hello, there. welcome to "newsline," it is wednesday, march 9. i'm catherine kobayashi. an islamic attack killed two people in the turkish city on the border with syria. turkish media say artillery shells killing a woman and 4-year-old boy. they say the shells were lounged fr launched in a military base. they returned fire. a cease-fire took effect last month and has been largely holding. the agreement does not cover

islamic state militants. participating in the u.s. led coalition that has been conducting air strikes. revolutionary grounds core say ballistic missiles were test fired in multiple locations on tuesday. state television broadcast a missile as well as an underground silo with many others. iran agreed with major powers last year to limit the nuclear program, but repeatedly conducted tests, saying they're legitimate activities, aimed at defending the nation. the test firing will disappoint the u.s., which he says is trying to threaten iran's security. in washington, a state department spokesperson says the u.s. is trying to get more information about the test firing. >> if it's confirmed that this is what they in fact did, then

we'll have every intention of raising the matter to the u.n. security council. >> kirby says the missile test would not violate the nuclear deal. he says washington recently added businesses involved with iran's missile program to its sanctions list, an option that he points out is always available. north korea is making a new threat amid heightened tepgss, as leader kim central news agency reported kim's comments threatening the united states on wednesday. the agency quotes kim as saying his country will not hesitate to carry out a preemptive nuclear attack if the u.s. threatens its right to self-determination or its development of nuclear weapons. united states conducting joint military with north korea,

possibility of using a nuclear missile. the united states says there is no evidence to back the north's claim. the battle against the zee yeah -- zika energy commission approached it on tuesday. it involves sterilizing male mosquito by exposing them to radiation and releasing them into affected areas. will help reduce the mosquitos that can carry the virus. it will also train locals and create a network to allow them to exchange information. the four year project will start next month, with a budget of about $2.5 million. japan says it's ready to contribute about $270,000. the virus continues to spread, mainly in central and south america. the infection of pregnant

mothers is believed to be linked to potential birth defects in their babies. operator of a nuclear plant on the sea of japan coast says a control rod behaved unexpectedly on tuesday, setting off an alarm. tokyo electric power company, or tepco says it occurred on tuesday at the plant in the prefecture. tepco says the alarm indicated that one of the reactors 185 control rods moved out of its normal position. they say workers were doing regular inspections at the time. they were manipulating valves related to the control rods, but did not operate the rods themselves. they also say the rod returned its normal position after about a minute. tepco says the trouble caused no chain reaction and did not affect the surrounding area. the company has reported the matter to the government, and is

investigating the cause. people who lead labor unions are sitting with company managers to negotiate wages on employees' behalf. common practice at this time of year in japan. union leaders at one major food manufacturer is bucking the trend by not asking for higher pay. ai joins us now. what are they asking for. >> better hours. the company is ajimoto, soup stock to prepared foods. nhk has learned that executives are expected to cut regular working hours while maintaining base salaries and the arrangement would go into effect from april 2017. the firm's managers and union officials are likely to shake hands on the deal in the near future. the union people say management offered to shorten regular working hours by 20 minutes a day. they say the members wanted that, and other steps to improve their work life balance. the deal would mean employees

would work 80 hours less a year for the same basic pay as before. the personnel say they're going to study reforms aimed at discouraging overtime and raising productivity. executives at major japanese super market chain say they predict an operating loss for the business year through february. it would be their first time to post negative earnings since the company went public in 1972. the ito says operating profits will definitely be in the red. sales of clothing suffered with fierce competition, unusually warm weather from autumn to january dampened the demand for winter items. they once had a reputation for being a money-maker. it topped $700 million in current terms. the firm was later delisted

after it came under the wing of 7 and i. check check on markets now. tokyo were down almost 1% right at the hope this morning. they are extending losses in early trade. the nikkei down about 1.5%. at 16,535, weak data, weak trade data out of china has renewed global growth and driving away from risky stocks. stronger yen also weighing on export related issues. let's turn to currencies. investors flocking to the japanese yen. dollar slipped not mid 112 yen levels, and that's where it is right now. the euro is trading in a tight range at around $1, now in the upper end of $1.09. this is ahead of the european central bank meeting on thursday. policymakers to come up with more stimulus measures.

oil prices stepped back from a recent rebound. crude futures dropped to the mid $36 per barrel on tuesday. that is on a build-up in u.s. stockpiles. and at other markets across the asia pacific region, a bit of a mixed picture with the kospi just a touch in the negative. australian shares are posting gains, up just about 0.5%. if the union decides to leave, it could -- mark carney was speaking about a referendum in june, about whether britain should say in the e.u. >> there could be lower levels of activity, because of the degree of uncertainty that could affect investment and household spending. >> he also said a number of financial institutions have discussed plans publicly and privately to move abroad if the

british people decide to leave the e.u. foreign workers are proving to be a welcome edition to japan's shrinking work force. the in demand hospitality and resources. nhk reports. >> reporter: this japanese style inn, a hot spring resort near tokyo. t taiw taiwan, studied just three months ago. he proved popular with guests.

he was a valuable and essential employee. he helped with check in by showing guests around and servicing rooms. >> i studied japanese at school, so i want to look for translation work or office work. >> he left after finding another job. his employers found another taiwan worker to replace him temporarily. so they have to look again soon. >> translator: it's hard to find taiwan employees for the demand for farm workers is high. i'm worried about it. >> some retailers are hiring foreigners as regular employees, so they can stay on long-term. this cosmetics firm has a branch in tokyo's upscale district.

there are four sales clerks, and two of them are regular employees. the company initially hired foreigners as interpreters on temporary contracts, but many left after a short time. some of the international employees were put on the regular payroll. they receive the same training and promotion opportunities as local hires. >> translator: i can learn a lot from training sessions. i'm pleased. i hope i can serve our customers better. >> armed with better product knowledge, the foreign salesclerk are boosting business. >> translator: i would like this. >> this chinese customer is looking for a skin lotion that was recommended by a friend. some products are so popular, through word of mouth, that

sales soar until the items are out of stock. at this store, well trained sales representatives recommend add-on purchases. they suggest other items that promise to produce better results. >> translator: i'll take these. >> the customer buys the lotions she was looking for. along with a foundation. her purchase shows how regular foreign employees are selling a wider variety of-i items. >> translator: the sales was informative. >> >> translator: sales are not just telling products, they're serving customers. that's an essential part of our business. >> foreign workers are proving to be struggling businesses,

meeting targets and bringing greater die vie greater d greater vifrsty. latest in business news. i'm loof y i'll leave you with a check on markets. malaysian government officials have released a report on the search for the aircraft

that vanished two years ago tuesday. no fresh clues to the plane's sight. already angry over progress into the investigation into the 239 missing people. dozens of family members gathered in beijing to call for the search to continue. more than 150 chinese nationals were on the plane. the relatives chanted slogans and demanded a new investigation. this man's daughter is among the missing. he said the >> eight areas are being looked into including the plane's maintenance and crew profiles. some suggested that the pilots may have crashed the jet deliberately. part of the wing was found last year on the island of reunion in the indian ocean, but the flight recorder has not yet been found. search operations in that ocean

are expected to end by midyear. vietnam has opened a major port facility at a naval base facing the south china sea. the country aims to use the facility to keep china in check by hosting u.s. and japanese festivals more frequently. an inauguration ceremony was held on tuesday in the country's south. president sun suggested the port is very important in ensuring the country's defense and achieving peace and stability in the region. details of the new facility have not been disclosed, but sources say, it features two piers, base are expected to be built later. it will become the country's largest port. it's a strategic location and the vietnamese most important

base. south china sea over which the country has territorial disputes with china. leading candidate in the philippines presidential election is still in contention aft supreme court ruled she is permitted to keep running. senator grace poe's eligibility was called into question because she spent much of her life in the united states. >> translator: i'm relieved, but had is only the thought. we have much to do. and there is now big opening for us to get to work. >> poe was disqualified by the election commission at the end of last year. it said she failed to meet the minimum requirements of ten years residency in the country. she filed a lawsuit challenging the ruling and on tuesday, the supreme court voted 9-6 in her

favor. she is one of four major candidates, former interior secretary jojas, from an opposition party is also running, and a powerful mayor, rodrigo entered the race in december. they're neck in neck. they'll face various challenges, including tackling poverty and the security situation in the south china sea. afghanistan, a radio station devoted to women's rights resumed broadcast for international women's day on tuesday. the station is based out of ka in. du. taliban insurgents attacked the city. it means beauty. it's offices were stormed and its equipment stolen when the taliban captured the northern

city in september. the station aims to educate women about their rights. it's owner told listeners she wouldn't give up. >> translator: women need to have rights in all walks of life. they can learn how to reach their goals by listening to the radio. they can use our guidance, which we offer women, so they can participate in society, and be educated. we have different programs encouraging women and showing them ways to move forward. >> the station is able to reach up to 800,000 listeners, radio is a powerful media in a country where the literacy is only the spring grand sumo tournament kicks off on sunday. he is hoping steal the limelight.

runnerup in the last tournament with a 12-3 record. that result propelled him back to the third highest rank of seqewawi. they asked him about his hopes for the upcoming tournament. >> on day 13 of the last tournament, he was up against champion, who was so far unbeaten. he won the match, keeping himself in contention for the championship. but he went on to take the tournament title, then he lost, the only blip otherwise perfect record. these two have been rivals and friends since they were in junior high school. they both turned pro at the same time in 2002 and their intense rivalry has continued. he won 12 of 15 bouts and

received the outstanding performance award. >> translator: for me, it left lots of good memories. of course, i was disappointed. i didn't win it. but it was an excellent tournament. >> how did you feel during that bought against him? >> translator: his initial charge was so powerful, and i knew he was aiming to finish me off quickly. but i was set on winning too. and i was thrilled when i did. >> he is known for his fierce, speedy fighting style. he is also beaten much larger opponents. he is making a brief return to his hometown, but he has no time to relax, as his schedule is filled with autograph sessions and welcome back receptions. he is very popular, because he

is always cheerful and loves interacting with the fans. he also found time to visit his home. his father has had a big influence on his son's career in sumo. he encouraged his son to join while he was in elementary school. he quickly became a standout while he was in junior high school, he won the national championship. >> translator: last year, he kept dropping down in the ranking and the two of us talked about him retiring, but he hung in there and in the january tournament, he did really well. >> at the end of the last month, i visited the place that helped turn him to what he is today. sumo club, since 2011, he has been holding an annual sumo tournament here. his aim is to encourage more

children to take up the >> translator: i want to become even more powerful than him. >> the main thing i learned here was to enjoy sumo. of course, the training was rigorous, but it helped me to love sumo. >> he is 32 now, and he is a seasoned veteran with 14 years under his belt as a pro. but he is still setting goals for himself. starting with the upcoming march tournament. >> translator: i'll be going all out to secure my record and take it from there. if i can secure my rank then i can set higher goals for the rest of 2016. >> going back to his hometown

has reinvigorated ahead of the tournament. keep your eye on him, because he is still hungry for success. nhk world. looking forward to sunday. time now for a check of the weather. people in tokyo seeing gray skies today. it likes like rain is in the forecast. robert speta tells us what to expect. >> yes, and actually as we go through the rest of the wednesday out here, these cloudy skies will be changing to precipitation across central areas of japan, even snowfall in some of the higher elevations. all that cloud cover coming in, you really cannot miss this. already looking at thunderstorms and japanese islands, also moving towards west. gusty winds heavy snowfall, a lot of people seeing the precipitation out here today. the whole system will continue to track off the northeast,

tokyo by the afternoon into the evening hours. you're going to be looking at the heavier rainfall as we go into thursday morning. clear skies pour in behind, but it is going to be colder. we have high pressure dominating northeastern areas of china, that's where the cooler air is coming from. clearer, but cooler. by the end of the week, temperatures going to be dropping down and maybe by friday morning, you might see a mix of rain and snow. something to look out for. southern areas of china, you do have the bprecipitation, foggy in the morning hours. taipei, back towards the north, minus 12, definitely still chillily out there. iran, pakistan, towards northern india, we have low pressure, the whole entire trough which had

been lingering here. developing, picking up moisture, thursday and friday, this is going to bring a threat of flash flooding. thunderstorms across northern india, new delhi, thunderstorms in the forecast, high of 30, while back into pakistan, looking at those partly cloudy skies before the low works its way in by friday as well. farther towards west once again, we'll see what's going on here, to the british isles, southwest towards london, winds of 80 to 90 kilometers, gusts over 100 per kilometer, continuing to push through before it dives towards the southeast on thursday, rolls off there. bringing that wet precipitation across parts of france. north, we could see some snow

across the foothills of scotland. temperatures, definitely cooling off. london with a high of 8. similar conditions into paris, thunderstorms expected, while moscow, you are above the freezing point. high of 5. we have some rain fall expected out there. let's wrap things up here into the americas. we have your yas of low pressure swirling across mexico, snowfall against, northwest once again, improving conditions there, same storm brought that precipitation earlier this week. shifts off towards the northeast, looking at the chance of severe thunderstorms in part gs s of oklahoma, texas, afternoon hours, threat of tornadoes. here is the extended outlook.

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

king coal. who's still financing it? many major investment funds are pulling their money out. in kenya, we engage with elephants and find out why they need special protection. but first we report from north africa, where people in tunisia are growing increasingly frustrated. reporter: the people of tunisia are taking to the streets again. five years ago, this was the birthplace of the arab spring, with mass civil unrest directed at the government for its mishandling of the economy. there was so much hope that things would change after the fall of the regime. but today, there are still too