hello there, welcome to nhk "newsline." it's wednesday, november 30th, at 10:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the japanese government plans to scrap a troubled nuclear reactor. mon ju is a prototype fast-breed reactor, it's run for 250 days since it began operations in 1994, because of safety problems. officials say resuming operations would be too costly. they estimate the decommissioning will take 30 years, and retrieving spent nuclear fuel will take at least five and a half years. they've gathered research for the next phase, which is to develop a demonstration reactor. they'll make a final decision on the fate of the reactor next

month. a giant steel structure has been completed to confine radioactive substances at the sites of the chernobyl nuclear accident in ukraine. the arch is 108 meters call, and 257 meters wide. the cost of construction was about $1.6 billion. those vflds in the construction say the arch will be able to contain radioactive materials for 100 years. workers will continue the task of retrieving nuclear fuel from the reactor. [ applause ] >> translator: i hope the bond between the international community and ukraine will be maintained. >> japan's ambassador to ukraine spoke as the representative of the group of seven nations.

the facility was built with aid from the g7 and other members of the international community. >> we think that the completion of the new safe confinement, in the 30th year since the c catastrophe is a significant achievement to provide a stable and environmentally safe condition. >> in april 1986, a nuclear reactor at the chernobyl plant exploded during a test run, releasing huge amounts of radioactive materials. the reactor was later coveredby a concrete and metal structure, called a sarcophagus, to enclose radioactive substances. but concerns were growing that they would leak from the abelging structur ure south korea's opposition party are considering how to proceed with an impeachment motion against president park guen-hye. park says she'll step down before her term expires in february 2018 over an influence peddling scandal.

>> translator: if ruling and opposition party lawmakers discuss and come up with a plan to minimize confusion and the vacuum in state affairs that will lead to the stable transfer of the government, i will resign as president in accordance with the schedule and legal procedures of that plan. >> park on tuesday made her third address to the public since the scandal involving people close to her surfaced. she took responsibility for the scandal but said any decision she made was for the public good and not for her own benefit. the three opposition parties criticized park's address as insincere. they had been aiming to hold a vote on the motion on friday. >> translator: her address was meant to stir the impeachment process into confusion. it was fakery aimed at reject -- rejecting the motion. >> the om zition needs 28 votes for the motion to pass and

they're hoping lawmakers not close to park would be on board. but those members now suggest all parties should hold talks and delay a vote until next week. representatives from the opposition parties are meeting wednesday to discuss what to do. analysts say they have two options. the first is to respect the ruling party's wish, and hold talks to allow the president to resign honorably. the second option is to reject such talks and continue to seek support from anti-park saenuri members to pass the motion. japan's foreign minister says he will continue efforts to host the three-way meeting of the leaders of japan, china and south korea. >> translator: there's no change in our plan to try to host the summit by the end of the year as the chair. >> kishida said he should not comment on south korea's internal affairs, but he said it's important for the governments of japan and south korea to follow up on their agreement regarding those referred to as wartime comfort women.

the two countries have agreed to settle the issue finally and irreversibly. under the agreement, a south korean foundation is providing financial aid to former comfort women using funds provided by japan. aviation authorities are rushing to analyze black boxes they've retrieved from a plane crash in colombia. the charter jet was carrying 81 people, including members of a brazilian soccer team. there are six survivors. the plane took off from bolivia and went down in a mountainous region of colombia, near the city of medellin. crews have so far recovered 72 bodies from the site and they're working to identify them. authorities suspect the plane had electrical problems. they're analyzing the communication log and other flight data recorded in the black boxes. members of breazil's chapecoens

soccer team were on board, on their way to play in the finals on wednesday. this video was posted monday on facebook. among those on board was the team's coach who once coached a japanese soccer team. everton kempis was also a passenger, he used to play for japan's professional soccer league. the two names are not included in the list of survivors' names. taiwanese coast guard officials held drills on a disputed island in the south china sea. the island is controlled by taiwan. ch china, the fiphilippines and vietnam claim it. they conducted the drill in the spratly island chain. ships and helicopters were deployed to simulate the rescue of a crew of a foreignship that had caught fire. coast guard practiced providing first aid and emergency airlifts to taiwan. taiwan has been increasing its presence on the island and has

built a runway there. >> translator: there's no doubt that taiwan has sovereignty over the south china sea islands. >> back in july, a tribunal in the hague ruled that it's a rock, not an island. this means taiwan is not entitled to having an exclusive economic zone. the ruling has drawn anger among taiwanese. in business headlines, oil is taking center stage this wednesday. representatives from the world's major petroleum producers are gathering in vienna to discuss what they can do to reverse the trend of falling prices. ai uchida joins us now. what's on the agenda? >> representatives will be going into this meeting hoping they can come out of it with specific production quotas for each member of the organization of petroleum exporting countriess. they did agree in september to limit output, but opec hadn't worked out the details, so they're hoping to do that at this meeting. if they're successful, it would lead to the first output cap in

eight years. officials from countries like saudi arabia, iran, and iraq, will discuss quotas for 12 of the 14 members. nigeria and libya are excluded because unstable political situations there have led to lower production. the likely focal point will be iran. the country has been planning to increase output following the lifting of sanctions by western countries. analysts say iran has been offended by saudi arabia's demand to curb production and some wonder if this will get in the way of a final agreement. opec has been asking non-member countries like russia to adjust production levels too. well, ahead of the meeting, the benchmark crude oil futures fell sharply. back in september when they reached the agreement to cap out. and it's nowpped to the $45 level. tokyo stocks and currencies are showing jittery movement.

in asian trading hours, wti futures is bouncing back a bit after falling nearly 5% overnight. iran and iraq, two of the three biggest opec producers are reported to be resisting pressure to reduce output. let's take a look at stocks in tokyo. the nikkei average is moving without clear direction, trading up by .2%. 18,341. oil r-related shares are showing a mixed picture so far. let's turn to currency levels. the dollar is showing no clear direction. after going above the 113 yen level overnight, it's now hovering at the 112 ian level. earlier many traders bought the dollar on the strong revised gdp. showing the u.s. economy growing at the fastest pace in more than two years. in the asia pacific region, seoul's kospi is trading higher, but australia is trading lower. china markets will open in just under half an hour.

japan's largest business group is planning to renew its call for members to hike wages next year. the japan business federation will be making the proposal for the fourth straight year. it's contained in a draft policy the group will use for annual wage negotiations with labor unions in the spring. the draft says profitable companies should seriously consider giving their workers annual raises. they're proposing several options. one is an allowance to help employees take care of aging family members. another is hiking benefits to raising children. the group is also urging employers to cut working hours without reducing monthly pay. k don and officials are hoping to have further discussions on how high raises should be. the officials will consider that a growing number of japanese businesses are expected to post lower profits due to slowdowns in emerging economies. now on the labor side, the japan

trade union confederation plans to demand a 2% increase in basic pay. japan's industrial output in october was up for the third straight month. officials at the economy ministry say the number last month stood at 98.5 against a base of 100 in 2010. that's up 0.1% from september. the official site higher production of electronic devices. they've released their forecast on the index, predicting growth of 4.5% in november, but a con traction of 0.6% in december. the islamic fashion industry has taken off in recent years. modest fashion represents a booming market around the world and designers are looking for new ways to add colors, prints, and textures to conservative clothing. nhk world's jenny lin looks at how japanese textiles are getting in on the trend.

>> reporter: covered up and stylish. this is the first ever muslim fashion show in japan. the aim is to introduce islamic culture through women's wear. designers from southeast asia are here to show case their latest looks. they come from countries whose increasingly prosperous muslim women want clothing that blends religious requirements with cutting edge style. >> translator: it's so chic. >> translator: the designs are very modern. >> reporter: modesty is key in muslim fashion, but as the growing demand for more patterns and designs, some designers are turning to traditional japanese fabric for inspiration. singapore designer lin syrah ga is one of them. the quality and variety of japanese textiles caught her eye, and she has created a collection of turbines using kimono fabric. >> for me, yeah, i'm looking

something a bit flowery kind of fabric and a bit hot fabric, because cannot find in singapore. >> reporter: kimono textiles are gaining popular in southeast asia for their colorful prints. but designers say availability of the fabric outside japan is still limited. she's in japan to show her work and seek out new materials. at a fashion event, a dressmaker, who creates modern pattern designs printed on traditional kimono fabric, shows her a portfolio of available patterns. with help from the japanese dressmaker, syrah ga now hopes to start experimenting with her own custom-made prints. >> we must be have clear in our design. and new idea and new fashion in the market, so that we can go

very far. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: textile makers are also eyeing the islamic fashion market. this headscarf may look like regular cloth, but it's actually an innovative material that's perfect for hot and humid regions. japanese washi paper. the paper cloth was developed by a local manufacturer. it starts out as rolled sheets of fine washing. the paper is then cut into ultra thin strips. these are twisted thousands of times to make a soft but durable thread. thanks to the natural features of washi, the wonch fabric has anti-odor, sweat aacoshing, and uv-blocking properties which make them perfect for muslim women in hot regions. they're now collaborating with a clothing brand in malaysia to develop a range of head skafrs.

they get feedback from local muslim women and link up with the factory to modify the material according to their requirements. >> translator: we need to make sure it stretches more. >> translator: we'll try to add some elasticity. >> translator: there's been rapid economic growth in southeast asia. so we see the value of targeting the islamic clothing industry in the region. the global markets for muslim fashion is expanding rapidly. and japanese textile makers are eager to ride the boom. jenny lin, nhk world, tokyo. >> and i will have more for you next hour in business. here's another check on markets. ♪ ♪

>> on to other stories we're following this hour. thailand has begun the process of naming a new king. its apartmeparliament has invit crown prince to ascend the throne. parliament approved the ascension of the king's only son tuesday in a special >> the crown prince must accept

the invitation before ascending the throne. the president of the thai parliament will likely receive a royal audience within days and a proclamation will follow. >> translator: i'm happy. i hope the crown prince will carry on the late king's achievements. >> translator: i think thai people will support the new king, whoever he will be. the strong bond between king and citizens will never change. >> translator: the king reigned for seven decades and died last month at age 88, immersing the country into a one-year period of mourning. the crown prince can only be formally crowned after the king's cremation which will take place next year. cambodian mine clearing experts have launched an effort for their counterparts in iraq. they've become a source of

knowledge for other countries affected by land mines. trainees from iraq, including the autonomous kurdish region, visited battambang province in northwestern cambodia and watched a minefield being cleared using machinery and dogs. and they were briefed on efforts to build roads and other infrastructure in mine-free areas. >> translator: their work is very well organized and planned. each of their teams conducted their work in a brilliant way. >> the activity is important for them. they will have to develop the technology. i think it's a necessity for them. >> cambodia was littered with land mines and unexploded bombs, a bitter legacy of decades of civil war that lasted until the 1990s. these days the country has a reputation as a world leader in the dangerous work of mine-clearing. the japan international cooperation agency has been assisting. there's said to be more than 10

million land mines planted across iraq. removing them is one of the hardest challenges the government faces. next, a report about a japanese college student learning to make artificial limbs. she understands their value to patients because she uses one herself. nhk world reports. >> reporter: she's a fourth year student at the medical and welfare university in the city of niigata. she was born with a left arm that ends at the elbow. despite that and because of it, she's learning to become a pros theitivity. a person who makes artificial arms and legs. >> translator: here's the mold for the leg. >> reporter: in october, she won the top prize in a competition for assistive product ideas held

in tokyo. her idea was an artificial arm with an easy just for length. >> reporter: i want to understand people who feel like giving up. and as a pros the tist, i aim to come up with products they can use. >> in high school, she was on the track team and planned to become a sports nutritionist. she changed her mind at a college recruiting event, where she heard of a program to train pros the tists. >> translator: i made the decision in an instant and chose my major. >> reporter: she rarely uses a prosthetic arm in daily life. having grown used to her natural arm, she doesn't experience it as an inconvenience. in college, though, she found that certain tasks required two

hands. >> translator: i couldn't do some things because i had to use two hands. for instance, holding an object in one hand and hitting it with the other. at first, i'd ask my friends for help, but my teacher told me that was wrong. they insisted i had to be able to do the job myself. i got the point. >> reporter: her own condition gave her insight into the difficulties others might be facing. >> translator: usually you'd make an arm the same length as the patient's other one. but sometimes that's not ideal. i thought, why not make the length adjustable? >> reporter: so she did. the shoulder muscles move the end part. a mechanism allows it to expand and contract. she's used to her left arm being short, so, for detail work, she

shortens the prosthetic. she makes it longer when working with potentially dangerous high temperatures, to maintain a safe distance. her own needs have given rise to ideas for a host of functions. that taught her what might be useful to others. >> translator: of course the natural way is for both arms to be the same. but i want people to realize that different lengths can be beneficial too. >> reporter: sasaki continues to explore new concepts, like a hand designed for efficient bandaging. >> translator: i had felt that missing an arm was a negative thing. now i feel it benefits me, as i understand patients better. i want to be a pros the tist who anticipates their needs. >> reporter: anticipating their needs by paying attention to her

own. shinichi noro, nhk world, niigata. >> an amazing and inspiring woman there. a firefighting crew in several u.s. southeast states are battling wildfires. dry and windy conditions aren't helping the situation. robert speta joins us now with more. >> yes, actually over the last several weeks, we have been seeing out here across the southeastern u.s., exceptionally dry conditions. this past week, we had strong southerly winds come through as well. that really fueled the flames for some pretty large wildfires out there. actually, i'll show you some video coming out of tennessee. this was back on monday, and fire really just spread rather quickly due to 120 kilometer per hour winds at times. numerous firefighters out there battling this. it has been confirmed there was three deaths reported in this specific fire.

definitely very dangerous. there has been forced evacuations for several towns out there. they did see some rain on tuesday evening, but overall, not helping incredibly much out here, because the windy continuing are still there, and once the front continues to pass by, we have strong northwesterly winds as well, which are fueling flames. so firefighters have their hands full with these blazes. back to the northeast, i want to mention parts of new england seeing freezing rain today. even a rain-snow mix out there, as the storm system continues to track in that direction. and for ontario, central canada, cold air dipping from the north, bringing snowfall and blizzard conditions in parts of the dakotas, causing some delays out there on the roadways. now, all of this cold air is continuing to sink in from the north, making for some exceptionally chilly

temperatures. winnipeg at zero, oklahoma city around 11. things cool off towards the east. it feels pretty warm in d.c., over towards new york, but they will be getting more much december-like as we go thursday into friday. into nashville, we had some rainfall there across parts of tennessee. it has since cleared up. sunny skies on thursday and friday. toronto, showers all week, cooling off by friday. and in pittsburgh, and how about washington, d.c., 21 for your high on wednesday. once the front pushes by, cooler air comes in. a 10-degree drop heading into your weekend. let's take our attention here across japan. high pressure really dominating today, by the way. it's going to be making for much clearer skies out there. definitely compared to what we were seeing earlier this week. we had some rainfall back on sunday and monday. but now this high pressure is making for much sunnier conditions. not lasting long, though. we do have this troth moving in from the best. that's bringing scattered

showers in northeastern china and across the korean peninsula and eventually into most of western japan, scattered rainfall. even towards taiwan and the southern japanese islands on wednesday before that shifts east. also into tokyo, if you have a commute in tokyo on thursday, do bring an umbrella with you, it's going to be a wet one out there. tokyo with for wednesday, 11, partly cloudy skies. shanghai at 15, taipei, still seeing rainfall there here on your wednesday. all right, that's a look at your world weather. i'll leave you now with your extended outlook. ♪ ♪

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

>> everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of including food, clothing, housing and medical care and the right to security in the event of unemployment sickness, article 25 of the un declaration of human rights: work, wealth, greater equality. how can we make it happen? that's the topic of today's global 3000. we're speeding towards a new era, digital, automated, interconnected. just where are we headed? we're in the midst of a new industrial revolution.