it's the top of the hour in tokyo. this is nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara. nhk learned that china was not able to persuade north korea to drop plans on what was believed to be a missile launch. wu's visit followed the fourth nuclear test and told an institution about the launch plans the day he arrived. wu met the minster and first vice foreign minster. he urged them to have the plans

dropped and sources say the talks ended without an agreement. the north koreans claimed the government plans to launch a satellite for the sake of scientific development and it has a peaceful purpose. they reiterated the desire for the peninsula. they said they won't give up the nuclear program until the u.s. abandons his hostile policy towards their government and concludes a peace treaty. the declared launch window begins monday. officials across japan are on alert for what they think will be a missile launch and they tested the system designed to give citizens an immediate warning. the southern prefecture of okinawa lies under the flight path. terminals for the j alert system received a test message for the government.

>> the same message was broadcast through speakers and parks and they will launch between monday and february 25th. they are planning a missile test. japan is readying the self defense forces and they will be in place by sunday. >> translator: we are preparing to deploy the sdf units the same way as the last time years ago. >> the defense officials held a teleconference with the counterparts and they agreed to work closely to share and analyze information. south korea is preparing security measures and are stepping up diplomatic effort ises and the defense minster held a video conference with military officers and talked with the commander of the destroyer off the country's west coast. they confirmed the military will

determine the trajectory of any rocket that is launch and prepared to intercept any missile headed for south korea. on the diplomatic side, they met ambassadors from japan, the eu and australia. they confirmed that the countries will seek further sanctions on the north if a launch takes place. they could also consider possible unilateral sanctions. fewer americans are out of work. unemployment fell below 5% for the first time in almost eight years. companies created fewer jobs than expected. that's heightened concerns about the impact of falling oil prices and the lowdown in china. the u.s. labor department dropped from 5% to 4.9, the lowest since february of 2008. average earnings grew 2.5% year on year. they suggest recovery in the

labor market remains firm. still the release is a mixed bag. officials say nonfarm employers added 151,000 jobs. they expected 190,000. investors are studying the jobs data for clues about when the federal reserve board will again raise the key interest rate. they raised the rate in december after keeping it near zero for seven years. japanese leaders signed a deal with iran and they have their eye on the resource rich e rannian economy. they are trying to give an edge over rivals in china and the u.s. they signed the deal after japan lived in sanctions over the nuclear program. business representatives joined them at the ceremony. japanese companies that invest in iran will get similar treatment to local firms. they also get protection for the rights and assets.

>> translator: iran has great economic potential. we consider iran a very important partner for japan. >> translator: the sanctions were lifted. i am convinced they have a chance to rebuild and develop our bilateral ties. >> he wants japan to get involved in areas including medicine and nuclear safety. iranian leaders had signed deals to boost cooperation with china and countries in europe. executives at troubled electronics maker sharp talked with the head of a taiwanese company about a bailout. managers from sharp and the precision industry agreed to continue talks on the terms of a contract. the meeting with the chairman and ceo took place on friday at sharp's headquarters in osaka. he said he had signed preferred

negotiating rights, but sharp denied this. the company said it has agreed to continue consultations on contract terms until february 29th. >> i founded the company 42 years ago. i would like to support sharp by using my experience and hope to remake it into a new company. >> sharp officials earlier considered two competing bailout plans before deciding on thursday to give preference. the other offer was for the government-backed innovation network of japan. sharp's decision came after he offered to raise the take over bid. they offered to invest nearly $6 billion. many japanese are keen to learn more about the $6 billion bidder on the world stage also known as

fox conis probably best known for the close relationship with the u.s. tech giant, apple. >> they assemble the world's most famous products and not under its own name. the chairman found the company in 1974. with sales of about $130 billion. we have risen to become the largest contract manufacturer in the world. and apple is one of those clients. the u.s. tech giant designs iphone. we put them together. the taiwanese company produces a humanoid robot. the client in this case is japanese carrier cost bank. he began pursuing a deal with sharp four years ago. speaking to nhk in december, he revealed his negotiating strategy. talk to the creditors. he said the decision on whether or not to accept the investment

offer would be made not by sharp's top management, but by the banks. and for the banks, there is plenty to think about. the bailout plan offered by the japanese government would require sharp's two main lenders to provide $2.5 billion. they asked for no additional funding. late last month, he visited japan and made the deal sweeter. he said they were ready to pay nearly $6 billion. $1 billion more than the previous bid. >> the ceo wants to make sharp the number one lcd maker again, but a lot depends on the final negotiations taking place in the next few weeks. toyota motor executives say the auto maker posted record sales and profits for the april and december period. earnings were held by strong sales in the united states and china. the executives say group sales

for the nine months totalled about $180 billion, up 6.5%. operating profit amounted to roughly $20 billion, up 9%. they say the weaker yen boosted earnings. the forecast for sales and operating profit for the 12 months through march has been kept unchanged, but they revised the forecast for 2015's net profit by about $170 million to $19.4 billion. the japan meteorological agency said in western japan they erupted and the agency called on people who lived in the surrounding area to be on the alert. local police say there no reports of damage or injuries at this point. agency officials say eruptions happened just before 7:00 local time. a nearby observatory said smoke is rising over two kilometers

into the sky. the officials have also raised the alert level that means people should stay clear of the volca volcano. >> translator: we raised the alert level to three because large volcanic rocks were thrown 1300 to 1800 meters away from the crater. the volcanic eruption could intensify further. >> the officials are warping people within two kilometers to watch out for falling rocks and ash streams. in august, earthquakes below the volcano led to a partial evacuation advisory and the last major eruption was in mid-september. between january and september of last year, it erupted more than 700 times. >> authorities in hong kong are eager to see a group of people

being held in mainland china and asked people to set up a meeting with five people associated with a bookstore. the chief executive said the government will deal with their cases. they are connected to a bookstore that carries titles critical of the government. they detained people including the president of the company and one of the company's shareholders. they went missing separately from locations in the mainland, thailand and hong kong. they are raising concerns. >> i am very worried about the future of hong kong. >> we should be judged by the regulations of hong kong. what's happening doesn't follow the principal of one country and two systems. >> even pro beijing legislators weighed in saying concerns will continue until authorities stop putting pressure on the five people.

>> the lunar new year is just around the corner and the transport systems are already overwhelmed as people rush home to celebrate. an estimated three billion trips will be made. how some chinese found i way to make the journey cheaper and a lot less work. >> a few days before the lunar new year arrives on february 8th, the central station is packed with people lining up. but the tickets sell out fast and some are forced to give up. the long distance from the major cities. as millions of people move through the country, these posters are catching people's attention.

carpooling is gaining in popularity. especially for those who might otherwise have to give up spending the holiday with family. this company started two years ago. it provides a way to connect the drivers and others who want to share a life. you only pay your portion of the traveling costs. the oerps are registered with the service. about one million people have signed up for the coming holiday season. the company generates income and it branched out to 300 locations across the country with a rising number of users. this is from the southern province. he works in the industry in

beijing. >> it's legal from beijing. i drink it with my family. >> his wife works full time so they have left their 1-year-old child in the care of his parents. a service opened last year connecting beijing. but the fare is much too high for their budget. the couple uses the ride share up and they are heading to the same town. the cost of driving together is less than half what they would normally spend. it takes a full day of driving from beijing to reach their hometown.

>> they gradually get to know each other. >> translator: i have returned home four years in a row by carpool. and i got to know other people in town this way. >> the owners of the ride share companies said they expect business to expand even more. >> translator: our mission is to make the painful trip home a comfortable experience. we believe the demand is huge. >> with so many makings at this time of year, it seemed the company is assures a growing market for the service. >> earlier we spoke with hiroki

in beijing. >> we're saw positive response from carpooling users. will it become more popular as a means of travel. >> i think so. >> one reason is the low cost by the port and it's also a way to get to know other people from your hometown. making connections is very important in chinese society. a manager providing the service said some even found business opportunities from the people they load with. >> those traveling a long distance, i can imagine how they must feel arriving home for the new year. >> the workers i talked to were very eager to see their families. we spoke with a man who left his farming business to work as a

cook in the beijing restaurant. he is going home this year for the first time in seven years. he described how tough it is to be a migrant worker in beijing. >> i have been working here to earn more money. my wife is ill so sometimes we talk on the phone and i haven't been able to go home. i can't go home at will when she needs me. all i can do is to say something to try to comfort her. it's hard. >> many other migrant workers don't take the opportunity to go home. another employee said she is trying to save money instead. the economic gap is evident in the way different people spend the new year holidays.

>> myanmar democracy's leader named a former general as head of the legal panel. we are following the story. >> observers say members of the party, the national league for democracy are trying to make up for the lack of political experience. they nominated him to reside over the key panel. he served as speaker of the lower house. he built a close working relationship and set up the legal panel himself in 2011. the members advised parliament on legislation. the lawmakers hope to call on

his deep understanding of the army and outgoing government. they will need the cooperation of the military which is guaranteed a guard of seats in parliament under the constitution. the legislature convened for the first time and is preparing to choose a new president. authorities in indonesia estimate more than 500 of the citizens joined up with militants and now they are investigating a local sale that claim responsibility for the january terror attacks in jakarta. we interviewed a brother of one of the suspects. >> four suspects died in the jakarta shooting attack. one of the suspects was 39-year-old mohammad ali. this is his brother. he said his brother was to the west of jakarta. he and his wife were there.

>> translator: this motorcycle belonged to my older brother. this is a child's bicycle. >> on his days off, he played soccer with his friends, showing his social side. his brother said he never spoke to him about the islamic state militant group. >> i never thought of my brother as a terrorist and i simply cannot believe it. as a member of his family, i want to offer my sincere apologies to the victims. >> this is a room that was rented by the terrorists for two weeks before the terror attack. >> the police say three of the suspects stayed here, including ali. the owner said he told him that he needed a room for some friends who were working at construction sites.

>> police offices came here and said we were involved in the incidents. i knew nothing about it. >> this is the website of the indonesian man suspected of masterminding the jakarta tape. he posted messages on a social networking page urging people to join the islamic state group. an islamic radical siege for those opposed to western values and the widening gap between rich and poor. >> facebook, twitter and other social media are playing a big role in spreading the ideology of the islamic state group. >> the indonesian government checked on websites carrying the propaganda and recruitment

messages. it also said indonesia is ready to make changes to the effectively prevent the reason. >> islamic militants target indonesia and asean nations. >> they are stressing the difficult challenge of containing an increasing number of islamic state sympathizers. nhk world, jakarta. >> that are wraps up our bulletin from bangkok. >> a u.s. defense department official said the number of islamic state militants has dropped in iraq and syria, but is increasing in libya. they share the department's latest analysis with nhk. it shows the number of islamic state fighters has fallen to about 25,000, down from an estimated 30,000. the number in kwlib is believed

to have risen to about 500. the official said coalition air strikes loosen the control in areas in iraq and syria. earlier this week, u.s. secretary of state john kerry warned that the militant group is threatening libya and could seize the nation's oil resources. u.s. president barack obama instructed officials to strengthen support for the country that has been divided by rival governments. the defense department officials are considering what steps to take including military options. olition member states are expected to discuss the issue at a meeting next week. health officials say a blood transfusion has infected a man with the zika virus. mosquitos are the main source, but the new development poses another challenge to those battling the global out bric the rare ce hapnenapril, but only confirmed thisek. health officials say a gunot

victim was infected after receiving blood transfusions. tests confirmed the blood was donated by a zika patient. the world health organization is recommending restrictions from people who have travelled to affected areas. the virus has been linked to babies born with abnormally small heads and incomplete brain development. tourists come to visit a snow and ice kupture at the annual snow festival. there were warm weather worries in the lead up to friday's start. >> looking at all the sculptures, you would never know there was any reason for concern. warm weather caused an avalanche

of worry. instead of being frozen by fear, organizers huddled and came up with the plan. they had to go further outside the city to track in the loads of snow. so much snow they have been able to make more than 200 sculptures at three venues. one of the highlights? this sculpture that is 17 meters high. and then this. a huge sculpture with the attack. the reaction to everything so far, they are much bigger than i expected. >> definitely come here and enjoy it. par. >> an icy battle between

countries. >> we hope to make a good sculpture. we hope that the people will like it and we will like it. >> it's an international contest to make the best sculpture and it's no easy task. they have to carve their own designs. it's not until darkness fall that is the main attraction can be seen. check out this flurry of action. they extend to hokkaido next month. the bullet train with the projections of the sculpture every night. the festival will last until next thursday. the cold northern city heated up with excitement thanks to the business. nhk world. >> here's this weekend's weather

forecast. . >> that's all we have for now. i'm ross mihara in tokyo. thank you for watching and have a good day.

>> hello, and a very warm welcome to another edition of global 3000. are you sitting comfortably? i only ask, because if are, you might want to be rethinking that cosy armchair position, because we're off to one of our most energetic starts yet. morning drill practice -- early learning, taiwanese style. ancient answers to a modern problem -- using inka knowledge to fight drought in the andes. and exporting democracy -- ghana's role in training u.n. troops for deployment around the worl