welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant says it will look for more possible water leaks at one of its damaged reactors. the u.s. justice department will seek the death penalty for a man charged with the boston marathon bombings.

and some people in china are scaling back their celebrations as they get set to ring in the lunar new year. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant is discovering more damage at the containment vessel of reactor number one. it says it is going to take steps to avoid further contamination in the area. nhk world's missco nishikawa reports. >> reporter: engineers are investigating leaks in several places in the container that holds nuclear fuel. the plant's water circulation system was destroyed in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. workers have been injecting more than four tons of water an hour into the vessel to cool the nuclear fuel. in november crews using a robot equipped with a camera discovered two leaks in the lower part of the containment vessel. they estimate that more than

three tons of water may be leaking every hour. the engineers have also learned that more than one ton of water is leaking from elsewhere. they plan to send in a robot again to search for other possible problems. they say they'll expand their search to include the suppression chamber linked to the containment vessel. at the same time, workers are trying to contain leaked and leaking radioactive waste water on the site. in february, they will test how much radioactive strontium, an absorbent material placed underground, can remove from leaked waste water. workers will dig a 20 meter deep hole near the leaking tank, and bury the absorbent. the measure proved effective at the u.s. nuclear facility. however, some believe it won't be as successful with the salty water that has accumulated at the fukushima plant. tokyo electric plans to assess

the test results to decide by late february whether to fully introduce the absorbent. mitsuko nishikawa, nhk world. french officials will be taking their own security measures for the olympic games in sochi. france's sports minister says the government will send police and security guards to protect the country's athletes. islamic militants have threatened to launch an attack during the games. valerie fourneyron did not disclose the size of security contingent in an interview with a major french newspaper. but she said its mission will include guarding the facility where the athletes meet reporters. she says the nation's intelligence agency will also liaise with russian authorities to maximize vigilance. other nations are also taking steps to safeguard their athletes. the united states is deploying two navy ships to the black sea. the russian official in charge

of security for the olympics has expressed confidence that the upcoming event will be safe for athletes and spectators. >> translator: we believe we're adequately prepared to handle security at the olympic games. >> lavrishchev said about 40,000 security personnel will be deployed from more than 30 ministries and departments. they will include police officers and members of the military. he also said the federal security service is cooperating with intelligence services from over 80 countries, including the united states and china. the chief brushed off security concerns that have risen following a series of terrorist attacks in southern russia. he said that region is far away from sochi, and security there has been tightened. russian authorities said they have identified two suicide bombers responsible for attacks last month in the southern city volgograd. the blasts occurred on consecutive days.

they killed 34 people and injured more than 80. the alleged bombers were among the dead. some important economic figures from europe are out, and ron madison is here with the details on that. >> investors had a lot of data to digest today, gene. cpi data out of japan which is a huge focus. and all eyes really on the jobs situation in europe. so first to the eurozone we go where the labor market continued to flounder in december. the jobless rate was stuck at 12%. very close to a record high. the eu's statistics office euro statistic has released the jobless numbers for the 17-nation single currency bloc. from january latvia is included now among the members. spain's unemployment showed a slight improvement, following 0.3 percentage points to 25.8%. meanwhile the jobless rate in cyprus inched up 0.2 percentage points to 17.5%. for greece the latest available number was for october, and at

that time it was 27.8%. up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month. euro stat officials have also released the annual inflation rate for january. it stood at 0.7%, crawling down 0.1 percentage point from december. that was far below the european central bank's inflation target of 2%. let's move on to the markets now. the latest inflation figure out of europe was lower than market consensus of 0.9%. following the release of the data the euro dropped to its lowest level in more than a week against the dollar. right now, in fact, it's at right around 1.3534. analysts say the data is fuelling expectations that the european central bank may hammer out more stimulus measures. the bank's policymakers are scheduled to meet next week. meanwhile, the yen is firmer against the dollar. now being quoted at right around 102.35. analysts say that the pair may lack clear direction in the near

term. investors a bit cautious due to persistent worries about emerging economies. turning to stocks now, these worries as well as weak earnings from european companies are really weighing on investor sentiment. london is down by more noon 0.8%. frankfurt steep declines of 1.5% at this hour. paris is down about a percent. now earlier tokyo's nikkei fell to its lowest point since mid-november. the yen strength was a major reason there. the index lost more than 8% this month. meanwhile, most asian markets were closed for the lunar new year holiday. well, people across japan have been tallying up their bills, and noticing a trend taking shape in recent months. they've been paying more and more for goods and services. the latest data show the consumer price index rose in 2013 for the first time in five years. officials from the ministry of internal affairs said prices were up 0.4% from 2012. the index does not include volatile fresh food prices,

though. the weaker yen led to bigger electricity and gas bills. as well as higher gasoline prices. a rise in the cost of food such as mayonnaise and canned seafood also contributed. another factor was an increase in prices of personal and tablet computers. the december index rose 1.3% from the same month in 2012. it was the seventh straight month of gains. now we spoke with koy koya mimayi a senior economist about the trends in inflation. >> translator: prices of many items are rising now. that's partly because many people are buying things before the consumption tax goes up in april. it's possible that prices will start falling after the tax hike. so we have to keep a cautious eye on how they move. >> he also says companies should raise wages.

he knows that it will be easier for people to accept price increases if their pay also rises. well, the earnings season in full swing in japan. many companies have reported strong business results for the first nine months of this fiscal year. the yen's downturn helped to boost their profits. more than 20% of firms listed on the first section of the tokyo stock exchange released their earnings between april and december. a survey by snbc nikko securities shows that combined pretax profits of 235 companies that have reported results by thursday climbed 40% year on year. more than 13% revised their profit projections upward for the entire year. the yen's slide and strong domestic demand led to higher profits at electronics and steelmakers. securities houses did brisk business due to stepped up stock trading. foodmakers, though, didn't do all that well. for them the weaker yen meant higher import costs. taking a look at some of the individual results now, daiwa

securities profits soared more than 4.5 times the earlier level. active trading in the stock markets brought in more in commission fees. honda motor benefited from the yen's downturn and the strong sales in japan and the united states. its profit surged more than 40%. two major airline companies weren't as lucky though. higher fuel prices stemming from the yen's fall hurt their earnings. ana holdings profit tumbled nearly 40%. japan airlines showed a drop of nearly 15%. all right. that is going to wrap it up for biz tonight. i'll leave you with a check of the markets.

japanese researchers could be on the brink of discovering a way to diagnose malaria. each year millions catch it, making it the most common infectious disease in the world. one of the biggest problems in treating malaria is that there's no easy and effective way to diagnose people. but a team in southwest japan may have found a method. >> reporter: malaria is caused by a parasite that's transmitted by mosquitoes. when the parasite enters red blood cells, it causes symptoms like high fever, muscle pain, and fatigue. sometimes there are convulsions, breathing difficulties, and brain malfunction.

doctors usually diagnose malaria by examining blood cells with a microscope. even an experienced doctor might need 40 minutes to find an infected red blood cell. japan's national institute of advanced industrial science and technology is developing a new way of detecting malaria. this man heads the research team at the institute. they're using biotechnology and nano technology to make it possible to find infected cells in just five minutes. the test is easy to perform, and costs just $1. >> translator: the current technique takes time. many people become infected with malaria every day. so we must be able to diagnose each person quickly. and, more accurately.

>> reporter: kataoka's team developed a slide with tiny holes. a machine can find infected cells when researchers pour red blood cells onto the slide. this lets doctors carry out blood tests in just five minutes, instead of 40. this image shows what doctors see when they use the old diagnostic method. there are several layers of red blood cells. it's hard to find infected cells. kataoaka and his team want to be able to ice late a single layer to simplify the process. this is how they do that. one member of the team pours red blood cells onto the slide. they use a solution to wash away the piled up cells. the holes in the slide are shaped so that only one layer of cells is left.

they've been dyed to reflect a certain wavelength of light. that makes it easier to see which ones are infected. the team tried using various sizes, depths, and shapes for the hole. they spent almost a year coming up with the right design. >> translator: the most difficult part was lining up more than 2 million red blood cells in a single layer, and getting accurate results every time. without any inconsistencies. >> reporter: 90% of malaria victims are from sub-saharan africa. the low cost and simplicity of the technology impressed doctors in uganda last year. when katoaka's team tried it out there. the team is working on ways to improve the procedure, by making the detection machine smaller

and cheaper. >> translator: our goal is to make a machine the size of a laptop computer. if it's mobile it can be battery powered and operated in places with no electricity. that would be extremely useful in africa. and other parts of the world. >> reporter: the team thinks they'll be able to finish work on the machine within two years. kataoka says he'll be happy if japan can do its bit in the global fight against malaria. u.s. president barack obama has nominated a single individual to head both the national security agency and the u.s. military cyber command. vice admiral michael rogers is currently in charge of the u.s. navy's cyber warfare programs. rogers' nominations to both

positions must be confirmed by the senate. an independent panel set up by president obama advised against letting one person lead both organizations. the panel cited concerns about excessive concentration of power. but some security experts argue the dual appointment will facilitate coordination. the nsa has been under fire for covertly collecting vast amounts of personal information, including telephone records. the agency has also been accused of spying on leaders of u.s. allies. these revelations are based on classified documents disclosed by former nsa contractor edward snowden. the u.s. justice department says it intends to seek the death penalty for a man charged with the boston marathon bombings. dzhokhar tsarnaev is accused of placing homemade bombs near the race's finish line last april. the 20-year-old tsarnaev is facing a -- facing 30 federal charges. they include using a weapon of mass destruction with the

intention to kill. the homemade bombs went off near the finish line of the race. they killed three people, including a child, and injured more than 260. in a statement, u.s. attorney general eric holder said he is authorizing the prosecutors to seek the death penalty for tsarnaev. holder said he was compelled to make the decision because of the nature of the crime and the resulting harm. authorization of the attorney general is necessary in federal trials if prosecutors wish to demand the death penalty. the trial is expected to be a long one because tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. the new mayor of new york city is taking aim at a police practice that has been criticized as being discriminatory against minorities. bill de blasio says he wants to overhaul the policy that allows police to stop and frisk people who they suspect of involvement in criminal activity. de blasio says he will drop an appeal against a federal judge's

ruling that called the practice unconstitutional. >> i think this represents an extraordinary step forward and i think there's a lot of unity here about the fact that this really puts us on a pathway to reform. >> de blasio says he will order his staff to study the introduction of wearable cameras for police officers to record their patrols, as part of the reforms. he also says he'll ask external experts to monitor the progress. the lawsuit was filed by four black male residents who said they were unfairly targeted. the court decision in august stated that more than 80% of the police's stop and frisk cases target blacks and hispanics. people in china are set to mark lunar new year. celebrations across the country are usually loud and extravagant. but this year, some are choosing to save money and tone down

their festivities. nhk world has more from beijing. >> reporter: all across the country, chinese adorn their cities with new year's decorations. it's a time when people shop for gifts to be given on this special day. >> translator: i came to buy decorations. i feel ready for a fresh start. >> reporter: but at this luxury restaurant in beijing, the banquet hall is almost empty, in stark contrast to previous years. during new year's holidays, large parties used to be held here every day. the manager tried by targeting customers on lower budgets. now his restaurant offers homestyle dishes like noodles

instead of expensive sharkfin and abalone. >> translator: the average customer used to spend $100. but now it's $20. >> reporter: this trend resulted from a government campaign against corruption. authorities told bureaucrats to stop spending public money on wining and dining. people who oppose corruption praised the move. but it is hurting some businesses. chinese traditionally give new year's presents to family members, and people with business connections. this year, people shop at the lower-end stores, instead of luxury shops. this is a typical purchase. the horse is this year's zodiac sign. many customers spent only about $20. a far cry from what shoppers used to spend. large firms don't purchase in bulk like they used to.

so profits are likely to plunge. >> translator: we used to be busy around this time. but now we have to be satisfied by managing to make it into the black. >> reporter: during china's new year celebrations, lots of chinese love setting off firecrackers. they are loud, give off lots of smoke, and they are said to ward off evil. but beijing authorities are banning the use when air pollution is too high. then there's the problem of the mess these firecrackers make. so residents are adapting to the new circumstances. now there's a new kind of noisemaker that's less harmful to the ecology. these are the eco-friendly firecrackers. they're supposed to produce less smoke. so i'm going to see for myself.

they contain much less sulfur, also after exploding they don't leave shards of paper. they are catching on with beijing residents. >> translator: being environmentally friendly is good. as we do need firecrackers to celebrate. >> translator: it would be sad if firecrackers vanished from chinese new year. it really would. so, i think what we have to do is keep the tradition alive by adapting it to changing times. >> reporter: so chinese are coming up with new ways to keep alive the cherishenew year's traditions. kuehne hiro yamamoto, nhk world,

beijing. another tropical storm is heading to the philippines and meteorologist robert speta is here with the latest on that. robert? >> reporter: yeah, this is our tropical storm moving off towards the west, and you see it right here on the satellite picture. just this big, broad band of cloud cover. most of the clouds actually pushing west of the center of circulation which is here but that's where the heaviest of the rainfall is going to be. that's really the big problem with this storm system. winds at 65. gusting up to 90 kilometers per hour. as far as tropical storms go, this is on the low end of the intensity scale. but the problem is, it's not so much the winds. it's the rain, and take a look at the accumulation outlook, and here in the yellow, that's typhoon haiyan. remember back in november it ran right through this area devastated a lot of people are actually still in temporary shelters out here, especially right along the eastern side and this coming right through almost the same exact track it's

definitely not welcome at all. so a very severe risk of flooding and landslides out here needless to say. it's moving fast, and it's also a lot weaker and by the time sunday evening rolls around really the storm system is going to be tapering right off. so that's really the good news with it. farther towards the north, we are seeing some snowfall across portions of northern japan. you still could see about 40 centimeters of a fresh accumulation. outside of that, look how clear it is out here. and that is going to be ushering in some warm temperatures for many of you. actually tokyo take a look at that. 19 degrees by monday. definitely very springlike out here. even over towards shanghai getting up to 23. slowly cooling down. but still well above average. tie pay into the mid20s. feeling a little bit like spring by monday and tuesday. you do notice it drops down for a lot of you. we do have another cold surge coming in. do enjoy the warm weather while it does last. meanwhile across the americas, some severe weather into the central plains extending off towards the east.

definitely rough commute for many of you here on friday mornings. some freezing rain, even some heavy snowfall mixed in to this as it does continue to pull off. and anywhere you see there in the blue, definitely going to be a foul weather day on friday. going into saturday morning. i think the big question is, what's going to be happening farther here towards the east. now i'm talking about right around new york area, new jersey, especially on sunday evening. let's take a look at a three-day forecast. this is super bowl weekend out here. denver broncos going against the seattle seahawks. i know this is a big, unusual scenario because usually these games are held in warm weather climates. this is being held up in new jersey this year. it does look like actually above average temperatures are working their way in. temperatures going to be rather mild with a high of 11. low right around 3. there's the risk of a passing shower. then we were worried if that snow was going to be impacting the game. not until monday is it going to be moving overhead. something to look out for, too, if you are following a sport event there.

meanwhile across europe we are looking at a severe weather system there in italy. some flood watches are in effect. and higher elevations. you could seen see a meter of snowfall across the alpine, that system definitely very potent one. but the other problem is, there's been flooding last, well, several weeks into parts of the british isles. another potent storm system is coming through. adding more rainfall out here. and continuing the risk of the floods throughout the next several days. london, you have cloudy skies for now but the showers will continue to work their way in. madrid with a high temps and rain showers for you. the cold spot, kiev, minus 14 here on your friday. that's a look at your world weather. here's the extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. gg99ññw

>> hello, it is 1:00 p.m. here in the french capital. you're watching live in paris. the headlines -- talks in geneva are wrapping up with little or no progress. there is frustration with the lack of humanitarian access. measures tourges ease unrest, but with indefinite leave for yanukovych, many people wonder what is left for the country. sunday'sme for this super bowl, up to $4 million for advertising.ds of