siege in the desert. security forces storm a fort in algeria. many of the captains are feared dead. >> security forces have launched a rescue operationn algeria. the algerian communication ministers said there were some casualties. reuters is reporting that 30 hostages were killed. the militants kidnapped an unconfirmed number of workers on wednesday. the governments of japan, france, and norway have said their citizens were among the captives. the militants demanded that france end its military campaign in neighboring mai. theyhreatened to leave the country and take the hostages with them so the security forces moved in. a number of hostages and militants were killed during the

operation. >> translator: the algerian authorities informed me about the developments of the situation on a regular basis. i don't have enough information yet to evaluate it. >> japan's chief cabinet secretary says government officials have been in contact with managers at a japanese engineers firm. employees of jgc corporation work at the plant. they confirm the safety of three japanese nationals. there's conflicting information on 14 others. fear fighting prompted an emergency meeting on thursday in mali. eu foreign ministers med and agreed to speed up preparations for a mission deployment in mali. the armed forces of france

launched a military intervention. extremists are already in control of the northern part of the west african nation. france is a former ruler of mali. the eu ministers see the situation as a grave security threat. eu ministers agree to dispatch a group of about 450 military trainers to mali. the block will send an advanced team to allow t trainers to start their effort by mid-february. the training team will set up a base near mali's capital but will not play a combat role. the hostage taking incident by militants indicate that the chaos in mali could destabilize nearby nations and worsen security. the country will speed up

dialogue with various political factions to establish a democratic administration. he attended a meeting. he said mali must regain stability and can do so with support from the international community. currency traders work up to something they haven't seen in years. we've been talking about currency a lot. we sure have. the yen has been moving quickly. the yen is still on its weakening track. the dollar traded at the 90 yen level for the first time in two years, seven months. the yen slipped to 90.14 on thursday on the new york foreign exchange.

the dollar got a boost from strong u.s. housing starts and jobs data. policy makers will meet next tuesday. >> we think the trend on the yen will continue throughout this year. our six month focus for a yen of 90 was just reached. it's likely to rise farther. the key factor in the first half of the year is japan's stanceo pursue aggressive market and fiscal policy. the governments is very likely to keep pressuring on the boj. nominations for boj governor is

likely that candidates are appointed. the risk is the debt ceiling negotiation in the u.s. during february. we think that u.s. congres will not reach an agreement to derail the u.s. economic recovery. it should be temporary and limited. >> the yen is weaker against the euro. that's on similar expectations for more monetary easing pressures from the bank of japan. the euro quoted at 120.4 to 1. the euro has gained ground against the yen and the dollar. analysts say that's due to worries over with the euro zone. let's see how this is affecting

tokyo stocks. share prices surging across the board. nikkei at 10,828. a gain of over 2% from thursday's close. buying was prompted by more optimistic views about the u.s. economic recovery following strong housing data. let's look at other markets open in the asia pacific. over in australia the benchmark index is trading hie ining high. positive moves so far. tokyo is leading >> on japan clearly that sort of

recently announced fiscal and monetary package is intended to create growth in the short term. we don't think that if not associated with a midterm solid anchoring that would actually indicate the determination to change the debt trajectory, reduce the deficit. >> lagarde gave her view on thursday. she supported a 2% inflation target which abe asked the bank of japan to set. she said it's a good idea if the central bank can maintain its independence. more business news next hour. here is a check on markets once again.

japanese prime minister has conveyed his concern. the two leaders met in the thai capital of bangkok. abe touched on the issue of the senkaku islands in the east china sea. the islands are controlled by

japan but claimed by china and taiwan. he said chinese ships repeatedly violated the waters around the island and the country's plane entered japanese air space last month. he say it's crucial to deal with the issues in accordance to law. she offered her understanding for japan's position. she said thailand will play a constructive role in improving relations with relevant nations. diplomats have agreed to urge the un security council to punish north korea for its latest mission law firm. japan's lead envoy in the six-party talks on north korea's met his south korean counterpart in seoul on thursday. >> thank you so much for waiting. >> we agree that security council on behalf of the entire community must take the

appropriate action sooner than later. >> both sides decided to cooperate in rallying support from other countries to urge new sanctions against pyongyang. south korea sits on the security council as a nonpermanent member. he also sought south korea's support for progress in the abduction issue. the japanese government says at least 17 citizens were abducted by agents from north korea during the 1970s and 1980s. chinese people commented online that the editors used the paper to force their frustration. the weekly publication issued a correction on thursday to fix three glitches from the new year's edition. it said standard processes

should be corrected and followed every step of the way in editing and publishing. it added that the staff is more aware of this than ever. this is the paper's first printed reference to the dispute. reporters were previously protested the alleged sensorship of its new year's message calling for democracy. citizens have beenhowing support for the journalist. a u.s. pro gun lobby group has aired a tv ad critical of president barack obama's gun control plans. the national rifle association ran the ad as president obama tightened gun control lawis. the ad calls obama an elitist hypocrite. >> are the president's kids more important than yours? then why is he skeptical about schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their schools?

>> white house spokesperson jay carney issued a statement saying the ad is repugnant and cowardly and that most americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight. people in the united amariter are worried about their exports. the train on the supply is growing. now this fossil fuel driven nation is considering alternatives. >> reporter: an international exhibition is under way focusing on water supplies and renewable

energy. the crown prince of the united arab emirates says they realize they have a limit. >> translator: the united arab emirates has been providing the world with energy for half a century. we'll continue our efforts to provide a stable supply. it's our responsibility as a member of the international community. >> reporter: what prompted the concern is an impending sense of crisis. the gulf nation could lose its status as one of the world's leading oil producers. in 2011, the uae was seventh in terms of production but energy demands in the nation amounting in the face of rapid urbanization and a growing

population. one of the most pressing issues is the secure enough electricity to convert sea water into fresh water. the country gets much of its water from the sea but surging water consumption now has the uae using 70% of its electricity for sea water. without effective measures the uae will have to spend more oil and gas and domestic power generation which would deprive it of its major export. that's whyhe government wants to expand the use of renewable energy resources. the exhibition has shown that they're in agreement and see a business opportunity.

the need for clean energy future for the gulf countries is no longer in question. companies from around the world seek the face in this growing market. more than 650 exhibiters are here to explore trade and investment opportunities. a swiss company is showcasing a robot for cleaning solar panels. it can be operated by remote control. the price tag starts at about $100,000. >> the challenge in today's installation is our time covers the surface and especially in this area it's a sandy area to regular cleaning is required to ensure high energy. >> reporter: more than 20 firms are taking part from japan. a senior official says japan has

a lot of expertise in renewable energies. >> translator: japan has advanced technology which should be put to good use. there are also business opportunities. not only the private sector but the government has to be involved with strengthening ties with the uae. >> reporter: another leading oil producer saudi arabia is facing a similar situation. a group last year released a report that says that the gulf nation could become an all important country by 2030.

weavers in kyoto have passed down their techniques for more than 500 years. but fashions have changed and fewer people are buying their textiles. so some craftsmen are trying out some radical new approaches. >> reporter: making the cloth is an intricate process. the finished weave is a work of art with colored threads including gold or silver. in the last ten years, however, the number of workshops has halved. so some weavers are shipping to products other than traditional kimono. weaving the high-tech material cotton fiber is also used in airplanes. carbon fiber is extremely light and strong, but it can also be brittle.

so it has been thought unsuitable for fabrics. the weavers have developed highly sophisticated techniques for intricate patterns in silk. >> translator: when you change the angle, the appearance varies depending on the layers. >> although carbon fiber is black, it has a depth that gives patterns an intriguing effect. using the product in new product, he want to appeal to young buyers. he is preaching a joint venture to a local kimono maker to produce tablet cases. >> translator: my, this looks good. it's very interesting. >> translator: i want to use this fabric in ways that have

never been tried before. >> other potential applications include handbags, interior design and even water filters. >> translator: i will workard to make sure our techniques are passed down for 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 years, forever. >> reporter: another artisan is expanding beyond textiles. he is a gold and silver leaf craftsman. his job involves drawing ornate designs in gold or silver on japanese paper. these are shredded into thin a shimmering look. >> translator: this is our ancient technique that gives the fabric nuances in shading. >> reporter: he also uses techniques to create objects for

interior design. a chemical reaction with silver leaf makes his chinese character for spirit float on the surface. >> translator: i would be sad to sees these ancient techniques go to waste. so i started developing these objects with an eye to their survival. >> reporter: his work was displayed in a temple. >> translator: the best thing can i to keep our tradition is to she the wonderful techniques of metal leaf and

textiles. we have other people. >> reporter: his work is popular with collectors overseas, including the u.s. and he is planning an exhibition in hong kong this spring. people are bundling up more than usual. >> the coldest air of the season so far is blanketing much of japan producing bone chilling temperatures and heavy snow showers on the western flank of the nation. conditions are improving across the west. snow showers will continue into tomorrow. it's going to be accompanied by thunderstorms as well as gusting winds. it's been on the cold side in winter across much of japan. we've had staggering amounts of snowfall. to give you an idea how much

snowfall we've had so far let's take a look at this chart. about 1,000 centimeters of snow has fallen. some of it has melted but still 400 centimeters remain on the ground. even on the pacific side we don't usually see heavy snow in winter this winter is an exception. we've already had 40 centimeters of snow and eightcentimeters in tokyo. tokyo is looking dry today but there's a lot of leftover snow on roads. watch out when driving or walking. out west dry across much of china and the indian peninsula. all right. in north america heavy rain, snow showers ongoing across the south eastern part of the u.s. we have winter storm warnings

and advisories still posted across the appalachians and an additional 30 centimeters of snow is likely. snow is affecting the eastern half of the great lakes region. out towards the west looking dry. lots of sunshine and temperatures are still on the warmer side in l.a. 24 degrees. 13 degrees in denver. minus 8 in winnipeg which is quite warmer than yesterday. all right. moving into europe then. severe weather is still going across the eastern half of the mediterranean. about 150 millimeters of rain has fallen which is double the amount that we see for the entire month of january. lots of thunderstorms and gusts have been reported in many areas. to the north of this low pressure system heavy snow showers are affecting. let's go to some video coming out of austria.

snow keeps on falling in the country. you can see an overturned truck. the driver is stuck inside waiting for help. this weather has been causing tremendous traffic problems. lots of heavy snow out there. on the lighter side residents of a small villain in the netherlands are fond of ice skating. gnaw method was used to clear snow. they hired a helicopter to blow away snow that prevents ice from building up. residents are overjoyed to see the snow being cleared away. very interesting way to remove snow. let's pull back. it's dry across the netherlands but wtern austria is a different story. you're going to be seeing heavy snow up to 20 centimeters in

wales in the next 24 hours. very chilly minus 4. here is the extending forecast.

security forces in algeria have lodged a rescue operation at a natural gas plant. they freed someostageseld by islamist militants. reuters is reporting that 30 ha hostages were killed. a number of unconfirmed workers were kidnapped. the militants demanded that france end its political tear campaign against islamist rebels in neighboring mali. they threaten to leave the country and take the hostages with them so security forces moved in. >> the algerian authorities inform m abohe developments of the situation on a regular

basis. i don't have enough information yet to evaluate it. >> japan's chief cabinet secretary says government officials have been in contact with managers at a japanese engineering firm. the managers confirm the safety of three japanese nationals. there's conflicting information on 14 others. that's all for this edition of "newsline." thanks for joining us.