hello, welcome to news line. it is friday, january 15th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. police say at least three people are dead and dozens injured, many critically, following a bus accident in central japan. a bus carrying skiers fell off a mountain road. the accident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. on friday in the town of karuizawa. the bus was carrying 41 passengers and crew. the injured are being treated in hospital. the bus was reportedly driving in an outbound lane when it crossed the center line and broke through a guardrail. police say there was no snow or ice on the ground at the time of the accident. they're looking into the cause. the islamic state group has claimed responsibility for the attacks that left at least seven

people dead and 20 others injured in jakarta, indonesia. it's the first major militant attack since 2009 in the world's most populous muslim country. president joko widodo condemned the attacks and expressed condolences for the victims. >> translator: we should not be frightened or give in to terror attacks like this. >> suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the center of the capital on thursday. police say an indonesian and a canadian were killed, while 20 people were wounded including foreigners. five suspected militants also died in the attack. calling itself the indonesian branch of islamic state militants, the group claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement. the statement said its soldiers in indonesia targeted nationals of the u.s.-led coalition engaged in a bombing campaign against the islamic state in the middle east. police say they recently

received a warning that indonesia unless the spotlight from a group identifying itself as the islamic state. authorities have been on a heightened state of alert. nhk world's fransiska renatta has more from jakarta. >> translator: i was scared. our office is across so we locked ourselves in our office. >> translator: i was so scared when i heard the bomb. it gave me goosebumps. >> reporter: people here are in shock. authorities have been cracking down on extremists, resulting in smaller and less deadly terror attacks. however, security authorities say the latest attacks do not come as a surprise. recently, there has been growing concern over the islamic state militant group's influence in the world's most populous muslim country. in 2014, islamic state militants

produced a video in indonesian. they are aiming to recruit more fighters from here. more than 500 indonesians are believed to have traveled to the middle east to join the islamic state group. a jailed cleric, abu bakr bashir, has continued to instruct his followers from behind bars encouraging them to join the islamic state militant group. bashir is the spiritual leader of a southeast asian group blamed for an attack in bali that killed more than 200 people. on tuesday, the radical cleric began an appeal to have his jail term reduced. it was a rare public appearance by the cleric. a large number of his supporters gathered which demonstrated he still exerts considerable influence. in december, authorities

arrested supporters of the islamic state group who are alleged to have been planning an attack. on new year's eve around 150,000 security forces were deployed to protect potential targets. the heightened state of alert is likely to continue for some time. fransiska renatta, nhk world, jakarta. u.s. secretary of state john kerry has condemned the deadly bombings in jakarta. he said acts of terror will not intimidate countries. >> the world will fight against that. the world will not accept that, and we will do what is necessary. >> kerry said nations are united in efforts to eliminate extremists, including islamic state militants. turkey's prime minister says his country's army has killed almost 200 militants in attacks on the islamic state group in the past two days. the killings followed tuesday's suicide bombing in istanbul that killed ten germans and was

blamed on the militants. a government minister gave an update thursday on the investigation into the attack. >> translator: the number of people detained in connection with the istanbul attack has reached seven. the investigation is under way in the most comprehensive way. >> authorities identified the bomber as nabil fadli. he was a syrian national and member of the islamic state militant group. turkish media reported he registered as a refugee in istanbul along with four other people earlier this month. the police are investigating whether the four were also involved in the istanbul attack. investors in major stock markets around the world have been on a roller coaster ride since the new year but let's see how things are looking today.

ai uchida joins us now from the business desk. a little calmer in the markets. >> certainly looks like it. tokyo stocks did open sharply high letter. from the start of the year investors have been whiplashed by the swings up and down. the nikkei fell more than 9% through thursday. the shanghai composite, 15%. concerns about oil prices, china, and terrorism, that's weighing on sentiment. at least today the swing seems to be upward here in tokyo. the nikkei average gained at one stage more than 300 points. the index is currently up more than .75%. 17,3, 72 a gain of 130 points. the benchmark rose after wall street staged a turnaround overnight on a rebound in oil prices. globally traded crude oil benchmarks saw a slight bounce. and the energy sector here in tokyo is really leading the stock gains this morning.

checking on currencies the dollar got a lift from the rebound in oil and u.s. stocks. going above 118 overnight, it had hit a four-month low just monday in the upper 116 yen range. the euro dipped below $1.09. right now at 1.0866-0868. the dollar gained after another federal reserve official said the steep plunge in oil and lower inflation are making it harder to raise interest rates. let's take a look at markets across the asia-pacific that are open at the moment. australian shares up by just about .6%. the kospi is up .3%. japanese motorists are cashing in on the global slide in crude oil prices. prices at the gas pump hit a six-year and eight-month low this week. officials at the oil information center say the average price of

a liter of gasoline was 118.9 yen or about $1 on tuesday, that's 1.5 yen or one cent cheaper from a week ago. the average retail price has fallen for the 11th straight week. the decline is due to a decision last month by the organization of the petroleum exporting countries to put off a reduction in output. another factor a move by oil companies to lower gasoline retail prices in line with the cheaper crude oil. that decision was based on speculation that oil demand would stay low because of china's economic slowdown. the oil information center officials say gasoline prices will probably continue their slide because crude oil prices could get cheaper if iran starts raising exports after economic sanctions are lifted. motorists in china aren't getting the full benefit from the cheaper crude. the authorities are trying to stop gasoline prices from getting too cheap. the government sets a ceiling

for retail gasoline and diesel prices base are based on crude oil prices. almost all retailers sell gasoline at the ceiling levels. the slide in crude should have led to cheaper gasoline. however, the national development and reform commission says a new mechanism went into effect on thursday preventing a price drop at the pumps. this means officials are now effectively fixing the retail gasoline prices when imported oil falls below $40 per barrel. they say the move is to protect china's oil industry and will also curb gasoline consumption and help make the air cleaner. some consumers aren't buying that. they have gone online to express frustration over not getting the full benefits stemming from the lower crude prices. officials at japan's biggest oil wholesaler say they are teaming up with telecom giant kddi to sell electricity to households.

the move by jx nippon oil and energy is the latest in a rush to grab customers ahead of the liberalization of the power retailing business in april. the jx energy officials say they will sell electricity generated at their own plants to households in the service area of tokyo electric power company or tepco. they say households now paying about $70 a month to tepco will shave about $40 a year off their electricity bills if they sign a two-year contract. jx energy is also offering a discount for its gas and heating oil to customers who use the group's credit card to pay their power fees. officials say kddi will use its sales outlets to help the firm get customers. another tepco rival, tokyo gas, is offering discounts to households that sign contracts for both its gas and electricity. oil wholesaler tonin general secu is combining lp gas and electricity sales to woo customers, and major cable tv

firm jupiter communications says its subscribers can cut electricity charges by up to 10%. japanese workers spend long hours on the job, but conditions are changing. employees are being encouraged to take more days off. the move comes as managers and the government attempt to raise productivity amid tougher global competition and a shrinking labor pool. >> translator: good morning. we're encouraging you to use your paid holidays. >> reporter: on a recent workday people were handing out flyers at this train station in chichibu near tokyo. they were part of a joint effort of the central and local governments to urge commuters to take time off during a local festival. the chichibu night festival dates back more than four centuries. it attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year. when the event falls on weekdays, local schools are

closed so students can take part. authorities thought it would be a good idea to give workers the same opportunity. they're trying to get employees to cooperate. >> translator: we hope to create an atmosphere in which supervisors actively encourage their subordinates to use the time they're entitled to. >> reporter: if workers are offered the chance to participate in the local festival, they might become less resistant to taking breaks at other times. >> translator: this could be a good start. the schools are shut, so people would have a chance to spend time with their families. >> reporter: some companies have devised unique ways to encourage employees to use their vacation time. a tokyo consulting firm solicited ideas from its staff. the options now include a half day visit to a hair salon to indulge in a little pampering.

a love holiday allows workers to celebrate birthdays or other significant events with partners or family. the company also gives them about $80. >> translator: workers often find it difficult to take days off without a particular reason. but these special holidays have a clear purpose, so people are more inclined to use their vacation time. >> reporter: employees have to tell co-workers about their plans and make sure someone fills in for them when they're gone. tami fukimoko recently took a half day off to visit a museum. one of her colleagues agreed to cover for her. she'd have a heavier workload for one afternoon, but she knew her extra effort would be rewarded. >> translator: it will be easier to take a day off when it's my turn.

i don't consider this a burden. >> translator: off i go. see you. >> reporter: she went to an exhibition of french impressionist paintings. she says she'd really been looking forward to it. >> translator: i made plans well in advance, even to take a half day off. i feel refreshed and happy i got to do this. >> reporter: the people behind this initiative hope workers will become accustomed to incorporating more leisure in their lives. getting them to that point will require the efforts of officials in both the public and private sectors. >> and that is the latest in business news for this hour. i'll leave you now a check on markets.

south korean leaders want to put more pressure on the north because of the nuclear test it conducted last week. an envoy is asking officials in china to exert their influence. >> translator: north korea depends on china for about 90% of its trade, so china has significant influence. >> huang says he believes china could and should play a major role in the process of passing a new u.n. resolution on north korea. china is a permanent member of the u.n. security council. chinese leaders denounced pyongyang for the nuclear test but said they want to resolve the situation through dialogue. the south korean envoy has already met senior officials from japan and the united states to coordinate responses.

u.s. president barack obama and russian president vladimir putin have spoken over the phone about north korea. they seem to have differences over how best to respond to the country. the white house says the two leaders discussed the importance of a strong and unite entered national response to the nuclear test. russia's presidential office says they agreed if it's was, in fact, a hydrogen bomb, north korea should have to face a tough international reaction. but putin requested that countries show maximum restraint and refrain from anything that could lead to further military escalation in the region. the united states wants the u.n. security council to impose tougher sanctions against the north. china's trying to tackle a major problem following the end of its one-child policy on january 1st. anyone born illegally under the policy is an unregistered citizen and unable to obtain legal documents vital to live in

china. the government is now going to change that. parents who violated the family planning directive were often required to pay large fines to register their additional children. many did not. unregistered chinese are not entitled to social benefits and basic education. as of 2010, the nation reportedly had more than 13 million unregistered citizens. the central government on thursday ordered local authorities to start registering people. japan's defense ministry plan is to test fly a stealth aircraft prototype as early as next month. the nation has been developing the model for the past seven years and addressing the technological challenges. the experimental plane's air frame and engines were developed domestically. it's about 14 meters long with a wing span of roughly nine meters. it uses a new technology that allows the aircraft to make

quick in-flight maneuvers by changing the engine thrust direction. the stealth's capability is based on the frame's shape. its maiden flight takes its from an air field in aichi prefecture to an air force base in central japan. manufacture mitsubishi heavy industries will deliver the prototype to the ministry in march. now on to sumo. champion hakuho is proving to fans he's ready to clinch his first championship in half a year at the new year's tournament in tokyo. our sumo reporter hiro morita has the latest after five days of intense action. >> the 35-time champion yokozuna hakuho is firing on all cylinders. when i talked to him in december, he said his goal was to bring his championship haul to 39 this year. so far, he's looking good on that pledge. hakuho entered day five with a spotless record. he's thirsty to pick up another empress cup. because the last time he took

home the silverware was back in july. hakuho took on bulgarian aoiyama. he gets the left-hand outside grip without any hesitation, he puts his opponent away. hakuho cruises to 5-0. ozeki champion kotoshogiku is another rikishi who looked sharp the first four days. the 31-year-old japanese is fighting with a lot of oomph. kotoshogiku always competes with a determination to win his first ever top division title. the georgian was his day five foe. immediately he gets an advantageous double inside gripe and relentlessly goes after tochinoshin. the ozeki keeps up the pressure and gets it done. kotoshogiku extends his winning streak to five. now i want to talk about a man we interviewed leading up to this competition. he's shohozan.

he told me he wanted to keep fans on the edge of their seats. and you know, he's doing just that. one of shohozan's goals for the new year's tourney was to beat one yokozuna grand champion. he got his chance on day two against the winner of the previous tournament. he fought fearlessly in this match. a beautiful beltless arm throw. his winning ways continue in 2016. and that's it for today's sumo sum-up. i'll be back next week leading into the final gripping stages of this new year's tourney, so join me then. >> all right. for skiers and snowboarders powder is the ultimate surface. and more and more are coming to japan in search of that perfect snow. many are leaving the trails and entering dangerous back country territory to find it.

>> reporter: this is what happens when you go missing on a mountain in japan. search parties, a media cirrus, and worries. >> everyone's good. >> reporter: this group of australians skied off-course at a resort in fukushima prefecture. they said big snow caused them to lose their way. in nagano, a similar mission took place to save a group of finnish skiers. they were stranded overnight on the mountain and had to be rescued by helicopter. they told the police they went off-course on purpose to find deep powder snow. and they are not alone in that quest. >> i love back country skiing. because there is light powder and not many people.

>> no i think if you have always had a friend and good equipment. >> reporter: but going back country poses passengers not common on groomed slopes, such as getting lost or worse. in january of last year, two argentinean men died in an avalanche while skiing off-base. >> you need to think about what the avalanche is and how to find your way back. >> reporter: in recent years the number of tourists coming to japan's slopes have grown, reaching 500,000 since 2014 alone. and it's forcing resort operators to take more preventive measures. they have put up posters in english warning people against going off-course. >> translator: we hope skiers have the morals to follow the

rules. things will be difficult unless they're aware of these points. >> reporter: and they are telling visitors of the hefty price of straying off-course. the cost of their rescue. yuko hiraga, nhk world. meteorologist jonathan oh joins us right now. lot of powder in northern areas. the ski season closer to tokyo has been off to a rough start due to warm weather. what can people expect this weekend? >> as you go through the weekend i think the snow is going to start picking up. areas north of tokyo which has been dealing with a slushier mess will see much better conditions because the temperatures are going to be cooler and we will see more of that snow coming onshore. the sea-effect snow has been bringing decent weather into places like hokkaido where you've been dealing with more snowfall. areas to the south not so much. that is going to change as we

continue on through friday and through the weekend. no real forcing mechanism in place but because of that cold air continuing to make its way finally further down toward the south we will see the moisture interacting with that colder air. so here's a look at what we are expecting as we go through the weekend. up to 40 centimeters of snow expected into hokkaido just in the next 24 hours. and up to 60 centimeters as we go throughout the day friday. you ski lovers definitely are going to see better snow results even further down toward the south as this thing tries to move its way further. this is not the only area seeing snowfall. into the korean peninsula we're going to see some of the white precipitation. south korea looking at 1 to 3 centimeters. up to 10 centimeters into north korea. so plenty of snow to go around as we go throughout the weekend. here's a look at the forecast in japan as we go throughout the day. sapporo more snowfall, high of minus 2. it's going to be chilly.

sendai, high of 6. tokyo looking at 11 with partly cloudy skies. that extends to owe sauk did and fukuoka, up to 10 degrees. chilly weather moving north to south, that's affecting areas into china and the korean peninsula continues to see the effect. we look further out we may be dealing with even colder temperatures as we go into the next week or so. we'll have to keep an eye on that for the long range, seeing if we're getting more of that chilly wither in place. a high of 3 in beijing. that's an indication how cold it's going to be in terms of cold air coming down. a lot of times this is bouncing in the minus teens. when you see a high of minus 20s that's potent cold air. looking at the forecast for europe here's a weather lesson. you see this spin right there? then another spin here? those are two areas of low pressure, well-developed areas of low pressure. low pressure is an area where water and air is rising and so we see some development of

clouds and some rain, maybe snow as you go forward into the scandinavian areas and mountains of europe. another system moving toward turkey. we'll be looking for that and seeing the impact of some precipitation, maybe some storms as we go throughout the weekend. snow from kiev, warsaw, into berlin, looking at chilly temperatures into moscow. a high of minus 11. minus 14 in stockholm. single digits back toward the west. a quick look at what's happening over the atlantic. hurricane in january. hasn't happened since the 1930s. this is something we'll be keeping an eye on because it is moving to the north at 35 kilometers per hour, packing winds of 140. the azores are going to be under hurricane warning because of the system. looking at heavy rainfall and some very high wave heights. looking for the possibility of flash floods and mudslides. in the united states and also into canada, looking at the possible lake-effect snow from a low pressure system over the great lakes. showers down toward the south as the low pressure comes out of the gulf. wet weather into vancouver and seattle as we go into friday. hope you have a good day

wherever you are. here's your extended outlook. that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for staying with us.

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.

stacey thunder: on this edition of "native report," we attend the veteran's pow wow and a memorial dedication in lac courte oreilles. we'll learn about the traditional harvesting of wild rice. and we learn about astronomy from the ojibwe perspective. we'll also learn something new about indian country and hear from our elders, on "native report." announcer: production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community and the blandin foundation. [music playing] [theme music]