welcome to nhk world "newsline." share prices in tokyo outperform other markets in the world this year. the benchmark nikkei index surged 66% for the entire year of 2013. that was the biggest yearly gain in 41 years. our ramin mellegard reports on how the last trading day of the year went in tokyo.

>> a festive mood is dominating even prime minister shinzo abe came to the ceremony that marked the end of trading for the year. now the nikkei average climbed for a ninth straight session on monday at 16,291, up 0.7 a percent and the topix up 0.95%. many say a big factor which has made tokyo stocks so strong is a set of policies prime minister abe has implemented dubbed abenomics to get the economy going again. monetary easing, fiscal spending, and growth strategy aimed at pulling japan out of decades of deflation. on the back of these policies, of course, the yen has weakened significantly. the dollar traded at a five-year high and the euro was at its five-year high against japanese

currency. this helped export-related issues. now earlier, i spoke with head of japan equity strategy at bank of america merrill lynch and asked about this year's price movements and the outlook for 2014. >> the stock market was very good at the very start of this year. mostly from abenomics. i mean, top-down political change, the most important part of the recent market. especially from january to march. it was mostly increased by the big amount of expectation. and then from april, actually, governor kuroda was in position of boj and real policies have started. the second half things a bit changed. investors tend to say, check and monitor what happens.

so positive of investors are quite stable, but no addition. so second half was quite stable market for japanese equity. next year i expect a good market, mostly from the normalization of the global economy rather than japanese specific issues. so normalization, say, typically in the united states is expected starting from tapering of fed. my year-end target is 1,700, which is 15% upside from now. and it is supported by export sales volume is expanding and also inflation expectation. so it's a combination of global economy and domestic economy, both growing for next year. >> so now he is pretty bullish, but some people are worried that a sales tax hike in april may hurt the economy.

now 2013 is the year of the horse in the oriental zodiac. ramin mellegard near the tokyo stock exchange. north korean media are urging people to unify behind leader kim jong-un on the two-year anniversary of his assumption of the top military post. kim was appointed supreme commander of the military on december 30, 2011. he succeeded his father, kim jong-il, who died that month. state-run television repeatedly aired a documentary on monday showing kim jong-un visiting military troops stationed across the country. an editorial praised him for his genius talent in military fields. it referred to the recent purge of kim's uncle, jang song thaek and noted anyone who challenges the party must be severely punished. kim is tightening his grip on power. he was considered the second

most powerful person in the country. japanese government officials are on alert after authorities in pyongyang made repeated hints about military provocati provocations. the japanese are in contact with counterparts in the u.s. and other countries. they fear the north koreans can raise tensions around upcoming arrests. january 8th is kim jong-un's birthday. activists in seoul staged rallies against north korea. authorities in pyongyang say demonstrators threatened to attack the south without notice if the provocations targeting its leaders are repeated. kim ordered the military to increase military readiness. park geun-hye says trust and feeling should not be sacrificed by digging up the past. shinzo abe visited a war-related shrine last week.

park spoke during a meeting with senior aids. she says a country that repeats acts not in line with standards cannot be considered a first class nation, no matter how affluent it is. the prime minister visited yasukuni shrine last thursday. the memorial honors war dead. prime minister abe says he went to the shrine to renew a pledge never to wage a war again, as well as pay his respects to those who died in conflicts. he said he'll continue to try to explain his visits to countries in other parts of asia and the world. xi jinping has surprised customers at a restaurant in beijing. he lined up alongside them, then placed his order just like anyone else would. it's unusual for a chinese leader to wait in line at a restaurant, but on saturday, xi did just that.

he reportedly ordered six steamed buns, stirred fried liver, and other dishes. the meal cost him $3.50, and he ate his food next to other customers. some have suggested xi is trying to show a common touch. many people posted messages online supporting his visit to the restaurant. others wrote that it was just propaganda. security forces in russia are investigating another deadly explosion in the southern city of volgograd. a trolley bus blew up and killed 14 people, presenting another challenge as the country prepares to host the winter olympics. health ministry officials say along with the dead, another 28 has been wounded. volgograd is one of the biggest cities in the south with a

population of 1 million. it's known as a traffic hub, linking the capital moscow and the region near sochi, the host location for the olympics. islamic militants have carried out terrorist attacks in the area before, and they've declared they will disrupt the winter games in february by all means. president vladimir putin has ordered authorities to tighten security on public transportation systems across russia. police investigators are still looking for clues in the previous blast. they suspect a suicide bomber was responsible for an explosion at a train station. at least 17 people were killed, more than 45 wounded. investigators say the attacker detonated the bomb near a metal detector just inside the station's main entrance. surveillance video show three people were in line there. a police officer approached, then the bomb went off. in october, another suicide bomber killed six people on a

bus in volgograd, and on friday a car bomb in a southern city killed three people. police are looking into possible links between those attacks. a japanese company that makes frozen food is caught recalling its products. some of them contained pesticide. aqlifoods is a subsidiary of the seafood company maruha nichiro holdings. since last month they received 20 reports of foul smells coming from their products, including pizza and crow questions. they voluntarily recalled 90 items made there. more than 6 million products in all. managers carried out an in-house investigation and found workers at the factory never used the insecticide and they say it's not been found at the premise. they've stopped shipments until they and police can identify the

cause of the problem. japanese governmental leaders look into the wet waters off their shores and see a lot of promise. ministers plan to meet next month to plan to develop marine resources. japanese officials are exploring the seabed for me than hydrate. japan lacks in the legal frameworks for securing such resources. government officials are expected to discuss legislation for supervising japan's exclusive economic zone. they'll talk about how to get private firms and different levels of government to better cooperate, and they'll discuss environmental concerns and how to compensate people who work in fishery industries who might be effected by any projects. air traffic controllers at tokyo's haneda airport are busy preparing for more flights in

march. the capacity for international flights is being raised in stages. haneda is the world's fourth largest airport in terms of passenger numbers after atlanta, beijing, and london's heathrow. it will be able to handle up to 1,200 flights a day. that's an increase of over 50% over three years. air traffic controllers are being trained to cope with a 15% increase in flights to prepare for the expected rise in aviation traffic. they are being shown how to cope with unexpected situations, such as heavy snowfall or a plane stuck on a runway. they are also learning how to stay calm when communicating with pilots. >> translator: safety is our priority. we'll be ready to carry out our duties as professionals. >> ahead of the 2020 tokyo olympics, the transport ministry is considering a further increase in flight capacity at

haneda international airport. muslim fashion is growing into a big business in indonesia. this mix of traditional and modern styles appeals to the country's rising middle class, as well as to muslim fash knee stas around the world. nhk world reports. >> reporter: muslim fashions stole the show this year at the second annual indonesia fashion week, or ifw, in jakarta. it's indonesia's biggest fashion event. the basic idea of muslim fashion is to emphasize body modesty. head scarves are required, but indonesia has a slightly different take on the muslim look. there's a wide variety of head scarf styles, modern fabrics. this innovative look blends

traditional and modern styles. it's getting attention throughout indonesia and throughout the world. dina is a director of ifw. >> it's a time for us to make the world realize that we have importance here in the new style in fashion, muslim. >> reporter: indonesia's middle class is growing as the country's economy expands. more and more shopping malls catering to middle class people with money to spend are being built in jakarta, and western fashion is weaving its way as major international brands open stores in these malls. muslim fashions with a modern touch are also gaining popularity. this store sells clothes designed by a luxury muslim fashion brand. >> translator: muslim fashion is

more modern now and matches international trends. >> reporter: more and more young women are wearing muslim fashions as stylish casual wear. these women came to shop for new clothes, too. >> translator: i can wear these with jeans, and like traditional muslim fashion, indonesia embraces western culture. it's between east and west. >> reporter: jeny is a young indonesian designer spiriting the muslim fashion trend. in 2006, jeny started her own muslim fashion brand aimed at young consumers. her designs are getting attention in indonesia and abroad. models are regulars at international fashion shows. >> translator: this one combines an indian motif and one from an old indonesian kingdom.

this one was influenced by chinese designs, with a japanese kimono influence. >> reporter: some muslim fashion companies are selling their clothes online to reach international markets. egypt.com sells muslim apparel produced by 83 domestic fashion houses. the number of orders from international consumers is rising day by day. >> yeah, the style is very, very good. indonesia have a very good environment so that the designer can expand their talent, can expand their creativity in the fashion world, so that's the biggest potential of indonesia. >> young people want to express themselves. they want to become a part of the modern society. they need to express it through their fashion.

>> reporter: the indonesian government says it will continue to support and strengthen the country's fashion industry. the goal is to make indonesia the world center of muslim fashion by 2020. hiro morita, nhk world, jakarta. seven-time formula one champion michael schumacher is in critical condition after a skiing accident. schumacher fell while skiing in a french resort and hit his head on the rock. he's reported to have been wearing a helmet and was conscious. shortly after the accident, he was taken to the hospital by helicopter. by the time he got there, schumacher was in a coma. they say he underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition. schumacher is 44 years old. he made his f-1 debut in 1991.

he's the only driver in history to win seven championships. he retired in 2006. he made a comeback in 2010 and retired again last year. security forces in egypt are investigating a bombing there as a terrorist attack. a device exploded outside a military intelligence building in a village north of cairo. it wounded four soldiers. the blast ripped through a wall, leaving a pile of rubble. the attack came as university students staged protests at a number of campuses. security forces found a handmade bomb in the northern city of damieta. they removed the device before it went off. protesters have been on the streets since july when generals overthrew mohammed morsi. the leaders of the interim government have been cracking down on his supporters. last week they designated the muslim brotherhood as a terrorist organization. an islamic militant group has claimed responsibility for an attack last tuesday at a police

headquarters. 16 people were killed. experts have been pushing for months to get the most deadly chemical agents out of syria by the end of the year, but the head of the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons says they'll likely miss their december 31st deadline. they said security concerns have set back their schedule for transporting materials used in the weapons to a syrian port. he called on government leaders to help secure safe routes for the mission. their forces have been staging air raid after air raid over the last few weeks. more than 400 people are reported to have been killed. the plan is to load the chemicals on to a u.s. ship in italy and destroy them at sea. the delays will not change the deadline for disposing of all the chemical agents by next

year. emergency crews in eastern canada are still struggling to restore power more than a week after an ice storm hit. tense of thousands of people have spent their holiday period without heat and lighting. the storm began to wreak havoc just days before christmas. ice built up on trees. the weight of it brought the trees down across power lines. more than 300,000 households in and around toronto lost electricity. the crews have been working to restore power, but they've been fighting strong winds, and that's prevented them from finishing the job. >> this has been a very unusual situation. i understand that there are 250 of the toronto hydro and other hydro service bucket trucks out right now, working with back-up crews. >> temperatures have plunged to below freezing. many residents have lit fires and wrapped themselves in blankets just to stay warm.

people there and elsewhere are bracing themselves against the cold, but japanese weather forecasters say the global average temperature this year is expected to be the second highest on record. officials with the japan meterological agency analyzed data collected from about 8,000 locations worldwide. they say the global average temperature between january and november was 0.2 degrees celcius higher than usual. they say the only year it was hotter was 1998. people across japan endured heat waves this summer. those in the western city of shimanto saw the temperature reach 41 degrees, the highest mark ever recorded in the country. central australia was more than 2 degrees higher than usual for seven months. temperatures rose to 49.6 degrees in january, matching the record set more than 50 years ago. abnormal weather resulted in

natural disasters around the globe. last month super typhoon haiyan killed in the philippines. some italians call venice the floating city, but actually it's sinking, and buildings are taking a battering from all the waves. so now authorities are spending billions on a modern approach to an age-old problem. more from nhk world. >> reporter: venice lies at the farthest end of the adriatic sea. in winter, sirocco winds blow. if the winds during high tides where the atmospheric pressure changes, the result is a storm surge. during the last 20 years, the number of floods here doubled.

the increase damage caused by these high tides is linked to the rising sea level caused by global warming. the ground is also sinking, as the water table gets lower. this has caused some buildings in the center of venice to tilt. studies show that these factors combine to cause the sea level to rise by millimeters every year. this man transports merchandise by boat. about a dozen years ago, he raised his house by 50 centimeters. more recently, he installed a flood gate. >> translator: it was about 1.5 meters high. it came in over this. i had to empty it out myself.

>> reporter: the full room was flooded. he had to buy new furniture. now he places it as high as possible in case of another flood. >> translator: it's expensive, but what else can i do? i was born and raised here, and i don't want to leave. >> reporter: as a result of water exposure, just touching some walls is enough to make them crumble. the waves from tourists boats also damage the building. when waves hit the foundation of buildings weakened by flooding, they are damaged further. the number of tourists increase every year, but the number of residents have declined 10% in the last decade. to help save the city, italy's government has been working on a

major construction project. flood gates that rise above the surface. the gates are being installed across three inlets that empty into the adriatic sea. this placement is intended to block high waves. the combined lengths of these barriers is 1.6 kilometers. when waters are calm, they are submerged and sit on the sea floor. during unusually high tides, air is pumped into each gate. they become buoyant, the barrier rises. the process takes 30 minutes. government officials say the barrier will protect the city from a three-meter rise in the sea level. the project is expected to be completed in three years at the cost of around $7.4 billion.

some venetians question the project. >> translator: it might work, but i don't know how well it's going to function. >> translator: a lot of time and money is being spent. i hope we'll get positive results. >> reporter: they hope this modern technology will save a historic city from sinking below the waves. nhk world, venice. and now here's the weather forecast.

bidders have competed, that is, to buy local winter delicacies at the last auction of the year at fish markets in northeastern and western japan. the auction began in sendai early monday morning, flounder, tuna, and scallop went on scale. market officials say shipment of some fish have dropped partly because of the cold snap, but more tuna has been sold. 70% of the level posted before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. at an auction in sakaiminato, locals snapped up their favorites, from crab to octopus. as of sunday, crews in the region have unloaded about 136,000 tons, that's up nearly 20% of last year, with sales

adding up to almost $170 million. that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.a7guc

>> authorities have killed 40 gunmen, part of a group that stormed strategic locations in the capital of the democratic republic of congo. motives are still unclear. but the coordinated attacks look like an. intent to seize power. authorities say they have the now thank you -- authorities say they now have the situation under control. it is the second attack in belgrade in 24 hours print suspicions are turning to the islamist insurgency and vladimir putin wants security tightened across the country. we will be live from moscow in this edition. is still inmacher critical condition after an accident in france.