it's 7:00 p.m. on a news in japan. i'm james tengan. here's the stories we are following this hour. members of myanmar's main opposition party tallies up the votes in the general election, and they say they are closing in on a part lament ri majority. officials from japan and south korea hope to make headway

wednesday when both sides open talks on the issue as though referred to as comfort women. japanese labor officials have been looking into complaints that students working part time are at a risk of being exploited. members of asean prodemocratic parties are on the cusp of winning in myanmar. according to their own tally of votes, the party is close to securing enough seats to declare majority and take the reigns of power. senior members of the national league for democracy have been gathering data from observers at vote counting stations, and the tallies show they secure 294 seats closing in on majority. 88 seats or nearly 20% have been contested have been determined. the nld has won 78 seats.

the ruling union solidarity and development party secured just five. high ranking government officials were among the military-backed parties defeated candidates. the nld needs to win more than two-thirds of the contested seats to form a government. a quarter of parliamentary seats are allocated to the military. they are constitutionally barred from becoming president because her family members include foreigners. financial leaders in china struggling to head off the risk of inflation. we have that and a roundup of business headlines. gene? >> thank you, james. the latest price data on china shows signs the world's second largest economy is losing steam and suggesting more stimulus is needed to secure growth targets. analysts from the national bureau of statistics say the producer price index plunged 5.9% in october from a year earlier, the same figure as

september and august coming as the price of steel and synthetic fibers continue a double digit dive due to sluggish investment and low crude oil prices. meanwhile, the price index rose as a slower rate of 1.p%, down from the previous month, and it's far below the government target of 3% f the year. a chinese expert on the economy says price declines are spreading from raw materials to consumer goods. many analysts predict officials in beijing step up spending on public works projects to maintain stable growth. japanese officials have released their latest data for the first half of the fiscal year, and the surplus widened substantially in the same period from fiscal 2014. officials at the finance ministry say the current surplus was $71 billion. japan's trade deficit came in at 3.4 billion, down from a year earlier, and the deficit shrank

as falling crude oil prices largely reduced energy imports in valley terms. the travel account surplus has set a record high of about $5 billion due to a growing number of foreign tourists. there was a record low figure of $ $6 bill. the primary income accounts show how much japan earns from its foreign investments. this shows a record surplus of over 88 billion dollars due to increase in returns of overseas investments in automobile and electric machinery sectors. checking the markets, japanese stocks mixed tuesday. for more, we go to the business reporter at the tokyo stock exchange. >> reporter: well, profit taking was mostly the name of the game here in tokyo. the implosion data from china was lower than estimates, and they took the opportunity to take money off the table,

however, shares were brought back in the afternoon as some companies reported better earnings. now key industries here in tokyo ended flat on tuesday after yesterday's two and a half month highs. the nikkei is positive in the afternoon closing at 19,671. analysts say as long as the nikkei remains over 19,500, the rkets are stable. the broader topix failed to recoop losses ending in the negative. the weak data weight from china weighed on those who rely on china. construction down .10%, and losers who lost ground after weak earnings, yokohama rubber and nippon soda, dropping 8% and soda dropped 6% after getting a downgrade from credit swiss. top winners were japan display

up 7.7% after operating profits returned to the black for the first time in two years during the april-september period. anher company said smart phone panels for apple's iphones as well as for china sold well. all in all, tokyo markets were choppy, and it seems that investors did not have a big appetite for risk today. reporting from the tokyo stock exchange. thank you. moving on to other markets in the asia pacific region. in china, the shanghai composite edged down by .2% snapping the losing streak. some speculated lower than expected stimulation leads to more stimulus measures. concerns over a rate hike in december weighs down markets, seoul sagged 1.4%. hong kong shed 1.4%, stretching losses to a fourth day. mumbai fell for the fifth straight day ending down 1.45%.

singapore was closed for holiday. here's a look at the other business stories we are following. service sectors felt better about the economy last month showing business sentiment index for october was 48.2, up .7 points from the previous month. travel agents say consumption was strong with foreign visitors and retailers reported sales. japanese firms spend a record amount of money by overseas businesses. a private survey says the figure for the past ten months competed 10 trillion yen, more than $80 billion. large deals involving insurance companies are at the forefront of the investment boom. japanese offials are debating whether to give consumers a break by taxing food and beverages at a lower rate. they are planning to raise the

consumption tax in 2017 from 8% to 10%. the latest nhk poll shows 40% of the respondents support such a break. 21% are opposed. a third remain undecided. the saki industry fell on hard times. people drink less of japan's tradition until drink than in years past. some young entrepreneurs hope to turn things around, and they have a new way of doing business. nhk world reports. >> reporter: it's a busy time at saki breweries in japan. this season's rice crop is in. here it's being steamed and mixed with water and yeast. today, something else is taking place at this brewery. a tour of foreign visitors. the guests are getting their first taste the freshly made saki. >> i liked it.

>> reporter: the tour costs $60. it's a nose-in, and hands-on experience, and they can sip and stir. [ applause ] >> good job, good job. >> i always enjoyed having saki while eating sushi in the u.s., so i thought i'd learn more about it. >> reporter: 26-year-old began running tours last year. he noticed a growing band of saka lovers overseas, switched on to the drink with the spread of japanese cuisine. sensing a business opportunity, he persuaded 20 brewer s to ope doors to visitors. >> translator: i take care to take people on tours, i'm confident that gets the word out about my business. >> reporter: when the tour is

over, participants can buy a bottle or two to go. >> translator: our next step is to have overseas restaurant owners to join the tours so more people get the taste for saki. >> reporter: this recently opened bar is also spreading the word on saki. >> reporter: as you can see, customers are in their 20s and 30s open to trying new flavors, but for over $25, this bar offers all you can drink saki service. over 100 types are stocked in the fridge. it's self-service. meaning you're free to experiment. >> love it. >> reporter: foreign staff and

saki knowledge are on hand to help customers make a choice. >> translator: i like the way you go get the saki you like by yourself. >> reporter: the owner is a 27-year-old. his family has been in the saki wholesale business for generations. his staff are often on the road looking for new varieties and flavors. the focus is on traditional small brewers that have gone unnoticed nationwide. >> translator: our fruity scent works well with young people. >> translator: our business will dry up if we don't do anything. we're focusing on tokyo so that's why we're doing business together. >> reporter: staff are now busy setting up a website in english to reach international customers. it will offer popular items from the bar. >> translator: first, i wanted

to create a casual environment for people to try saki. now i want to expand sales online worldwide. >> reporter: it may be japan's traditional drink, but younger entrepreneurs are bringing a modern spirit to the industry, one they hope will cultivate a new generation of saki lovers. nhk world, tokyo. >> that's it for business news. i'm going to leave you with the markets.

senior officials meet wednesday in seoul to try to overcome one of their biggest diplomatic hurdles. they'll discuss the issue of those referred to as comfort women. the prime minister abe and south korean president agreed to speed up talks to reach an early conclusion on the matter. japan will send the head of the foreign ministry's asean bureau, and they'll need the northeast asian bureau. he's expected to express the issue has already been legally resolved, but that japan is willing to consider financial support for the women from a humanitarian stand point. if the delegates reach a conclusion, japan urges south korea to never raise the issue

again. the president told the cabinet she wants the matter to be settled. >> translator: i hope the issue will be resolved by japan as soon as possible. >> south korea insists the matter should be resolved in a way acceptable to the south korean people. officials here in japan have been taking a closer look at a certain group of workers. they have been concerned by stories of businesses that take advantage of students. so for the first time, they surveyed those who have part-time jobs. the results suggest questionable labor practices are widespread. nhk world tells us more. >> reporter: this woman is a university student who teaches part-time at a school in tokyo. she's been keeping the record of how many hours she works and how much she gets paid. one day, she worked for about

three and a half hours, but she made only $16. that's well below the legal minimum hourly wage of $6 per hour. sometimes she has to work outside of the classroom. for that, she says she received a flat rate of $5 a day. but the woman says she has little choice but to keep her job. she says she needs to earn money so she can continue her studies at graduate school. stories like this one prompted officials at the labor ministry to take action. they sur vied 1,000 working students to find out more about the situation. the results were published on monday. 59% of respondents said their employers did not provide a run explanation of working conditions as required by law. 15% said they were told to work

longer than they initially agreed to. 14% said they didn't get paid for any work they did before or after their shifts. all told, more than 60% of students surveyed said they have experienced unfair labor practices in some form. >> translator: my manager gives me a 12-hour working shift and only one day off a week. i doubt he remembers i'm a student. >> translator: many of my friends say they are forced to work long hours without breaks. that's really harsh. >> reporter: now, some students are fighting back. they formed a nationwide union to negotiate working conditions and unfair labor practices for companies. we visited the union's offices. staff members advise students of problems of their part-time jobs.

it has received about 800 work-related complaints. >> translator: we offer one-on-one consultations giving students advice and suggestions on how to solve their problems. in some cases, we negotiate with companies and finalize contracts to protect students from unfair labor practices. >> reporte she is an expert among working people and says the issue is finally gaining attention. >> translator: many businesses have been cutting the number of regular employees, and part-time workers are being hired to fill the gaps. the government must take measures to make sure part timers are not exploited and society in general should do more to help the young workers. >> reporter: working students in japan have been caught up in broader trends reshaping the japanese labor market, sometimes to their disadvantage.

now they are learning to speak up and fight exploitation. nhk world, tokyo. >> thank you for shedding light on an issue that needs to be resolved. generations ago, thousands of japanese left for a new life in america, and now descendents look to cement ties with the country their forefathers called home. here's the report. [ applause ] >> reporter: the u.s.-japan council made up of mostly u.s. citizens with the direct connection to japan brought its annual meeting to tokyo. 70 years since the end of world war ii, they are looking forew and better ways to keep relations strong. panese-americans were considered as enemies on the u.s. mainland during world war for. about 120,000 of them were sent to intournament camps, their houses, property, and citizenship taken away. >> many faced difficulties

rebuilding their lives after the war. i am convinced that these past difficulties have been the key to the desire by so many to grow and develop the japan council as a place for leaders to collaborate on a strong u.s.-japan partnership. >> reporter: former u.n. transportation secretary was 11 years old when he was sent to one of these camps. >> i'll always remember that sign that said, attention all those of japanese ancestry, alien and non-alien, and i was thinkings an 11-year-old, who is a non-alien? my own government was not thinking of me as a citizen. >> reporter: these japanese-americans are part of the fabric of u.s. society, but their numbers are on the wane. chinese and korean-americans are growing much faster.

those who remain have fewer links with japan. building a strong connection is a challenge for both countries. there are fewer first and second generation japanese americans, and more and more are feeling disconnected from japan. hence the council's mission. they want to promote more exchange programs and personal networkings to keep ties strong. for this actor, growing up both in the u.s. and in japan has given him more opportunities. >> wherever i go, i don't belong, and in some sense, it is, but it's our strength, allowing us to think outside the box and move freely between the two countries and kind of be that bridge. >> reporter: it's this idea of a bridge that the council will seize on to connect young people in both countrie >> we have special programs to encourage younger

japanese-americans because if we can foster a connection and provide opportunities, then that gives them so many more chances and opportunities in the future. >> reporter: a bridge to the future or bringing younger people to the. ayako kumei, nhk world, tokyo. every year a few thousand young people from abroad help school children study english across japan. they are part of a program called the japan exchange and teaching program or jet. organizers held a conference in tokyo to commemorate the program's upcoming to 30th anniversary and looking for ways to better promote the program worldwide. the government sponsored program sends assistant language teachers to elementary, junior high, and high schools in many parts of japan. 12 jet alumni took part in the

conference discussing how to make the program better known so that more young people overseas will be interested in teaching. many agreed they should strengthen the alumni network. over the last three decades, more than 62,000 people from 65 countries have participated in the program. >> there's of 60,000-plus alumni around the world passionate about continuing the goal of jet. >> the program currently has 4400 assistant teachers around the country and hope to boost the number by 2020 in expanding the english educational curriculum. >> translator: this is the 21st century, it's essential to forge strong relations with other countries, hosting more jets means nurturing more young people who will understand japan. that's important. we like to support the program.

>> alumni at the conference are visiting the places they stayed as jets starting tomorrow. and a story earlier in our business news corner on worker sentiment. we showed the title of a different story, and we apologize for that error. now for weather. intermitten rain is the forecast for us here in tokyo with things expected to clear up from wednesday. we have this hour's update starting with wintery scenes from china. >> people in northern china are experiencing a taste o winter. snow has fallen. he's video from several places in the country. traffic was disrupted in many areas of china on monday due to heavy snow and dense fog, a warning for icy roads was issued in provinces and several highways closed. mean while, the highest warning for fog was in effect in northwestern china with

visibility at 50 meters in areas and railroads and flights were impacted by the conditions. now, high pressure system is staying in place, so snow is not falling heavily in northern china, but because of the high pressure system, there's less cloud cover at night enhancing the overnight cooling. now, this high is causing calm conditions in the beijing area so the air quality right now is at the up healthy level. rain is increasing in the southern portions of china, and rain is falling in the eastern half of japan, but that should be tapering off into tomorrow in the tokyo area. now, temperatures are going to be at 19 degrees in tokyo. stay am the same into the next couple days in tokyo, and sunny weather for you starting wednesday. now wakkanai has snow tomorrow and sunny and warmer conditions arrive thursday as well as friday. according to the japan meteorology agency, mid-november is warmer than normal in the

whole of japan. now, a deep depression is causing rainfall across southern portions of india as well as sri lanka with additional 185 millimeters of rainfall over the past 24 hours because of the heavy rainfall. now floods occurred causing rivers, and businesses were closed due to stormy conditions. it is moving slowly west, and more rain is expected in india and sri lanka and the system reaches the arabian sea by dpridpri friday. now a system is affecting the southern portion, a psycyclone,d there was one last week, a rare event in decades. now, this is a storm packing winds of 90 kilometers per hour with gusts of 111 kilometers per

hour landing in the next couple hours, moving over land to the west over the next couple days. many areas like somalia and ethiopia will be battered by heavy rainfall. they are not used to seeing heavy rainfall so rain is not good news. raining and mud slides could happen. several have already been killed in coastal islands. over to europe, there's a jeet stream meandering to the north, allowing warmer air coming in from the south. temperatures are warm in the peninsula, and sunny weather in many parts of the western continent, but rainy, snowy, and rainy in the british isles as well as poland and germany. temperatures will be as follows, in the double digits in paris, berlin, but single digits in stockholm and moscow on tuesday. all right, he's the extended

forecast.

for feature stories and special reports log on to our ú]ñ

molly: this is france 24. time for 60 minutes live around the world. these are the headlines. the european commission calls for eu reform made by the british prime minister, saying they are highly problematic. this as david cameron delivered his wish list, saying it is the price eu leaders must pay if britain stays in the block. the turkish president says he wants to