a 's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. japanese officials are reaching out and asking their counterparts in jordan for help securing the release of freelance journalist kenji goto. the u.s. military says coalition forces have driven out islamic state militants from 90% of a key city in northern syria. japan's cabinet ministers have approved a plan to create

conditions where people with dementia can live with a better quality of life. > and, one family in china says the country has a long way to go to improve its judicial system. japanese government officials are searching for a way to bring freelance journalist kenji goto back home. they've been trying to use every diplomatic channel available to reach out to members of islamic state who are believed to be holding him hostage. and they're also seeking assistance from their jordanian counterparts. the militant group is demanding that the government of jordan free sagida al rishawi in exchange for goto's release. she's a death row inmate convicted of a 2005 terrorist attack. but people in the country say she should be exchanged for a jordanian pilot who was captured last month by extremists. >> translator: i want jordan and

japan to closely cooperate and to the jordanian pilot and japanese journalist goto return to their homes, smiling. >> japan's top government spokesperson says there's been no contact from islamic state so far. >> translator: japan is asking for cooperation from jordan and other nations. along with local tribal chiefs. and religious leaders. >> senior foreign ministry officials held an emergency meeting. they discussed how to deal with the crisis by analyzing the latest information. >> translator: we will make all-out efforts to release kenji goto by using all diplomatic channels available. >> goto's mother has been repeatedly demanding that her son be released. she showed a self-portrait he

drew in elementary school. junko ishida said she remembered what he told her as a boy. he told her he wanted to become a man who could save those suffering. japanese lawmakers have been debating the hostage crisis and prime minister shinzo abe has vowed an all-out effort to solve it. >> translator: i talked by telephone with leaders of countries concerned and asked them for any possible support to collect intelligence and get the hostage freed as soon as possible. the situation is extremely difficult. but we will work with other nations, even more closely and do whatever we can to secure an early release. >> an opposition lawmaker asked abe whether he had assumed possible risks before he pledged aid worth $200 million to help refugees and displaced people affected by islamic state militants. >> translator: peace and stability in the middle east

region is critically important for our country. in terms of energy security japan's contributions to cope with global challenges. if we fear risks and bow to threats from terrorists we won't be able to provide humanitarian aid to countries in the region. and if we give in to terrorism, that would not only trigger more terrorist attacks against japanese, but also allow those who use violence to have their own way. that should never happen. >> foreign ministry fumio ishida has also told u.s. secretary of state john kerry japan will continue to do its utmost to secure the release of goto. kishida and kerry spoke by phone for about ten minutes on tuesday. the conversation was at the request of the united states. kerry expressed solidarity with japan over the hostage taking. he praised japan's efforts for peace and stability in the middle east. kishida expressed his appreciation to u.s. president barack obama and kerry for working with japan on the

hostage situation. kishida and kerry also agreed to never back down to terrorism. they pledged to work together for global peace and stability. u.s. military officials say international coalition forces have taken control of about 90% of any al arab in northern syria. the city known to its kurdish residents as kobani and held by islamic state militants.the city known to its kurdish residents as kobani and held by islamic state militants.syria. the city known to its kurdish residents as kobani and held by islamic state militants. officials say taking ayn al arab means they have failed to achieve a strategic goal. the battle began four months ago but officials say the fight isn't over. u.s. forces have intensified air strikes in cooperation with kurdish fighters on the ground. ayn al arab has been seen as a test of the coalition's strategy to use air power to fight islamic state militants in syria. they took over most of the city last year. kurdish people in town in southeastern turkey celebrated the victory by singing and dancing. intense fighting in syria has caused many kurds to flee their homes.

the u.s. officials also say coalition forces have stopped islamic state's momentum in iraq. they say the american military will train fighters to deal with the shortage of troops on the ground in syria. the u.s. plans to create a 5,000 strong force comprising members of moderate anti-government groups by the end of the year. people are commemorating a solemn date in poland by saying never again. january 27th is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the auschwitz concentration camp. survivors and their families placed flowers in memory of those who suffered and died there. nazi germany established auschwitz as a concentration camp in 1940 after invading poland. the nazis took at least 1.3 million people there by force. most were jews. around 1 million of them were murdered in gas chambers or by other means. one man who survived auschwitz

says he is a living witness to its horror. >> we see most people and i don't blame them they probably don't believe it because it's inconceivable that people could be so bad, horrible to other people. >> about 300 survivors and world leaders will attend a memorial ceremony at the site of the camp. most survivors are now more than 80 years old. the challenge is to pass on the lessons of auschwitz to succeeding generations. more bacon on the plate. the subject is being discussed in the latest free trade talks. ron madison has more on this subject. ron? >> yes, the latest on the tpp may actually give hope now for a breakthrough on a key sticking point, gene. a group of u.s. pork producers critical of japan and trans-pacific partnership free trade talks is changing its tune now. the group says it's seeing progress in the talks and it's urging u.s. lawmakers to speed them up. officials at the national pork producers council have conveyed that request in a letter to

congress. they state that significant progress has been made in japan's market access offer but they don't provide any details. they say the tpp will be the most beneficial deal ever for u.s. park producers. the group has urged u.s. lawmakers to give u.s. president barack obama greater authority to negotiate trade deals as soon as possible. negotiators from the 12 member countries are now meeting in new york in a push toward a tpp deal. well officials with automaker toyota are saying they'll improve both wages and treatment of their younger workers. they say this will affect about 40,000 employees. toyota managers say they plan to revamp the firm's seniority system to improve allowances for families raising children. they say they will also review the treatment of highly skilled senior workers. this would include providing financial incentives to train younger employees. toyota managers are also considering maintaining the wage levels of workers replied after they retire at age 60. and working conditions for

part-time and temporary workers may also get a boost. officials at one-third of companies in an annual nhk survey say that they're moving in that direction. 100 major firms participated in the poll. managers at 32 of them said they're mulling better firms for nonregular workers. that's six more companies than last year. they say they are considering higher wages, and creating more chances for permanent employment. well the number of foreign visitors to japan rose to a record high last year. the minister of tourism says the government wants to see more of that. and he'll set up panels in the region to address shortfalls in accommodation and transport. >> translator: our key goal for this year is to create an environment enabling more tourists to visit not only tokyo and kyoto but other parts of the country. >> some regions have been short of accommodation at sight seeing buses during certain seasons. the shortage of parking for

buses has led to problems with onstreet parking. ministry officials will meet with the local governments and come up with measures by the end of june. the government plans to raise the number of foreign tourists to an annual 20 million by the time of the tokyo olympics in 2020. all right. time to get a check of the markets now. investors are concerned about the coming earnings season in europe with siemens and erickson posting profits. benchmarks are all down with both frankfurt and paris losing 0.6% right now. london is lower by 0.3%. turning to the asia pacific region in tokyo the benchmark nikkei index closed up 1.7% 17,768. market players are betting on good news and earnings reports here. they're expecting japanese exporters to benefit from the weaker yen, and importers to reap a windfall from the slide in oil prices. well, in terms of other markets in sydney the benchmark index there was up more than 0.8%

5,547. investors pretty much brushing off initial fears that the leftist victory in greece would produce turmoil in the eurozone. shanghai's composite index was down 0.9%. the hang seng losing 0.4%. analysts say both of them were dragged down by financial and property shares. they say investors are concerned about the effects of the cooling chinese economy on profits. well in terms of currencies traders have been buying back the euro against the dollar. the pair now at roughly 1.1276. investors have their eyes on the outcome of the u.s. fed's first policy meeting of the year for any clues on the timing of a rate hike. meanwhile the dollar is in a pretty narrow range against the yen at roughly 118.07. market players are watching the u.s. economic indicators including new home prices and manufacturing data. well finance ministers from the eurozone nations have discussed how to handle the debt problems of greece after the

country's new anti-austerity prime minister took office. the ministers say they will hold talks with the new greek government if it stays in the eurozone. alexis tsipras led the party to victory in sunday's election. he's calling for a review of the austerity measures imposed by the european union. the euro group chief urged greece not to change course. he said all other parties in the eurozone are upholding their commitments. >> i've taken note that all the leading politicians have expressed their ambition that greece's future is inside the eurozone. and that i think is a very good basis to start our talks on. >> eu finance leaders put together a loan package of 240 billion euros, about $270 billion to rescue greece from defaulting on sovereign debt. ministers will meet again next month to decide what their next steps are going to be. all right. that is going to do it for biz tonight. here's a check of the markets.

the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has been having a hard time dealing with contaminated water. last week officials at tokyo electric power company announced they wouldn't be able to meet their deadline for decontamination work. they say groundwater entering

the facility becomes tainted when it mixes with melted fuel inside the reactor containers. tepco engineers believe some of the fuel has cooled down and turned into solid debris. but they don't know the exact situation. so they're hoping to take a look inside with the help of a high tech imaging system. nhk world's noriko okada reports. >> reporter: these flashing streaks of light show traces of a particle called a muon. muons rain down on us from space. each minute about 10,000 of them land on every square meter of the earth. scientists have figured out a way of using muons to help them see substances hidden from view like magma. the technique is a type of imaging known as muon

tomography. when particles hit high density objects like magma, they lose energy or are absorbed. scientists can measure this outcome to determine the shape of the substance. it's like an x-ray. researchers are hoping to use the technique to get a better idea of what's inside of reactors. >> translator: we expect to be able to check the presence of heavy materials. even if radiation levels are so high that we can't approach the area. >> reporter: engineers will use detectors to try and determine the state of the melted fuel. we researchers did a similar experiment at a different nuclear power plant in 2012 and 2013. they were able to catch images of spent fuel in a pool inside the reactor building.

wednesday, workers at fukushima will try to repeat that success. they are scheduled to set up a pair of detectors outside the number one reactor. engineers say knowing what's inside will help them figure out a way to decommission the plant, and put an end to the problem of contaminated water. noriko okada, nhk world. japanese cabinet ministers have approved a ten-year plan to address dementia. they want to create an environment where people with the condition can live in familiar surroundings. >> translator: dementia is disease that could affect anyone. the number of people with the condition is growing worldwide. it's a common challenge across the world. the population of japan is aging rapidly. so we must deal with the issue with a societywide effort.

>> the government estimates that one out of five senior citizens could have dementia by 2025. the plan calls on municipalities to introduce a new program to allow local officials and medical workers to visit the homes of people in the early stages of dementia. they would provide the appropriate medical and nursing care. the plan proposes trials of new drugs. it also suggests a campaign to build more homes customized for the elderly. japanese coast guard officials say two chinese patrol ships temporarily entered japan's territorial waters. and they have warned the crews were not -- not to re-enter that is the waters off the senkaku islands in the east china sea. coast guard officials spotted the ships on tuesday northwest of kuba island. the ships left the area about two hours later. japan controls the senkaku islands. the japanese government maintains the islands are part of japan's territory. china and taiwan claim them. chinese ships previously entered japanese waters off the islands on two days this month.

the coast guard says last year the same thing happened on 32 separate days. the chinese family is questioning the merits of a countryside system designed to give them a voice against local officials. they're allowed to file appeals directly to the central government. but they're finding the process doesn't always work to their advantage. nhk world explains. >> reporter: outside the courthouse in the city of suzhuo in china, a man examines official documents. he is checking the schedule for his wife's trial. she's facing charges of extortion against a local government. >> translator: the government can accuse anyone of anything. >> reporter: his wife was elected in june of last year.

the local public security bureau abruptly notified him that she has been arrested. it's all after their son was murdered 13 years ago. the sentence given against her by the local court was too light. so she decided to file an appeal with the central government. she traveled to beijing many times, trying to petition against the ruling. in china, local governments do not like to appeal to beijing. they are afraid the central government may think local officials aren't dealing with the case properly. local officials say shu was given payments on four occasions to stop her taking her case to the central government.

they say she received a total of $1,500 over two years. they insist that the money was to help them with their living expenses. even after the payments shu continues to appeal to the central government. but she was brought back and arrested. >> translator: i was shocked that the local government insisted she had blackmailed it. >> reporter: shu's case was picked up by some media in china they questioned whether her actions could really be built as a threat to the local government. since her arrest, he has been studying criminal law. he says the local government is

abusing the law and suppressing their citizen's rights. six months after her arrest on the day of sentencing he went to the trial with his daughter. she is in elementary school, so she could see her mother. shu was sentenced to ten months in prison. the couple appealed immediately. >> translator: my wife's extortion charges would not have stood up if the local government hadn't put pressure on the court. can an illiterate citizen really blackmail the authorities? >> reporter: law specialists say other similar cases are now being heard by courts around china. >> translator: the local government views these petitions as a threat. they conspire with the police prosecutors, and the courts to

try to maintain the semblance of peace. >> reporter: president xi jinping has made it a major national goal to improve china's internal rules and mechanisms. but people around the country are still finding there is a long way to go before that happens. takanori tamm may, nhk world. a vicious snowstorm is shutting down major cities in the u.s. northeast. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us for the latest. sayaka? >> yes, gene this year's first winter storm is actually causing lots of problems over the northeast of the united states. 6,000 or more flights have been canceled, and also some schools

are closed and also in new york city, actually railway services and also bus services were halted monday night. we have some pictures to show you from new york city and boston. this was on monday when snow started to fall. new york is in a state of emergency. more than 1800 snow plows and 2400 cleaning personnel were working around the clock to keep the roads ready for emergency staff members. meanwhile, at boston's logan international airport air travel was paralyzed monday with hundreds of delays and cancellations. airport officials say air travel will continue to face significant disruption on tuesday. we still have blizzard warnings in place for the coastal locations from the eastern end of new york city new york state, up into nova scotia of canada. lots of snow and winds are on the menu for many areas. we still have a very intense low pressure system near the coast as you can see the lines,

isobars are very very closely packed meaning fierce winds are blowing. winds could be up to 130 kilometers per hour with snowfall with an additional 75 centimeters. so the combination could result in whiteout conditions and with the strong winds and low temperatures will result in dangerous windchill values. for example in new york it could feel like minus 20 degrees celsius or so. so to avoid hypothermia and also frostbite, please do bundle up. snow will likely continue into tuesday for many areas, new york city your high -- or your low is going to be minus 6 degrees. some improvement on wednesday, but temperatures will plummet to minus 12 degrees in the morning hours on thursday. so, please do bundle up. now cold air across the east but warm air across the west. temperatures as follows. take a look 21 degrees in denver. that's 15 degrees higher than normal. 15 degrees higher than normal in winnipeg, as well. meanwhile 12 degrees in seattle. that's more like mid-march.

springlike weather in tokyo today. the high rose to 16 degrees. but tomorrow is a different story. very colder air will move in from the north, so temperatures will plummet. now the colder air will cause sea-effect snow over the eastern flank of japan from hokkaido down towards the hokuriku reeging probably towards 30 sent meters of snow in the next 24 hours. that will be combined with very gusty conditions. temperatures in tokyo up to 8 degrees during the daytime hours. now moisture and low temperatures are resulting in snowfall in inland locations of china. probably up to 15 centimeters in hunan province. now temperatures in shanghai at 6 degrees during the daytime hours. know is on the menu. so at the freezing point despite sunny weather and again tokyo 8 degrees for the high on wednesday. now finally over europe very unstable weather is continuing over the mediterranean countries. over the south of italy and the balkan peninsula and parts of

turkey there's a chance of thunderstorms, and even hail for the coastal locations, and inland snow for the mountainous locations. patches of snow for central europe, but temperatures actually warmer than average. zero degrees for the high moscow minus 3 degrees, just a couple of degrees higher than normal. zero degrees in kiev with snow on the menu. but across the west in the teens in madrid as well as lisbon on tuesday. that's all for now. here's your extended forecast.

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

orld commemorates the liberation of auschwitz. kurdish fighters celebrate the retaking of kobane. islamic state fighters control surrounding areas. angela merkel congratulates the new anti-austerity prime minister on his party's win. those are the headlines. coming up, more on greece and business.