welcome back to "newsline," i'm miki yamamoto in tokyo. first the headlines for this hour. prime minister shinzo abe says sending a delegation to north korea will show japan's resolve to find out what happened to abducted nationals. no country can consider itself free from the threat of ebola, and japanese authorities are preparing for the possible arrival of the virus. and executives at japanese

companies are competing for new recruits by making the hiring process a family affair. prime minister shinzo abe says a delegation of officials will head to north korea. he says they'll get a firsthand update on the investigation into the fate of abducted japanese nationals. and he says resolving the issue is a top priority of his government. >> translator: north korea was insisting the abduction issue had been solved. but, we succeeded in changing their attitude. we decided to send a delegation to directly convey our resolve to the people in charge of the investigation. we've considered the risk of not sending the mission, which could cause the investigation to come

to a halt >> abe says he wants to know the current status of the probe and says japan needs to put pressure on leaders in pyongyang to solve the abduction issue. the delegation will include officials from foreign ministry and the national police agency. and the government's abduction issue task force will also attend the talks starting on tuesday in pyongyang. government officials in tokyo say north korean agents kidnapped at least 17 japanese nationals in the 1970s and '80s. 12 of them are still missing. officials in the united states say an american detained by north korea for five months is now free. jeffrey fowle was one of three u.s. citizens being held. the other two are still in captivity. >> we can confirm that jeffrey fowle has been allowed to depart the dprk and is on his way home to rejoin his family. >> harf said fowle is in good

physical condition. he entered north korea in april as a tourist, and was detained the following month. north korean authorities said fowle tried to secretly pass along a bible. authorities accused him of what they call hostile conduct. a pro-korean group in japan published an interview with fowle this month. in it he urged u.s. officials to work to secure his release. harf said the u.s. government will keep trying to get the two other americans freed. north korean authorities have sentenced beth kenneth bae and matthew miller to hard labor. officials from japan, china and south korea have met for the first time to discuss ways to respond to cyber attacks. they agreed to make efforts to advance confidence building in this field. china's foreign ministry hosted the meeting. the japanese delegation included officials from the ministries of defense and internal affairs.

details of the discussions were not disclosed, but they reportedly agreed to continue their talks on the subject. china has often been criticized by the u.s. and other countries for its involvement in cyber attacks and spying. japanese officials say their chinese counterparts extend the country's policy on combatting cyber attacks. the three nations had agreed to facilitate cooperation on the issue at the summit in 2012. but there have been no face-to-face talks until tuesday's meeting, because of soured relations with japan. the operator of 9 fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has begun dismantling the cover of one of its damaged reactors. the work is in preparation to remove contaminated debris and spent nuclear fuel. but people in the area concerned

that radioactive materials might spread during the process. the cover was installed after the 2011 nuclear accident to prevent radioactive material from spreading. tokyo electric power company employees have started work taking it off the number one reactor building. they'll spray chemicals through holes drilled into the cover to prevent dust from scattering. after about a week, workers will remove part of the cover to see if any radioactive dust will disperse. the operator hopes to begin full-scale dismantling of the cover next march, and complete the task in about a year. they expect to start cleaning the debris in 2016. radioactive materials spread last year when debris was removed from another reactor building. farmers and local authorities fear that rice paddies were contaminated. the operator says it will

monitor the possible spread of radioactive materials, and disclose the data on the website. governments around the world have been ramping up their efforts to keep ebola from spreading to their countries. authorities in the u.s. and some european nations have enhanced airport screenings for passengers coming from west africa, where the virus has killed thousands. and now japanese officials are also stepping up their measures. nhk world's chee yam gich chi has details. >> reporter: japanese leaders want to make sure ebola doesn't cross their borders. they now require twice daily health reports from anyone who went to sierra leone, liberia or guinea, the nations hardest hit by ebola. since august, travelers coming from west africa have had to report to staff at the airport quarantine offices.

public health experts say these measures are important. he runs the world health organization regional director during the sars outbreak more than a decade ago. he said while ebola is not transmitted through the air like sars, the fatality rate is enough cause for concern. travelers, he said, should know the risks. >> after they come back to their hometown, if and when they show symptoms like a fever, they should be urged to report immediately to relevant health authorities. so that the health authorities will tell you which hospital they should visit. >> reporter: health authorities have designated 45 hospitals in

japan as capable of dealing with ebola, and other highly infectious diseases. doctors and nurses in these institutions are being trained how to transport patients. and how to safely put on and take off personal protective equipment. the director of the institute that is providing the training. >> the surface of the personal protective equipment is contaminated. heavily contaminated if the patient is having, you know, discharges. so we have to train over and over again to put on and put it off. >> reporter: he says he's considering having the entire process monitored by other trained personnel to avoid mistakes. he argues japan has a responsibility to its neighbors

to prevent an outbreak. >> we have to first -- the priority is we ourselves have to make preparation for possible, you know, acceptance or importation of this infection, you know. because if it, that could give a fear to other countries in this nature. >> reporter: japanese leaders are also trying to stop ebola at the source.make preparation for nature. >> reporter: japanese leaders are also trying to stop ebola at the source. the government has pledged more than $40 million in assistance, has sent drugs and medical equipment to west africa, and is dispatching experts to work with w.h.o. but ohmi says it must also help address a fundamental problem. >> japan should work with our international community to help those countries so that their health system will be more robust and stronger.

>> reporter: most agree until that happens these nations may continue to struggle with ebola and could be vulnerable to another disease outbreak down the road. chie yamagishi, nhk world, tokyo. now, to what's happening in the world of business. here's our ron madison from the biz desk. ron? >> thank you, miki. cabinet secretary yoshihide suga says the government will consider upcoming gdp data before it decides on a further hike in the consumption tax. preliminary gdp data for the july-september quarter will be out next month. the abe administration raised the tax from 5% to 8% in april. it's scheduled to raise it further next october to 10%. but some members of the main ruling liberal democratic party have expressed caution about another tax hike. >> translator: the ldp will discuss the future direction of the plan during an exchange of

opinions at the party's tax reform panel. >> suga says the prime minister maintains his stance of making a final decision on the tax, after studying various data, including the gdp figures. well, japan is soaring as the destination for foreign travelers. tourist numbers hit a record in september due in part to the weaker yen, and an increased number of air routes. officials at japan national tourism organizations say more than $1 million travelers visited last month. that's up about 27% from a year before. tourists from mainland china topped 246,000. travelers from taiwan and south korea also rose marking more than 200,000 each. total visitors for january to september were over 9.7 million, a gain of 26% from the same period last year. industry officials say they expect visitor numbers for the we're to reach 12 million. they say recently eased visa requirements for indonesia, the

philippines, and vietnam, are likely to boost the figures further. officials at the japanese finance minimum city say the company's balance of trade is still in the red. september marked the 27th straight month when imports outwied exports. that's the longest run of trade shortfalls since camp parable data came available back in 1979. the deficit last month was more than $8.9 billion. that's 1.6% more in yen terms than a year ago. the shortfall is bigger than what analysts were projecting. the balance of trade has been in the red since july 2012. increased shipments of autos and steel helped to boost exports 6.9% from the same month last year. imports were up 6.2%, mainly due to higher demand for fuel that's used in thermal power generation. smartphones were also in high demand. the officials say the trade deficit for the period from april to september was more than $50 billion, and that is a record for the first half of the fiscal year.

they say the continuing rise in fuel imports has become a long-term trend. well, investors in asia taking a positive lead from a strong performance on wall street, and in europe they're encouraged, as well by upbeat corporate earnings. also a strong housing data out of the u.s. investors hopes are growing that the european central bank will come up with further easing measures to stop the price declines across the region. all markets except shanghai finished higher today. the nikkei average has seen quite a jump today, up more than 2.6%, finished at 15,195. that erased the previous day's losses. higher risk appetite pushed up shares across the board today. analysts say that investors are pretty much shrugging off the data on the higher trade deficit. well in sydney the s&p asx index seeing gains of more than 1%, 5,385. it was the seventh consecutive gain. leading the advance resources stocks, after mining giant bhp

billiton said it's on track to meet its iron ore production estimate. bucking the trend was shanghai. the index there down more than half a percent at 2,326. investors were cautious as they are waiting for chinese manufacturing data. that is slated for release on thursday. well, finance ministers and other officials from the 21 members of the asia pacific economic cooperation forum are holding talks in beijing. they are concerned about how global uncertainty is affecting their part of the world. apec participants are discussing the economic outlook for the region, and how to boost investment in infrastructure development. japanese finance minister taro aso will explain how the country is trying to rebuild its finances, and get the economy growing again. he's the first japanese finance minister to attend the annual meeting in four years. aso apparently hopes that will lay the groundwork for a meeting between prime minister shinzo abe and chinese leaders on the sidelines of the apec summit next month.

japanese business people are showing off their company's products in baghdad, and that is despite worsening security there. about 20 japanese firms and organizations are taking part in iraq's largest trade show, the baghdad international fair. the number is down 30% from last year due to advances by islamic state militants. that hasn't stopped many at the show, though, from betting on future opportunities. >> translator: i hope the new government will do something to improve the safety situation. you can't even do business here without body armor. >> company representatives point out that iraq remains one of the leading oil producing countries, and with a population of more than 30 million, they say it's still worth investing in. well, executives at some of japan's smaller firms say more and more graduates are turning down their job offers. they say parents are pushing their kids to work for the bigger corporations. so now executives are taking a bit of a different approach. they're making the hiring process a family affair.

>> reporter: this venture firm designs and creates store signs. it currently employs 70 people. to expand its business further, the firm gave 17 young job applicants offers for work this year. but the company's president received some troubling news. four of the applicants turned down the job offers. they said their parents were against the idea because the company is small. >> translator: in the final round of interviews, the candidates often say their parents are worried about whether they can trust our company. >> reporter: noticing the trend, this employment agency is checking if applicants have obtained their parents' approval to work at a given company before they go to the final interview.

the agency also asking about their parents' concerns. >> translator: more applicants are declining job offers so we're focusing on convincing their parents. >> reporter: to ease the parents' concerns, company leaders are taking action. nishisaka invited the parents of prospective employees to his office. his staff shows the parents around the office, and tell them about how the company works, so they can feel confident about their children working there. then he explained his company's financial status. >> translator: our sales were around $4 million at the time of the global financial crisis. but we were still in the red. as you can see, we have since then moved into the black, and

we have steadily continued growing overall. >> reporter: after the briefing, nishisaka and his employees held a gathering with the applicants and their parents. the president listens to what kinds of concerns the parents have about his company. >> translator: my son likes the idea of working at a venture business. but that makes me all the more worried. >> translator: i understand. >> reporter: he gives them his business card and asks them to contact him if they have any questions. >> translator: i'm glad to talk to the president in person and get to know him. now, i feel more positive about my son working here. >> reporter: nishisaka hopes

that by engaging the parents, they will trust him and agree to their children starting work at his firm. >> translator: business is all about people. to hire people, we also have to think about ways to get their families to learn more about us. >> reporter: the approach this company's taking is paying off. and other companies are following suit. >> okay. that is going to do it for biz this hour. let's see how things are looking on the markets. u.n. secretary-general ban

ki-moon has criticized israeli military activity in gaza, and he says he'll launch a war inquiry into strikes on their facilities in the recent conflict. ban made his first visit to the region since the 50 days of fighting between israel and hamas that ended in august. he said 100,000 people are homeless, and 50,000 are still living in u.n. facilities. >> i fully understand the security threat to israel from rockets above and tunnels below. at the same time, the scale of the destruction in gaza has left deep questions about proportionality and the need for accountability. >> ban says he'll appoint an independent board to investigate into attacks on u.n. operated buildings, including a school. the fighting left many civilians dead or wounded.

israel's deputy ambassador to the u.n., david roet, warned the international community not to rush into helping gaza, and he says aid to rehabilitate the strip must not be used for hamas terrorist activity. canadian officials say a man who killed a soldier and injured another in a hit and run was inspired by islamic extremism. police shot and killed the 25-year-old man after a high-speed chase in a city near montreal. police say the man was a resident of the city, and converted to islam last year. they say they detained him in july when he tried to travel to the middle east to join an islamic militant group. and they confiscated his passport so he couldn't leave the country. he was one of about 90 people authorities placed under surveillance for holding suspected extremist views. public safety minister said

investigators are convinced the man targeted the soldiers. >> what took place yesterday is clearly linked to terrorist ideology. this is a terrible act of violence against our country, against our military, against our value. >> several young canadians have traveled abroad to join islamic extremist groups. canadian government officials recently voted to join the u.s.-led military operation against islamic state militant group. security authorities are now on higher alert against terrorist attacks at home. it's time now to check on the world weather with our meteorologist sayaka mori. sayaka, people in t tokyo are experiencing another chilly and wet day.

how long is the rain going to continue? >> yes, miki, definitely it's a wet and chilly wednesday here in tokyo. i think the rain will continue into tomorrow morning. we have a system just to the south of the country. that is sending moisture to the south coast, including tokyo, and dragging cooler air from the north. tomorrow, the system will move away, so clear conditions will come back to many parts of the country. however, due to cooler temperatures, still we are seeing some cooler than average temperatures tomorrow. we're expecting the high of 14 degrees in tokyo. that's more like early december. 13 degrees and a couple of degrees lower than normal in hokkaido. across europe, if you remember last week, hurricane gonzalo battered bermuda and the system is now affecting parts of europe. it's now a low pressure system but it's still packing a lot of energy. enough to cause excessive amounts of heavy rain and fierce winds. because of that, in the uk, one person was killed due to a

falling tree, and also a cable car was stuck in germany. we have some video to show you. how the people were kes ued. a powerful storm with strong winds created a scary moment for one family in germany. a cable car became stuck over the rhine at the height of 40 meters. officials believe the strong winds from the ongoing storm caused the wheel of the cable car to become dislodged. well, unfortunately, the system is still strong, so we are expecting more severe weather to cover a wide area over central europe and parts of the northwestern balkan peninsula. we actually have red alerts, that's the highest alert, for winds posted for parts of this location like croatia and slovenia, and we are expecting snow to fall in the alpine regions. still that will be accompanied by gusty winds making for very, very treacherous road conditions. as we go into thursday the conditions will reach the south of the balkan peninsula.

so staying sunny on wednesday near athens, but stormy conditions are expected to come in athens. so do be prepared for the stormy conditions. and the system is actually dragging cooler air from the north, so temperatures are going to be quite chilly. take a look, only 10 degrees in vienna, and 10 degrees in berlin. that's more like early november, and cooler than that in moscow. take a look, minus 2 degrees, snow on the menu, and temperatures will drop even further as we go in to thursday. now, across the americas, we have an intense system moving over the waters just to the east of the u.s. that will provide stormy conditions for the next couple of days over the northeastern u.s. and eastern canada, such as new york city, as well as washington, d.c. and because the tail of the cold front, rain is falling and will likely continue for the next several days. this was the scene coming out of florida on tuesday. torrential rains flooded streets of florida. motorists struggled with 200 millimeters of rain around west palm beach in five hours.

several roads were closed. well, again, i'm afraid more rain is expected as we go in to early next week in florida. now, across the western side of the u.s. we have another system to come in that will provide lots of heavy rainfall. nearly 140 millimeters of rain in and around eastern parts of oregon. so watch out for flash floods. temperatures are much cooler than normal in vancouver, as well as seattle, and across the east, only 15 for the high in new york city. all right, here's the extended forecast around the globe.

and that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm miki yamamoto from tokyo. we'll have more news for you at the top of the hour. ;gg99ññwçç

>> these are the headlines. a vaccine for the ebola virus could be ready within weeks. themwant to begin testing on health care workers now fighting the epidemic in west africa. an airdrop of weapons meant for kurdish fighters falls into the hands of the islamic state group. alert raises its terror after a soldier run over by a jihadist dies. also coming