hello, welcome to nhk "newsline." it is tuesday, december 13th, 10:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. syrian government forces say they've seized near-total control of the northern city of aleppo. syria's russia-backed military stepped up its offensive to retake the city from opposition forces in november. the syrian observatory for human rights says some 97% of areas once held by opposition forces have been seized. a resident of a besieged area told nhk via online message that government forces are closing in on his neighborhood.

>> russian defense officials say more than 2,200 opposition fighters have laid down their arms. the fight for aleppo appears to be in its final stages. the u.s. has strongly condemned russia, which backs the regime of president bashar al assad. >> despite our best diplomatic efforts to reduce the violence and increase the flow of humanitarian assistance, the assad government, backed by the russians, continues to try to bomb innocent civilians. >> he emphasized the u.s. will continue to make diplomatic efforts but added he's not optimistic. the syrian civil war has raged for six years. the besieged city of aleppo has endured months of intense bombardment that has created a humanitarian crisis. antonio gutierrez has been

sworn in as the next secretary-general of the united nations. the former prime minister of portugal pledged to tackle global challenges. >> already humanitarian and development efforts will be insignificant without the active involvement of member states and the contributions of civil society. >> his five-year term will begin on january 1st next year. guterres previously served as u.n. high commissioner for refugees. he is swearing-in came as the general assembly pays tribute to the outgoing secretary-general. ban ki-moon is stepping down after ten years in office. south korean media reporting ban is eyeing the presidency in his home country. guterres will be taking on a full plate when he assumes his duties. observers say he will have a hard time with some issues because of the next u.s. president. donald trump appears to be heading for hardline policies on immigration and global warming. >> i believe it is with truth that i need to engage with all governments in the world. and of course also with the next

government of the united states. showing a clear will to cooperate in relation to the enormous challenges that we'll be facing together. >> numerous armed conflicts, terrorism, shortages of food and water, are among the other challenges facing the international community. european union officials have decided to fine some japanese companies for colluding to fix prices. ai uchida joins us from the business desk. what kind of product are we talking about here? >> catherine, eu officials looked at rechargeable lithium ion batteries, for example, those used in mobile devices. they say they have fined three japanese electronicsmakers a total of more than $170 million. european commission officials say sony, panasonic, and sanyo were involved in a cartel from 2004 to 2007, violating the eu's anti-trust rules. sanyo was later acquired by panasonic. the officials say sony is to pay

30 million euros, panasonic 39 million, and sanyo 97 million. the officials said samsung sdi of south korea was also involved, but they want the company will not be subject to a fine because it revealed the existence of the cart sell. cartel. charlie sheen china, new car sales in november mark the sixth consecutive month of double-digit growth on the back of government stimulus measures. that has already brought the total for this year to a new record high with one month remaining. the country's association of automakers says manufacturers sold nearly 3 million cars in the country in november. that's up 16.5% from a year earlier. sales of small cars continued to soar thanks to tax breaks and demand for sport utility vehicles remained strong among people looking for upgrades. as a result, total sales for the 11 months through november came

to almost 25 million vehicles. >> translator: growth for 2016 as a whole will likely top 10%. even if sales fall in december. >> but some people in the industry have expressed concern that sales growth might slow down sharply in 2017. as a reason they cited the termination of government tax breaks at the end of this year. let's check on markets now. tokyo stocks did open lower this morning. many investors are booking profits from recent gains and the a stronger yen, that's also weighing on market sentiment. taking a look at where the nikkei is trading right now, we can see that it is still in negative territory, down just about .20%. transporters like shipping companies, they are lower on higher oil prices and financials are down ahead of the u.s. federal reserve's policy meeting. on the currency markets, the

dollar keeps slipping below the 115 yen level. on monday it had hit 116 yen for the first time since early february. right now it's at the upper end of 114 and the lower end of 115. many traders are cautious about the outcome of the fed meeting, even though analysts say the market has almost fully priced in a rate hike. let's turn to markets open now across the asia-pacific. and we are seeing modest gains elsewhere. seoul's kospi up .1%. same goes for sydney's benchmark index. china markets will open in just under half an hour. a japanese survey shows that the labor productivity of the country's service industry is half that of the united states. the difference between the two countries has slightly widened from where it stood in the late 1990s. labor productivity is an index showing the quantity of goods and services a worker produces within a given time period.

the japan productivity center says japan's service industry had an index of 50% against a base of 100, defined as that of a worker in the u.s. by industry the restaurant and hotel sector stood at 34%. the wholesale and retail sector at 38%. meanwhile, labor productivity of japan's manufacturing industry was 70%. an official who led the compilation of the statistics says japan's service industry fails to adopt new technology and to sell products effectively. still, japan's work culture is that of long hours. so long that some people actually die from it. there's even a word for it in japanese, karoshi, literally means "death by overwork." it's in the spotlight like never before as government and businesses rethink decades-old labor practices.

nhk world's john ladue went to see some of the trail blazing firms that lead the way. >> reporter: the city of sakura lies an hour and a half by train from tokyo. 42-year-old somia used to commute to his tokyo office every day. but not anymore. since july, his company implemented a system they call work from anywhere, anytime. somia works for a consumer goods company and plans distribution strategies for asia. he's now using video conferencing to coordinate with clients and he's able to spend the three hours he was commuting on his work. >> translator: with this extra time that i have, i'm able to complete unfinished work. i can better focus and concentrate on my work now. >> reporter: 16% of companies in japan don't require their employees to come to office. what's unique about someya's

firm is it doesn't limit the number of days out of office, nor set a gocore working time. so he can be there for his three kids when they get back from school, even when his wife is working at her office. >> translator: having my husband at home is very helpful. he now spends more time with the kids and he's much more engaged with the family. >> reporter: the company someya works for notes that 70% of employees report an increased productivity. overtime decreased 10%. >> we wanted to provide the choices and a flexibility with employees. we know and we believe that people know how to get them engaged. >> reporter: an increasing number of japanese workers are looking for a career where they can still have a life. some firms have found success

carrying enough high-skeletal lent by offering an environment with healthy work/life balance. this system development company began the smart work challenge system 20 years ago. they rewarded bonuses to employees who kept their overtime to 20 hours. according to a recruitment company survey, i.t. firms in japan reported overtime of up to 63 hours a month. employees at this firm are required to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30. those who kept their overtime under one hour a day are offered a bonus of about $500 a month. but the company couldn't achieve the target their first year. officials sent letters to clients asking for their understanding, that the company would proactively decrease overtime and mandate employees use all their paid holidays. they also reviewed one by one the work flow of the departments that failed to meet the goals. last year they were finally able

to average 18 hours of overtime for their 7,300 employees. the success also benefited recruitment. >> translator: because we've been known as an i.t. a company aiming for a healthy work/life balance, we're receiving more and more applications. >> reporter: many in japan still suffer from an unchanged cutthroat workload. over 200 people from the public and private sectors gathered at a labor reform event to discuss how to overhaul japan's deeply rooted overwork culture. the event organizers created a petition urging the government to create new laws banning unlimited working hours. in one month, more than 40,000 people have signed the petition. nishikawa, an expert on labor reform, says the key to change lies in utilizing japanese firms' tendencies to echo one another's moves. >> translator: japanese business leaders closely watch and mimic

one another so the government should take the lead and create a law that puts a limit on overtime. >> reporter: japanese prime minister shinzo abe is considering submitting a new law by next march which would place legal limits on overtime hours. but if japan is to be truly successful, business leaders will need to make a collective decision to move forward together. john ladue, nhk world, tokyo. that's the latest in business for this hour. i'll leave you with a check on markets.

on to other stories we're following. japanese legal experts believe the southern prefecture of okinawa is about to lose a legal battle with the central government. they say japan's highest court will likely uphold a ruling against okinawa in a lawsuit over a u.s. base relocation. the case involves the okinawa governor's decision to revoke a landfill permit. tokyo's plan is to use the permit to build an alternate facility for the u.s. marine corps futenma air station. the supreme court will issue a ruling on the case on december 20th without a hearing. justices typically hold a hearing when they reverse a lower court ruling. >> translator: it is regrettable that a ruling will be delivered without hearing okinawa's position. >> translator: the central government and okinawa should abide by the ruling in good

faith after it is delivered. >> okinawa appealed to the supreme court after a high court ruled in september that revoking the permit was illegal. the court said the relocation plan is the only option to address a noise pollution problem. onaga has indicated he will try every possible measure to stop the relocation. this year's nobel winners gathered in stockholm over the weekend to accept their prizes. among them was japanese biologist yoshinori ohsumi for the category of physiology or medicine. his acceptance speech focused less on his achievements and more on the future of science. >> reporter: at 71 years of age, yoshinori ohsumi is ready to accept the most prestigious award in his field, but the humble scientist proves that some things never change.

♪ >> reporter: the nobel prize award ceremony was arguably more intimidating than a school performance. it was held at a concert hall on the 120th anniversary of founder alfred nobel's death and was attended by the swedish royal family. ohsumi was recognized for discovering how human cells break down and recycle themselves. the process, known as autophagy, opens up new possibilities for new treatment for illnesses including cancer and parkinson's disease. a nobel committee member praised ohsumi's work. >> professor ohsumi, your

groundbreaking research has solved a longstanding enigma in biology and revealed mechanisms for how our cells recycle components and combat disease. ♪ >> reporter: he then received his medal and certificate from the king of sweden. that evening, 1,300 people gathered for the nobel buffet. ohsumi made light of his years of his years. it all started with a jest. >> i would like to take this opportunity to note my appreciation for many wonderful gifts from the east. perhaps my favorite of all being sake and liquor.

>> reporter: while in sweden, ohsumi also gave a lecture at the home of nobel assembly, the karolinska institute. he took a moment to share a personal memory from his post-war childhood. >> this was a very challenging time in japan, and everyone had difficulty getting basic daily necessities, including food. i myself suffered severe malnutrition and was a very sickly child. >> reporter: and he encouraged his successors. >> my message for young people, you had better keep your -- that my main message for young friends, my hope is that as

society itself enjoys science as one of the culture. that's a very important point. i always say it shouldn't be hard to get the application. you had better enjoy the science as a culture. that's my opinion. >> reporter: ohsumi has been calling for the need of support for the next generation of scientists, and he's already taken action. he says he's going to donate his prize money to support young creative researchers at his university in tokyo. a russian engineer is looking at the future of transportation on his island north of japan. for him it means building on the past. he's considering the many japanese who constructed sakhalin's first railroads, and he's trying to find a way to honor that past as the times change.

>> reporter: this railway spans the island of sakhalin. this 800-kilometer-line was built by japanese more than 100 years ago and is still an important means of transport. >> translator: it's faster, it's safer, and more reliable than riding a bus or driving. >> reporter: in 1905 japan gained sovereignty over the island of sakhalin and it controlled the territory for the next 40 years. construction of the railway began in 1906. it soon became a lifeline for the thousands of japanese who migrated to the island. 40-year-old leonid hoshiyama is in charge of track maintenance and construction. >> translator: we still use the infrastructure created by the japanese because of its high quality. i like my job.

i'm responsible for the safety of the railway. >> reporter: one stop on the line is the town of tomori. hoshiyama was born here to a japanese father and russian mother. his father was the son of a japanese settler who arrived to help develop the island. he worked for a company that transported building materials. >> translator: my father often told me that the japanese built the railways, tunnels, and bridges in this town. >> reporter: about 11,000 japanese people lived in tomori before world war ii. hoshiyama grew up among the shinto shrines and factories built by the new settlers. >> translator: i used to jump into the river from that bridge, which was built by the japanese. i feel like japan is a part of me. >> reporter: now more japanese tourists are visiting sakhalin.

they like to ride the train to experience its history. >> translator: this dates back to when japanese lived here. it's very moving. >> translator: i'm imagining what the japanese immigrants felt seeing this landscape. >> reporter: hoshiyama is now in charge of a new project to rebuild the railroads. workers are widening the tracks to accommodate larger trains. these trains will be able to carry machinery and materials for energy projects under way in the region. but that will mean replacing the regional japanese track. >> translator: i'm reluctant to see it disappear. but times change. and we must move forward. it will look different. but i'm still proud of the railway my ancestors built.

>> reporter: the old railway is reaching the end of the line. but for many years to come, the japan's legacy in sakhalin will roll on. people, including refugees living in camps in parts of turkey and syria, are dealing with bitter cold winter weather. our meteorologist robert speta joins us with more. >> turkey and across northern areas of syria, we have a storm system coming through right now. you can see in our satellite picture the cloud cover moving in from the northwest really dominating much of this area. and with that it is bringing widespread precipitation. the rain would be one thing but it's this cold front that is diving in with this. and that is ushering in some sub-zero temperatures. so most of turkey is going to be impacted by snowfall. as we go ahead through the next 24 to 48 hours,er 50 centimeter

localized locations upwards of 100 centimeters in higher elevations. this is big news not only for residents but a lot of refugees in campsites out here across southern areas of turkey. they're going to be looking at snowfall. even down toward the south into aleppo, you may not be being snow there, mountains outside of that city could be seeing it, but subzero temperatures with damaged infrastructure across this area. this is definitely going to be a big impact once that front pushes by. you can see 9 for your high tuesday. thunderstorms. but by the time thursday roll arizona round, minus 2. excuse me, not the high, the low. minus 2 for your overnight low. farther toward the southeast into baghdad, typically whenever you think of this area you're thinking of warmer temperatures. subzero temperatures as well heading through the end of the week. so fairly potent winter storm out here towards southeastern europe. that cold air doesn't just impact that area. even back towards the north we

are looking at rather chilly temperatures across much of central and eastern europe. moscow with a high, not a low, of minus 10. warsaw at minus 2. vienna at the freezing point for your daytime high on tuesday. back towards the west, a little bit warmer into london, but you're going to be looking at scattered showers heading through your tuesday out here. if we take a look here across japan, i also want to mention our storm system moving overhead. we have a low back toward the north. that is bringing some wet snowfall across parts of hokkaido, about 20 centimeters possible. it's down towards the southwest where we have another storm system kind of on the tail end of this. same upper-level feature. it has a lot of energy with it. it's going to be bringing widespread showers through most of japan. basically if you're in tokyo, your evening commute tuesday and your morning commute wednesday, have rain gear with you. shikoku is going to be the heaviest precipitation, upwards of 200 millimeters possible in a

few isolated areas. tuesday's high in tokyo 13. shanghai a high of 14. the cold spot on the map, e ulaanbaat ulaanbaatar, minus 13. talk about some chilly temperatures out there for you. we are still watching some storm system that brought widespread snowfall across the great lakes the last several days. now moving off toward eastern canada. parts of 94 scope of, even over towards newfoundland, you're going to be looking at some wintry precipitation. it's behind it, that's the big topic through the rest of the week. we have cold polar air plunging in from northern areas of canada and temperatures are going to be dropping. take a look at the four-day outlook. chicago, minus 9 for your low. but minus 16 by thursday. dropp subzero. also in atlanta you might think, i'm in georgia, far enough south, it shouldn't be impacting too much. minus 3 for your low there by friday. i'll leave you with your extended outlook.

we have one more story to share with you before we go. you may not realize it but you could be carrying around some modern art. to see it all you have to do is

look at your phone or you can check out the museum of modern art's new emoji exhibition in new york. the museum added the original set of 176 emoji to its permanent collection. the pictograms made their debut in 1999 for japanese mobile provider mtt dokomo. it has a way to express emotions on the limited screen space of mobile devices. >> it's fun because you have a lot of feelings. you can translate to your friends. >> a collection specialist at the museum says the designs changed the behavior of people around the world. >> every continent in the world is losing using these, being used by every language. we love the beginning of this with a small, local story in japan and then goes global and does something completely different. >> the exhibition starts saturday and runs until late winter. that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline."

thanks very much for join us.x0

vo: and here's your host meggin leigh. narrator: hi, everyone and welcome to our highlights show, with the best picks of the week. coming up on the program: why andreas krolik is germany's chef of the year. german roots. why the queen's christmas tree comes from bavaria how to make miniature worlds from old books. for the past couple of years, the movement towards a vegan diet has been growing. that basically means no meat, fish, dairy or any other animal products. i personally would not be able to survive, but for others it's become a way of life. and now the gourmet restaurant