glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." voters are waiting the see who comes out on top in a very tight race. italians have voted on 315 seats in the upper house and 630 in the lower house.

they're showing how they feel about the austerity measures of the prime minister. they have counted 85% of ballots for the lower ballots. former prime minister center right group has 28.9% of lower house votes so far. ministry officials have counted 92% of votes from the upper house. the coalition has 31.7% parliament members must approve in both houses. opposing sides could end up controlling each house. if that happens italian voters could face a political gridlock. investor are getting nervous

about the future. what can you tell us about the markets? >> investors are worried that the european debt crisis could become front page news once again with political instability. following that election tokyo traders are buying the yen. traders try to avert risks by betting on the yen as a safe haven currency. the dollar reached a one month high in new york. that's trading around the 92 yen market. 92.54 to 56 yen. let's take a look at how this is affecting the stock markets. tokyo stocks are trading sharply lower after a strong rally on monday.

the drop follows a slump in u.s. markets. the yen strength has been a drag on a wide range of issues. they are concerned about whether italy can consider its final reforms. the nikkei average is down 1.75%. the dollar was at a one month low and not a one month high. let's take a look at other markets in the asia pacific. south korea's kospi down a thirthird of a percent. let's see what's going in australia. it's down to 5,018. we'll see where other markets take us as they open in next hour. japan's prime minister abe has made his choice for the new bank of japan leader. looks like many leaders of the

oppotion party of japan wi goalong with it. kuroda is the chief of the asian development bank. abe is planning to present his nominees to the diet for approval by the end of this week. the government needs support from opposition parties. some members have expressed concerns. they say signing off on his appointment could be construed as approving the there isn't much doubt about his ability. some say there's not much mileage in continuing its

opposition because his no, ma'am nominees are being received vorly.o, ma'am nominees are being received favorly., ma'am nominees are being received favorly. ma'am nominees are being received favorly.ma'am nominees are being received favorly.a'am nominees are being received favorly.'am nominees are being received favorly.am nominees are being received favorly.m nominees are being received favorly. nominees are being received favorly.nominees are being received favorly.nomi are being received favorlalybly. vice finance minister for international affairs name is on the short list. officials will announce their choice soon after he steps down. japan financed more than 30% of the bank's capital. it's always been headed by japanese leader since the launch in 1966. other bank members could be critical of this dominance. officials will wait to see if some other countries name their own candidates. competition among makers of smartphones and tablet computers are heating up worldwide.

they unveiled their models at an international trade show in spain. the latest tablets and wristwatch gadgets are grabbing people's attention. samsung introduced a split screen feature that can display two different applications. users can check e-mails while viewing pictures or websites. japanese makers appeal to visitors with sony announcing it will go global with smartphones and tablets that are water resistant. these phones are popular among the elderly in japan. that the lest inusiness for this hour. here is another check on regional markets.

delegates will plemeet for first time in eight months. they entering the meeting with skepticism. they met beforehand with european union policy chief and iran's top nuclear negotiator. he hoped the talks would bear fruit once and for all. delegates are demanding that

iranian scientists stop enriching uranium to 20%. beyond that point they can move toward uranium that's weapons grade. the u.s. and the eu have imposed sanctions to encourage them to abandon their nuclear ambitions. iranian leaders show little sign of slowing down their nuclear program. last week they announced the construction of new nuclear plans. new u.s. secretary of state john kerry has sent a clear message to iran's leaders. he said their degrlegates must ready to compromise. he was in london on his first trip abroad. he met with british prime minister. kerry and hague said they agree that stopping the program is a

priority. >> as we've repeatedly made clear the window for a diplomatic solution simply cannot by definition remain open forever. >> kerry also made a direct plea to syria's opposition leaders. last friday they said they will stay away from the meeting. the international community is not doing enough to challenge the assad regime. israeli leaders are taking their own steps to make sure they are safe from a nuclear iran. they unveiled arrow 3 missile. it can shot down missiles in outer space. th they won't rule out military intervention. it can reach targets in israel. they believe the new intercepter

would prevent that from happening. officials with nato lead forces in hafafghanistan are looking into allegations that troops torture and killed. local fighters attacked civilians. >> to regard the situation as very serious and we will resolve it in full cooperation with our african partners. >> president karzai has given the special forces two weeks to le leave. nato pilots conducted the raid to support an afghan ground operation. karzai last week ordered the afghan military to stop asking nato for air support.

japanese prime minister abe is back home after several weeks in washington. he delivered a message to barack obama. >> abe has vowed to get the economy growing again during his second shot at power. the prime minister taught americans that he was back and so was japan. he and president barack obama issued a statement that signals abe might be leaning toward joining the asians on the transpacific partnership. they say japanese officials will rice and other products before joining the talks. abe underscored japan's commitment to ensuring the asia pacific region.

he said he may decrease defense spending. he said he is even considering allowing japan to exercise its right to depends an ally under attack. the official position of the japanese government is that collective self-defense is against the constitution. abe explained japan's position on the senkaku islands. japan purchased the islands in september. chinese ships have entered the water around them over the last several months. >> translator: president obama and i agree at the summit to cooperate to defend free waters and to establish order based on law and not force. at the same time, the relationship with china is one of the most important for japan.

>> reporter: japan is locked in a territorial dispute with south korea over the takashima islands in the sea of japan. abe sent deputy prime minister taro aso to talk with the president. he sent president mori to russia last week to begin longstanding talks with russia. abe will meet later this year with vladimir putin to discuss the territories which are controlled by russia and claimed by japan. abe and obama agreed to cooperate on another source of concern. they said they'll work through the u.n. secretary council on tougher sanctions in north korea. they have urged leaders in pyongyang to stop the provocation, however, those leaders have already signalled their intentions to defy those warnings. president obama indulged the japan-u.s. alliance the central

foundation for allegiance security. abe agreed it worked to their mutual benefit. china's leaders were paying close attention to abe's visit, and they didn't like what they heard. a government spokesperson took issue with another statement on ownership of the senkaku islands. >> translator: no matter what excuses are made, japan can't change the fact that it illegally occupies chinese territory. >> they will urge china's leaders to address the issue correctly. she said they should be able to work to improve bilateral relations. they propose a transpacific free trade agreement. china is outside the negotiations. >> translator: we believe each state should consider the asia pacific region.

unification of economies in the region should be carried out on transparency. >> analysts say the remark was a warning to leaders discussing the tpp talks. chinese authorities want an asia pacific free trade zone that includes japan, south korea and members of the association of southeast asian nations. the leader of the chinese communist party, she jinping is building on efforts to develop relations with taiwan. she met the honorary chairman of taiwan's leading nationalist party in beijing. he expressed his eagerness to achieve a peaceful unification of the two sides. this meeting was the first with a leading figure from taiwan since she jinping became general secretary of the chinese communist party last december. the meeting was held behind

closed doors, but taiwan's central news agency quotes she as saying china will continue developing ties and push for unification. predecessor hu jintao has pressed unification across the state. they said they will resume military trust. they will also aim to sign a peace accord with taiwan. cradle of culture, economic powerhouse. many enjoy the fruits of prosperity along the path to a new china. but millions are still missing out. and public discontent is growing. against that backdrop, officials are choosing a fresh slate of government leaders. "newsline" correspondents will bring you full korj of she jinping's new china. don't miss it, starting march 4. brain surgeons say it's not

restrictions are tightened on smoking and tobacco sales. it calls for a gradual ban on smoking in many public places. starting in june people will no longer be able to light up in hospitals, schools and culture facilities. hotels and restaurants will become smoke free a year later. new curbs will restrict the way manufacturers market their products. people appearing in movies and tv shows for children will not be allowed to smoke. russians are among the reviest smokers anywhere. the country's smoking rate is second only to that of greece. more than 70% of russian men smoke more than any other country. health ministry officials say in 15 years they hope to cut the smoking rate in half. brain surgeons say it's not just their skill that counts, it's also the quality of their

instruments. one japanese doctor thought one surgical tool wasn't good enough so he took some unconventional steps to improve it. nhk world's takahita has his story. >> reporter: a brain surgeon needs instruments that enable him to work upright with precision. >> translator: for brain surgeons, scissors are the most important tools, no doubt about it. >> reporter: brain surgeons can take as long as 24 hours on a single operation. they spend more than half that time cutting through the brain's complex matter, and as they make their way to the critical area, the risk of snipping nerves and vessels is always on their mind. that's why dr. kenituta does not general operating scissors. they are made of stainless steel, so after a while, they weigh the hand down.

they also work as a magnet, sticking to other instruments. after a while, they consistently lose their sharpness. >> translator: if the blade is too thin, it won't last too long. we all know that after using the same scissors plenty of times, they get dull. >> reporter: he wanted better scissors. and to get them, he went to a leading manufacturer of eyewear. the company specializes in titanium frames and it welds small metal parts together with a unique laser beam effort. it's the same technology used in making surgical tools. the new scissors come with handles made of two different kinds of titanium. this makes them light and comfortable, so doctors can operate for a much longer time. in addition to titanium, the

scissors are made of two other kinds of metal. the laser technique makes for a seamless end product. >> translator: our products aim to help doctors operate smoothly and quickly so they can come up with the desired results. >> reporter: many other eyewear companies in this region have been trying to switch to making different kinds of product. sabae, a city in western japan, makes 95% of japan's eyewear. but sales have dropped 30% since their peak in the '90s. that's because customers have been buying more eyewear produc from chinese coanies. their prices are lower. >> translator: in a few years, sabae could become the hub for making medical equipment. i hope that our products will help many doctors around the world.

>> reporter: already the firm is gearing up to make those sales. and if competitors get on the bandwagon, a straggling industry may get a fresh start. nhk world, sabae. the japanese government has been struggling to designate final disposal sites for radioactive waste generated by the fukushima radioactive accident. they oppose the idea of contaminated materials on their territory. now government officials said they'll rethink the way they select the storage sites. the environment ministry plans to ask each prefecture to dispose of contaminated mud and ash from incinerators on its territory. it's hoping to build new disposal sites in five prefectures. they have designated two

they have designated two state forests as possible sites. but opposition from the host municipalities has blocked both projects. chief adviser minister said officials will include the opinions of local leaders in the decision-making process. >> translator: there must have been a lack of communication between the central and local governments in the process of choosing disposal sites. >> the ministry will seek the advice of a panel of experts. it's also planning to conduct drilling surveys to narrow down the choice for final disposal sites. people in northeastern japan are reminded daily of what they lost on march 11, 2011. the earthquake and tsunami took away loved ones, homes, entire communities. survivors are moving ahead, but they still face obstacles at the damaged nuclear plant and all

along the pacific coast. "newsline" will bring you their stories. don't miss "path to recovery two years on." time now to get a check on the weather. the sun out in many areas of japan but people are feeling quite chilly. meteorologist si kimori joins us with the latest weather. >> our high is expected to be only 8 degrees. still a few degrees colder than average. remaining dry today but things will change tomorrow as a new system is approaching from the west. the heaviest rain will be found in the southern islands of the country up to 120 millimeters possible in the next 24 hour ps that is accompanied by thunderstorms. again, rain will spread to the east including tokyo. we may start to see rain tomorrow and we also see some -- we could be seeing some snow flakes in the morning hours. as for northern japan staying

dry after heavy snow but a mixture of rain and snow movie ing into the region on wednesday. rain is increasing toward southern china. that could increase the hazy conditions in central china and down toward the south the peninsula will remain wet throughout the day. temperatures will be sweltering not. much of china will see warmer than average temperatures on tuesday and 6 degrees today. in australia we've been monitoring a tropical cyclone. it's moving toward the south at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour. it's projected to make landfall on the north coast by late wednesday. right now it's a category 3. it will likely become a category 4 system. significant structure damage and caravans could be destroyed in

one split power. in terms of precipitation more than 500 millimeters likely in and around port helen. enough to cause flooding on heavy rain. storm surges distracted. this is definitely the price we should be monitoring for the time being. across the u.s. a major storm is targeting the southern plains. it produced heavy snowfall in amarillo, texas. about 45 centimeters. blizzard conditions happening across north western texas. this system will make its way toward the northeast. the heaviest snow will be found in kansas and

ahead of the system severe weather is happening be m as for temperatures on tuesday very warm across the south. 30 degrees in miami. very chilly up towards the knot minus 3 for the high in winnipeg. in europe severe weather is still happening across the mediterranean. the heaviest rain will be found in the western balkan peninsula. heavy snow will continue in northern spain but staying dry for the british isles. lots of sunshine for you. london 6 degrees and 5 degrees in paris. madrid with a high of 8 degrees on tuesday. here is the extended forecast.