a very warm welcome to nhk "newsline" broadcasting to viewers around the globe. it is 10:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. the justice department has filed its legal arguments to a federal appeals court. it asks the court to reinstate donald trump's restrictions defending them as a lawful exercise of presidential authority. the court has scheduled oral arguments for tuesday. the white house press secretary has told reporters he's confident trump will win. >> clearly the law is on the president's side.

the constitution's on the president's side. he has broad discretion to do what's in the nation's best interest to protect our people. >> last month trump temporarily banned refugees from seven predom naninantly muslim countr. the appeals court dismissed the request asking both sides to file arguments. it says courts should not allow a violation of the constitution. american tech firms are voicing opposition. what are they saying? >> about 100 i.t. firms in the

u.s. have filed a legal brief against trump's temporary travel ban. the companies include apple, google and facebook. they say it violates the immigration laws and the constitution and they are expressing concern that the order will damage the whole i.t. industry. the firms file the brief on sunday with a federal appeals court in california. the brief says the executive order inflicts significant harm on american business, innovation and growth. it says the order disrupts ongoing business operations and threatens company ability to attract talent, business and investment to the united states. immigrants from asia and other parts of the world have long played an important role in the i.t. industry in places like silicon valley and the seattle area. ceos of individual firms have spoken out against the executive order including apple's tim cook and google. let's see what's happening

on the markets. tokyo stock prices did open lower. that's as the yen rose against the dollar dragging down shares. investors are selling the green back as they seek more clarity on how and when president trump will implement his pledges on tax cuts and increased fiscal spending. speculation this the federal reserve is in no hurry to raise rates. the nnikkei is trading lower. a fall in oil prices is weighing on energy related shares. exporters are lower on a stronger yen. let's take a look at that. one dollar will fetch you 111.74. the euro is losing ground as traders are concerned about the rise of far right groups in europe. it fell against the dollar overnight. one euro is at 1.07 and it's

lower against the yen as well. that's at 119.88 we are seeing losses elsewhere as well. china markets open in under half an hour. samsung electronics left a major south korean business lobby group. the federation of korean industries has been criticized for facilitating the cozy relationship between the political and business worlds. samsung group has been caught up in the country's political scandal, for giving money to foundations linked to a close friend of the suspended president. the lobby group also faces

allegations that it pressured samsung to hand over that money. the samsung group is the country's largest conglomerate and south korean media report that it alone accounts for a quarter of the lobby group's membership fees. other companies within the conglomerate are expected to leave the federation and observers say the chances of it surviving are slim. another major electronics conglomerate lg group has already pulled several of its companies out. toyota motor and suzuki motor reached a basic agreement to form a tie-up. they want to boost the competitiveness in the global auto market. they are considering a possible capital alliance. toyota has already agreed to something similar with mazda. toyota is expected to use these partnerships to set global standards for the technologies.

google is teaming up with honda and fiat chrysler. the forming of alliancing is likely to speed up as the development of next generation eco friendly cars and other cutting edge technologies requires huge investment. given that background you might not be surprised to learn this year's consumer electronic show wasn't only about the latest gadgets. some different products took the spotlight. we go do las vegas.

>> reporter: check out toyota's latest concept car. the vehicle uses artificial intelligence to carefully monitor the driver's voice and emotions. >> it looks like you're a bit tired from all your traveling. why don't i drive and you can enjoy the scenery. >> reporter: the vehicle will shift to autonomous mode if it detects the driver is losing concentration. this is honda's self-balancing motorcycle. it uses robotic technology to use safety. a sensor corrects the direction of the front wheel to maintain balance ensuring the motorcycle doesn't topple over. in past years the plain attraction of ces was the unveiling of the newest tv set with the latest bells and whistles like these flat screen tvs nine years ago.

the shows have morph to where visitors can see the latest automobiles complete with the latest technology. increasingly vehicles are being referred to as smartphones on wheels as more companies incorporate into their designs a.i. and the internet of things. technology that connects appliances to the internet. automakers are taking advantage of ces to scout for a highly skilled i.t. engineers. >>ly. nice to meet you. >> reporter: a representative visited company officials from silicon valley to meet with engineers. >> a.i. experts and software technologies are needed around the world. this shows not just about new technology for us, it's an important place to expand our

network and find good human resources. >> reporter: toyota officials are planning to get ahead by increasing their work force in the united states for a.i. development from 150 to 250 people this year. >> it is the life blood of t t.r.i. the most important thing is to hire the right people who are innovative and have a strong background and help us to figure out these difficult problems. >> as far as automobile designers are concerned, the sky is the limit when it comes to breaking barriers in technology and ces is perhaps the best place where one can get a good idea of what lies in stores for cars and for those who drive them. nhk world, las vegas. >> would love to take a spin on those concept cars. that's the latest from biz.

i'll leave you with a check on markets. i will visit washington this week and hold my very first official meeting with president trump. i believe the japan-u.s. alliance is unshakable. i will send a clear message to the world through the meeting.

>> abe also briefed his coalition government on his meeting with u.s. defense secretary jim mattis last week. he said they agreed the japan/u.s. security pact is crucial. in the meeting, mattis made clear that article 5 of the treaty covers the senkaku islands in the east china sea. it says united states is obligated to defend japan. japan controls the islands and the government maintains the islands are an inherent part of its territory. china and taiwan claim them. in japan's southern prefecture of okinawa, work has begun on a long delayed and controversial move of an american marine base in . the plan had been suspended pending legal challenges but in december it was given the go ahead. nhk world has more. >> reporter: protesters clashed with police for the relocation site for u.s. marine corps air station futenma, but the efforts

are in vain. maritime construction has already begun. the waters off henoko contain a wide variety of marine life and coral reefs, but now ships have brought in concrete blocks for a sea barrier to contain muddy water from the work. locals call futenma the world's most dangerous base as it is in the middle of a residential area. and in 2004, a u.s. military helicopter crashed on a college campus. the central and local governments agreed on the need to move the facility but disagreed on where. tokyo wants to put it off the northern okinawan city of nago. but leaders in okinawa want the base moved out of the prefecture altogether. the two sides took the matter to court. last december, the supreme court rejected okinawa's claim.

and the u.s. defense chief pledged to stick to the plan. >> it is the only solution that will enable the united states to return the current marine corps air station at futenma to japan. >> reporter: the mayor of the new host city is angry. >> translator: the central government doesn't treat us as japanese citizens. i can never accept that. >> translator: the construction makes me feel empty. >> translator: i want the base out of okinawa, but we may have to accept the plan in consideration of people around futenma. >> reporter: the central government is committed to carrying out the move. >> translator: i often hear okinawan people are against the project but the heads of

henoko's three districts have clearly expressed their support. with certain conditions. the government is determined to reduce the burden of u.s. bases in okinawa. >> reporter: officials in tokyo want to complete the construction in five years. but the governor of okinawa says he'll take all possible measures to stop the move. yoshitaka hirauchi, nhk world, tokyo. defense ministry officials said at the time they discarded them. now they say the documents have surfaced in a department they hadn't checked before. they took part in a peace keeping mission in south sudan until late last year. during that time local

government and opposition forces were clashing fiercely. many people in japan are concerned about the safety of personnel there. visiting professor said the defense ministry needs to recognize why it's important to properly manage and disclose official documents. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant says it will use the small survey robot to determine conditions inside a crippled reactor. tokyo electric power company says the 10 by 30 centimeter device will shoot video in the reactor's containment vessel. the robot has three cameras. engineers inserted a video camera into the reactor last week. it showed dark material on partially broken metal grating directly beneath the reactor core.

tepco officials are trying to determine whether it is fuel debris. they plan to send their robot in on tuesday to collect more data for further survey. some koreans living in japan are calling on seoul to resolve an issue that has soured relationships between the countries. they're asking their government to remove a controversial statue from in front of a japanese consul late and symbolizes refer to those at wartime comfort women. the unions leader told the minister public opinion in japan has become harsh against south korea since the statue was installed. the statue in question hits in front of the japanese consulate in general. they haven't returned to their post. south korea promised in 2015 to strike a issue over a similar

statue near the japanese embassy in seoul. organizers of the 2020 tokyo summer games have taken officials from around the world on a tour of the competitions venues. representatives from 12 national olympic commits visited the sites for 24 olympic events on sunday. it was the first tour of its kind. delegated notesed the route and distance from one stadium. it's where soccer, rugby and modern events will be held. >> it was very interesting to get to know more details about the concept of the venue distribution here in tokyo. the heritage area particularly interesting with the 1964 venues from the past olympic games, but

also when you go back to the bay area, you can see the modern side of japan and the whole scenery by the water will be very interesting. >> a member of the organizing committee said the international officials are eager to learn more about the venues, four more tours will take place by 2019. and the race is on to choose mascots for the games. the panel in charge of has decided to throw the competition open to everyone. critics complained the way the game's logos were chosen lacked transparency. so the organizing committee brought in outside experts to suggest a new method. participants considered holding a competition among selected designers, or limiting submissions to professionals. but in the end, they decided it would be best to allow anyone to submit an idea from children to experts. >> translator: japan is such a mascot crazy country, we wanted as many people as possible to take part, including children. they aren't restrained by conventional ideas, so they can come up with original designs.

japan's in the middle of a tourism boom. millions of visitors flock in each year and as we'll see in our next story, many of them are discovering a distinctive part of the local food culture. meals designed to be eaten on the move. >> reporter: every part of japan has its own food specialty and they're showcased in boxed meals sold at stations to people traveling by train. special events are becoming popular with visitors from abroad too. >> from california. i thought i knew bento. this doesn't look like what i've had before. i'm excited to try it. >> reporter: a growing number of foreign fans are posting their photos of their discoveries online. inside tokyo's central railway station, vendors are catering to their foreign customers.

>> translator: since last year, we included english on our descriptions. >> reporter: in store displays also draw attention to recommended ekiben. there is a reason why ekiben makers are so keen to attract people from abroad. the number of vendors nationwide peaked in 1964. since then, they dropped by over three-quarters. the introduction of high speed rail services meant shorter travel times, and less demand for ekiben. this company was founded 99 years ago. these days it only sells half as many as it did in its heyday. so it is keen to attract a new clientele. >> translator: around 20 million foreigners visit japan every

year. and we would like them to start buying our ekiben as well. of course, that is something we are looking at. >> reporter: in many countries, people aren't used to eating cold meals. so this company is using a kind of lunch box that can be heated up just by pulling a tab on the top. it also has taken over a space next to this station which many tourists use on trips to view mount fuji. >> translator: how about a boxed lunch? >> reporter: the salesman tries to drum up business. >> translator: it takes five minutes to heat up. >> reporter: a steady stream of people stop to investigate. >> translator: okay. one. >> translator: this one and this one? thank you very much. >> reporter: they even produced a special happy coat to create a unique photo opportunity. they understand the importance of establishing a social media presence.

>> translator: the tokyo olympics are coming up. and they'll bring even more foreign visitors. my hope is that people around the world discover the pleasure of eating ekiben. >> reporter: in the past, ekiben were all about regional flavors. now the taste is spreading far and wide. >> great food even when you're on the move. it's time now for a check of the weather. jonathan, people in western europe are dealing with unsettled weather. will conditions improve? >> looks like we will continue to see the windy conditions as we go into the day tuesday. what's happening is we have a system that's coming on shore. a well developed system that's off in the atlantic. as it continues to move on shore, it's bringing the very strong winds and high waves along the coast. take a look at this video and give you an idea of the scenery

that's taking place. this is from this past weekend on sunday but since thursday stormy conditions have impacted northern spain with gusts at times reported past the 100 kilometer mark. thunderstorms and hailstorms were also reported. now, during the daytime we may see a little bit relaxing winds and it comes right back into the picture oneself again as we progress throughout the day on tuesday evening. wave heights from four to five meters, possibly from tuesday night into wednesday along with a lot of rain, 40 millimeters of rainfall are possible. as we go forward in time we're looking at this not only impacting the iberian peninsula but france and the united kingdom. down toward the south we have a low pressure system. we talked about the cut off low pattern. it will drift toward the east when the process is destabili destabilizing the weather. be on the lookout of rain and snow especially in the higher elevations.

chilly and bitterly cold. back toward the east with high of 16 degrees below zero in moscow. rain to kiev. wars warsaw with a high of five below. meanwhile, we go over to north ameri america. we have some storms that are on the menu for those located in the south because of warmer air surging in from the south and we have cold air from north. we have a slight risk for strong thunderstorms for those of you living in the ohio river valley. back towards the northwest, we have a trail of low pressure systems that are going to be moving through the area and that's going to bring the possibility of a decent amount of snowfall. some places range anywhere from 30 to maybe even 60, 70, 80, cen centimeters of snow. rain extending into southern california.

rain to denver and into chicago. snow from vancouver, seattle and winnipeg. winnipeg high of 17 degrees below zero. that's the warmest we're expecting for tuesday and rain along the eastern seaboard. as you look at the forecast for east asia we have winds relaxing over the north eastern portions of china but we have rain that's developing. that will change over into snow n for beijing. down toward the south and the philippines a tropical depression is expected to spin out over but not bringing any major impact for the islands there. in japan, cold air filtering in. that's pushing down the temperatures. we'll see a cool down continue ping as we progress through the weekend. we have sea effect snow. that will be a part of the story as we go throughout the day tuesday into wednesday and up where the snow festival is taking place looking at snow with the high of two degrees below zero. tokyo at 11 and cooler back toward the west with high of around 4 and 1 in beijing as we

go through tuesday. hope you have a good day where ever you are. here is your extended outlook.

we take you to northern japan where sculptures made of snow and ice are attracting visitors from around the world. part of the annual snow festival in the city of sapporo. 200 sculptures big and small on display at three sites. among the more recognizable figures are u.s. president donald trump, and japanese singer songwriter whose song ppap was a viral hit around the world. visitors can view a re-creation of the arc de triomphe in paris, which stands more than 17 meters tall. >> translator: i'm surprised at the level of detail in each one of them. >> organizers are expecting more than 2 million visitors to the event, which runs until mid-february. that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." thanks for joining us.

damien: hello and a very warm welcome to "focus on europe." great you could join us today. i'm damien mcguinness and today, we're taking a look at some people who do good things, and some people who are doing some very bad things. near naples, poisonous waste has been tipped into the ground for decades. the government claims that this practice is not harmful, but some disagree. they believe the impact on local people is clear. this doctor says that there are signs children in the area suffer from a particularly high incidence of damage to the central nervous system and to their internal organs. cedric is a french farmer in a small village in the mountains near the italian border. normally, his life would be pretty quiet. but because of where he lives,