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. stepping down. japan's agriculture minister has handed in his resignation after a series of allegations that his office took improper finding. the u.s. homeland security chief is calling for vigilance against -- after, rather islamic state extremists threaten to target shopping malls.

japanese aid groups are facing new challenges in assisting syrian refugees. ♪ and a dance troupe in central japan is bridging the gap between two cultures. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has lost a key member of his cabinet. agriculture and fisheries minister koya nishikawa has announced he's stepping down. nishikawa came under fire after a media report said his political organization received a donation from a company subsidized by the government. he returned the money when he realized it could have been deemed illegal. >> translator: i've tried to explain but it never seems to be enough for those accusing me. so i submitted my resignation to the prime minister. i explained everything and i've done nothing illegal.

>> nishikawa says he told the prime minister he doesn't want the allegations to hinder ongoing diet deliberations. >> translator: as the prime minister, i am responsible for choosing cabinet ministers. so i want to apologize to the public for causing the trouble. >> abe says he's appointed former agriculture minister hayashi to replace nishikawa. the prime minister says highish shi will push forward the farming policy and effort to make the industry attractive and profitable. prime minister shinzo abe says the practice of hate speech against ethnic minorities must be stopped, and he's vowed to raise public awareness to stop discrimination. abe made the remarks while answering a question from komeito legislator during a lower house committee session. >> translator: it is extremely

unpleasant and regrettable that hate speech exists. the practice downgrades those involved as well as japan as a whole. >> abe said it's important that existing laws are applied appropriately. he says he'll consider legislative measures after further discussions with political groups and the public. the prime minister also answered a question about the continued intrusions by chinese government vessels and japanese waters near the senkaku islands. >> translator: these repeated intrusions are very regrettable, and japan will respond calmly and firmly to protect its territory, waters, and it air space. >> he says it's clear that there's no issue of territorial sovereignty to be resolved over the senkaku islands, and he says no one should attempt to change the status quo through force. the u.s. homeland security chief has called for vigilance against terrorism following an

online threat against shopping malls. militants belonging to al slab an posted a video message on the internet internet. they specifically named large malls in the u.s., britain and canada. u.s. homeland security secretary jeh johnson told abc news on sunday that extremist groups are now publicly calling for violence through the internet, videos, and other means. >> the video that was released by al shabab reflects what i believe is the new phase we've evolved in terms of the global terrorist threat. >> johnson added that the country needs to respond to terror threats militarily. but he also says americans must have a whole government approach through law enforcement and homeland security. and he said they should also counter violent extremism efforts in u.s. communities. australia's prime minister has announced new measures to prevent attacks by what he calls home-grown terrorists. tony abbott outlined the

initiatives in a speech in the capital canberra. >> now i can't promise that terrorist atrocities won't ever again take place on australian soil. my government will never underestimate the terror threat. >> abbott said at least 110 australians have traveled abroad to join the islamic state militant group. he said government leaders will work to keep them from threatening australia's security. abbott is calling for a change in laws to deter people who could pose a danger. his proposal would allow authorities to strip people with dual nationality of their australian citizenship. and he said the government will clamp down on groups that spread extremist views. earlier this month police in sydney arrested two men on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. investigators believe the men were influenced by islamic state militants. the turkish military has sent troops into neighboring syria to evacuate soldiers besieged by islamic state militants. the syrian government said the

operation was an act of aggression. turkish prime minister said on sunday that more than 500 troops and 100 vehicles including 39 tanks had entered syrian territory. he said the purpose was to rescue soldiers guarding the mausoleum in suleyman shah the ground father of the founder of the ottoman empire. the mausoleum is considered to be turkish territory. the tomb is about 35 kilometers from syria's border with turkey on the banks of euphrates river. this is the first time turkish ground forces have crossed into syria. the syrian foreign ministry released a statement describing the turkish operation as an act after gregs, done without the approval of damascus. the statement also said the mission demonstrates the depth of ties between turkey and the islamic state group, indicated that the operation did not trigger confrontation with the militants. japanese aid groups are changing their approach to assisting refugees of syria's civil war.

over 3.8 million people have fled the country to escape the fighting. >> reporter: the japanese aid group association for aid and relief japan has been providing aid to refugees near the border with turkey. they fled attacks by islamic state militants. refugee camps can't handle the rapid influx of people and many are suffering from cold and hunger. >> translator: these people fled for their lives. without bringing anything with them. so, they are in an extremely difficult situation. i would say food is what they need most. >> reporter: japan's foreign ministry last month advised japanese citizens to evacuate the area. the aid group had to move all of its japanese staff to an area further away from the border. the group must now rely on turkish staff to assess the needs of refugees. >> translator: although there are many people in need of

assistance, in high risk areas, there are many places we cannot reach. it's very difficult to balance the safety of our staff and the need for refugee aid. >> reporter: the ngo group doctors without borders is also reviewing where it sends medical staff. the group has sent 23 japanese doctors and nurses to syria over the last three years. but islamic state militants have claimed to kill two japanese citizens and they've threatened to kill others. so doctors without borders has decided not to send some japanese medical workers into the conflict zone. >> translator: it's very regrettable since japanese people have made a great contribution in this field up until now. in less than three years we've dispatched medical staff 35

times. so, our operations have been on a fairly large scale. >> reporter: the need for humanitarian assistance will continue as long as the war goes on. aid groups must figure out how to keep providing help while making sure their members are safe. the ceo of honda, who's led the automaker out of hard times, is stepping down. and ron madison is here with more on this story. ron? >> yeah looks like the leader is handing the reins over to a younger generation. ceo ito says that he will step down. executives say the company plans to focus more on global strategy under a new management team. now ito became head of the automaker in june 2009. he led efforts to improve earnings after the global financial crisis hurt honda's business. ito will leave his post in june. he will stay on the board as an adviser. takahiro pachiro will be the new ceo. he is currently in charge of the company's operations in china.

>> translator: now is the time to switch to a younger leadership. we decided that mr. hachigo will take over the role of ceo. >> translator: we aim to focus on achieving a greater degree of global integration. >> he faces various challenges. there are questions about its quality control system. the company has recalled a hybrid model no fewer than five times and problems related to air bags made by parts supplier takata have raised concerns about honda's business in north america. the management changes are subject to approval by shareholders in june. well a major japanese airline operator has offered to help bankrupt skymark airlines rebuild its business. skymark was launched in 1998. but recently it's faced fierce competition from low cost carriers. skymark last month filed for

bankruptcy protection. monday is the deadline for airline companies to submit applications to support the rehabilitation of the carrier under court supervision. sources saul al nippon airways operator ana holdings and malaysia based low cost carrier air asia did stay. skymark and backers have to find ways to attract more passengers and cut costs. they also have to come to terms with airbus. the aircraftmaker wants skymark to pay penalty charges for changes that the carrier made to the contract to buy passenger planes. all right. let's get a check of the markets now. major european stock markets opened higher following friday's deal to extend financial aid to greece but the upward trend does seem to be on hold a bit. now this agreement requires greece to present a list of reform measures by the end of monday, some investors are taking a bit of a wait and see attitude as we can see from the majors there. very much a mixed bag with london down both frankfurt and paris are gaining. earlier in asia tokyo's nikkei

closed at a 15-year high and many other markets posted gains, after the lunar new year holidays. seoul closed at a 2 1/2 month high. shanghai, though still closed there for a holiday. in fact it's closed until tuesday. on to currencies now. the euro fell against the dollar after germany's corporate sentiment index was lower than market expectations. we're seeing it at roughly 1.1301. and the dollar is trading in a narrow range against the yen, dealers are avoiding active trading ahead of fed chair janet yellen's testimony later on this week. they'll be looking for any hints about the timing of a rate hike. well japan's domestic shipments of home electric appliances dropped for the fourth straight month in january. last year's consumption tax hike is seen as the main reason. the japan electrical manufacturers association says shipments totalled about $1.1 billion in january. that's down 22% in yen terms from the same month in 2014.

the sharp declines are attributed to unusually large shipments the previous year when consumers went on a last-minute buying spree to try to beat the april tax hike. shipments of refrigerators fell by 39%. and air conditioners by 24%. industry officials expect the year-on-year decline to continue until around april. but they say january shipment value was above the average of past decade. that suggests the impact of the tax hike appears to be easing up. well when the z-line of sports cars first rolled out of nissan's factories, car lovers really took immediate notice. the "z" models didn't just turn heads, they were also pretty affordable. the man known as the father of the "z" has passed away at 105. >> translator: when it comes to cars, any type can be fun. >> that man there, yutaka katayama joined nissan in 1935 after working in sales and

advertising. he moved to the united states in 1960. katayama served as the first president of nissan's u.s. unit and helped expand the japanese carmaker's operations in the country. he was a member of the u.s. automotive hall of fame along with honda motor founder and toyota motors. katayama also helped launch the all-japan motor show the predecessor of the tokyo motor show in 1954. and this industry event actually continues to use the logo. all right. that is going to do it for biz tonight. i'll leave you with the markets.

people in ukraine came together to mark a tumultuous 12 months. a year ago an uprising toppled a pro-russian president and eventually sparked war. but even as some called for peace, they couldn't ignore the shadow of violence that hangs over their nation. nor could they escape the questions about where they'll be a year from now. nhk world's craig dale reports. >> reporter: thousands of ukrainians gathered to remember an event that put their country on the path to war. they marked a year since an uprising forced pro-russian president victorian covich from office and they paid tribute to the more than 100 demonstrators who died in clashes with security forces. today is a sad day, says this woman. it was also like so many in the

past year, a violent one. a bomb exploded at a commemoration rally in the eastern city of harkiv killing at least two people and wounding several others. police arrested suspects who they say were working on behalf of russia. a bloodshed and the blame have become all too familiar. a year ago weeks of demonstrations reached their climax in kiev's independence square. protesters were angry yanukovych scrapped an agreement that would have brought ukraine closer to europe. he favored ties with russia. lawmakers in parliament voted to kick him out of office and he went into exile. turmoil took root and russian president vladimir putin took advantage of it. sending troops into crimea and then annexing the autonomous ukrainian republic. the move emboldened pro-russian separatists in the east. they occupied government buildings, declared independence and held referendums. the majority of voters seemed to

want greater autonomy but talks between the separatists and ukrainian authorities went nowhere. even though billionaire businessman petro poroshenko promised reconciliation, after winning the presidential election in may. ukrainian troops tried to end the unrest but rebel forces fought back. many say with the help of russian soldiers and weapons. it's something russian leaders have long denied even as western economic sanctions pile up against them. the i'm pact of the conflict became even more glaring after malaysian airlines flight 17 was shot down killing all 298 people on board. ukrainian and western leaders said the separatists used a russian supplied surface-to-air missile. there were more denials. fast forward to this month, and a meeting between the leaders of germany, france, ukraine and russia, put a new peace plan in place following the failure of past cease-fires. and while the military and rebels fought for days after a truce deadline, they seemed to be inching closer to honoring

the agreement. both sides have been moving heavy equipment away from the front lines. and they've swapped prisoners. still european security monitors say they're unable to do their jobs. >> access is only possible if the weapons are silent. if the cease-fire doesn't hold access is impossible due to security risks that we will take. >> reporter: and so as ukrainians united to remember the uprising that started it all, their country is still deeply divided. most lean toward europe but a fair number in the east look to russia and president putin. some analysts have likened the situation to a new cold war, an assessment reinforced by this image. the leaders of other former russian republics, georgia, moldova, latvia lithuania, all launching alongside president poroshenko. ukraine is trying to move forward into the future. but it still remains chained to its past. craig dale, nhk world.

rescue crews in bangladesh are looking for survivors of a ferry accident. at least 66 people have been confirmed dead. the ferry was crossing the padma river west of the capital dhaka. it collided with a cargo vessel and sank. local media quoted an official saying about 90 people were rescued or managed to swim ashore. survivors reportedly said that the vote was carrying more than 200 people well over its capacity. ferries remain a key means of transportation in bangladesh where there are many rivers but not enough bridges. communities around japan have been celebrating something traditionally chinese. they've held street parties to mark the lunar new year. a woman from china helped build friendship using her skills as a dancer. more from nhk world. >> reporter: every year celebrated

with a festival. about 100,000 people attend in the local chinese community. ♪ this year one of the stand up performances was given by a dance group called nagoya color. originally it was an all-japanese group. but last june a chinese dancer joined them. her aim is to bridge the divide between the two countries. >> translator: i want to show people that japan and china can still be friendly towards each other, and that the two countries can be friends, just like the members of our group. >> reporter: sha came to schaapen when she was 18. she was an anime fan and she wanted to study japanese. she went on to receive a post-graduate degree in

japan/china relations. it came as a great shock to her when anti-japanese protests broke out in china in 2012. >> translator: i want to do all i can to make sure that kind of thing never happens again. >> reporter: sha works full-time at a manufacturing company. she gets together with the group after work and on the weekends. >> translator: she's great. she always has lots to say. >> translator: meeting sha has changed the way i think about chinese people. >> reporter: after the group was chosen to perform at the lunar new year festival, sha convinced the others that it was a chance to help bridge the gap between the two nations. >> translator: she won me over

when she explained that what we're doing can be a symbol of friendship. we can show that chinese and japanese people can work to the towards the same goal. >> reporter: to show her support for sha, the other members decided to introduce themselves in chinese at the festival. >> translator: i enjoyed it. i could feel their energy. it was a good show. >> translator: the chinese and japanese people in the audience really came together.

i was so happy i almost cried. >> reporter: for sha, this performance is a step in the right direction. next she wants the group to perform to the in china. takeo baba nhk world, nagoya. people in the middle east are bundling up and digging out of heavy snow. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us for the latest. sayaka? >> yes, gene also dropping historic snowfall in istanbul and rare snow in athens. the snowstorm affected the middle east like lebanon and syria. i want to take you to aleppo to show you the scene. recent heavy snowfall have added to the misery of syrians. in the countryside around aleppo, fuel shortages and plummeting temperatures have made life a struggle for people in the refugee camps. the winter storm also caused roads in jerusalem and israel

desert with a rare layer of white. meanwhile friends found a way to play with snow. now the snowmaker has moved away from syria, now affecting pakistan and afghanistan with snow and also rain across the southern areas. and then i think kabul, you'll see rain changing over to snow as we go into wednesday. now a new system is moving into turkey bringing some snowfall to mountainous locations and flooding rain and the risk of tornadoes and hail over the western portions of turkey and rain will likely move into aleppo on tuesday, and rain will continue into your wednesday. now, across japan we have springlike warmth today for example in tokyo, the high is 17 degrees. it was more like april. and then fukuoka you saw the arrival of the sign of spring and warm conditions likely continue for at least the next couple of days. the combination of rain and warmer than average temperatures in northern japan will see a

raise to the risk of avalanches. please watch out for that. across china looking dry. the korean peninsula, too, but many areas are affected over the korean peninsula, causing low visibility but as the system moves in the high pressure system moves in conditions will improve. now temperatures are going to be seasonal in seoul, as well as beijing. well 11 degrees in shanghai. rain on the menu in taipei as well as hong kong on tuesday. now across the u.s. extremely low temperatures were seen in many places especially over the northeast. for example, record low temperatures late last week in places like d.c. new york all the way down to orlando. the cold air is meeting with warm and humid air from the gulf of mexico creating icy precipitation from the deep south into the south of california. snow is expected for the four corners region heavy knowfall all the way up to 90 centimeters in colorado and winds up to 100

kilometers per hour and rain to the south and then freezing rain from texas into the lower mississippi river valley that could cause slippery roads. now, as we go in to monday and also tuesday and going to the rest of the week temperatures will not warm up as we can see minus 24 degrees is your expected morning lows on monday in toronto. minus 16 degrees in new york on monday. very cold conditions likely to continue throughout the day. because the temperatures have been much lower than freezing point, snow hasn't melted. and snow plows are working and i think this is the most unique snow plow in the world. take a look at this fun video. after a very busy winter in maryland, some people just got sick and tired of plowing snow the same exact way. david cooper decided to change it up a bit by building a motorized toilet snow plow. this vehicle is called the head's up lucy and the creator said the environmentally

friendly as well as fun. thankfully it's serving just as a seat. no word if the seat is heated. here's the extended forecast.

and that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.ñwñwñwñwñwñwñw ÷ñ/

cord room as a prominent - - in a cairo courtroom as a prominent activist was sentenced in absentia. attacks continue. ukraine says its military cannot begin withdrawing heavy weapons from the front lines because pro-russian separatists have not stopped targeting government positions, the assertion yet another blow to the minsk cease-fire deal. and putting adversity centerstage.