealed a special bullet train mere tokyo that will display modern art. the design is based on summer fireworks in the japanese city of nagaroka. >> translator: the design is excellent, i really like it. >> the seats will be removed to display the work of eight modern artists including painters, sculpt sculptors, and videographers. that wraps up this edition of "newsline." we'll see you at the top of the hour.

anchor: hello and welcome to global 3000. refugees have been making their way into the european union. what should be done with them after they have arrived? that has been the focus among governments and communities. it is an issue in africa. conflict and violence have driven many from their homes. these are the stories we have coming up for you. europe and refugees. young leaders see new opportunities for the continent. education gives new hope, online learning in kenya's second biggest refugee camp.