welcome back to nhk "newsline." i'm minori takao with the latest at this hour. u.s. president barack obama has ordered the expulsion of dozens of russian officials and slapped sanctions on russian intelligence agents. it's a response to cyber attacks he says interfered with last month's presidential election. obama said all americans should be alarmed by russia's actions and he suggested russian president vladimir putin was involved. saying the activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of government.

in october, washington accused russian n authorities of t tryio influence the ououtcome ofof th election. the white house said hackers targeted democratic party computers and leaked party leaders e-mail. the obama administration has put sanctions on russian intelligence services, officers and three companies that supported the cyber operations. the white house also expelled 35 rurussian officicials, includid diplomatats. it gave them 72 hours to leave the country. it says the memeasure is in n response to the harassment of u.s. diplomats in russia. u.s. president-elect donald trump appeared to downplay the issue. he released a statement saying it was time for the u.s. to move on. he also said he'll meet u.s. intelligence leaders next week to be briefed on the situation. russian officials have reacted sharply to the new u.s. sanctions. a presidential spokesperson said moscow considers the measures

unjustified and illegal under international law. he said president putin will order an appropriate retaliation to the sanctions. a foreign ministry official added such one-sided steps have the goal of damaging relations. philippine president rodrigo duterte has attacked the u.s. diplomatic core. he called ambassadors from the countries spies. he held interviews with local media outlets on thursday. he said most u.s. ambassadors are spying and asserted they would try to undermine foreign governments. they referred to a story carried by a local newspaper earlier this week. it said a recent former ambassador to the philippines outlined a list of strategies to undermine duterte territory and called for his eventual ouster.

the u.s. embassy in manila denied the allegation. he's been ratcheting up his opposition to the administration of obama. the obama government is critical of the bloody campaign against the illegal drug trade. a nationwide cease-fire has begun in syria, the government and opposition groups agreed to the truce which went into effect on friday. the government of president bashar al assad, its ally russia, and an opposition supporter turkey announced the agreement on thursday. a leading opposition group supports the cease-fire, syria and turkey say the truce excludeses the islamamic staterp and militants linked to al qaeda. russian president putin called on the syrian government, and opposition groups to honor the agreement and take part in peace talks inin kazakhstan. this i is the third cease-fire r syria this year. the two previous deals brokered in february and september by the united states and russia collapsed. government forces secured a military advantage earlier this month by recapturing the city of

aleppo, previously the largest opposition stronghold. this accord was mediated by russia and turkey, as their diplomatic ties regained strength. observer hope the deal will help to end the five-year civil war. a civic group in the south korean city of busan has placed a statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women in front of the japanese consulate building. the municipality stopped them but swamped with phone calls with protests from the public. officials met with the group and decided to give permission.. the group plans too hold an unveiling ceremony on monday. mew nil palty finds the issue difficult to handle as a local government. his remarks suggest that he believes the national government should make the decision. the statue is similar to another in front of the japanese embassy

in seoul. japan has demanded that it be removed. now, let's look at the markets. the tokyo stock exchange has ended the final trading day of the year. the nikkei marked gains for the fifth year in a row. ramin mellegard has the details from our nhk studio. >> a ceremony was held to mark the end of this year's trading. and the start ofof a four-daday year's break. let's look at how the major indexes closed out the year for friday, december 30th. the nikkei 19,114 down 0.16%. the broader topic at 1,518, just

up .01%. the nikkei ended higher than last year. marked the fifth straight year of gains. on to individual stocks, takata surged for two days in a row, on the hopes it may soon settle a criminal court case in the u.s. toshiba finally bounced back after seven days of declines, despite concerns of huge losses from its u.s. nuclear business. as t tokyo traders head off for their holiday, we asked an analyst at bank of america merrill lynch for his assessment of the year and his outlook for the year to come. >> at the beginning of this year, there was the risk of market environments driven by lower oil price, lower chinese currency. that led to stronger yen and risk of trading.

then japanese equity basically stabilized, but then we had two occasions in which nikkei index swung more than 1,000 points intraday. both of them global political events. namely, the brexit vote in june and the trump victory in november. but japanese equities basically withstood and have returned to the bullish trend. i think the market is wondering what trump can deliver next year. but the reality is any impact fiscal easing is likely to materialize in 2018. i think at t this point we coul only say there is a high degree of uncertainty for 2017. one of the risk factors is how china will deal with new u.s. administration. it seems geopolitical tension is increasing. between china and the u.s. potentially, and under the trump administration.

i think the global market in general is worried about political risks in europe. we have french, dutch and german elections. and i think this is true if any of these elections lead to more protectionism in europe or globally, that's going to be generally negative for equity markets worldwide which can spill over to japanese market. >> now, 2017 is the year of the rooster in the asian calendar and investors s are wondering whether returns will amount to chicken feed or something they can really crow about. ramin mellegard. tokyo's historic tsukiji food market was bustling on the final trading day of the year. traders and shop owners are wondering what 2017 will bring, as plans to relocate the facilities remain stalled. local shoppers mingled with chefs, all snapping up delicacies for their new year's feast. the aging market was scheduled

to move to the waterfront district in november of this year. but the relocation has been delayed due to safety concerns. tokyo officials failed to follow expert advice to put clean soil under some of the buildings at the new site. experts had recommended the measure as a precaution against ground contamination. the delay means uncertain times for the traders. >> translator: i'm grateful that so many customers came. but i'm really concerned about whether we'll be moving or staying here. i want the people in charge of this to make a decision as soon as possible. tokyo governor yuriko koike has said the relocation will take about a year at the earliest. the metropolitan government plans to come up with a framework to compensate traders early next month. several areas in japan have been hit by major earthquakes this year. the number's strong enough for humans to perceive was 3 1/2 times higher than last year. the japanese seismic scale runs from 0 to 7.

a magnitude 6.3 quake that struck north of tokyo on wednesday was felt across eastern japan. japan's meteorological agency reported on thursday that 6566 earthquakes ranked one or higher had shaken the country in 2016. officials there say a series of earthquakes in kumamoto contributed to this year's higher numbers. the prefecture experienced more than 3,000 tremors in april alone. they say that 33 quakes around the country registered an intensity of at least 5 lower. at that level, people find walking difficult. >> last month the quake off fukushima prefecture caused a tsunami along japan's pacific coast. agency officials urged people throughout j japan to prepare f quakes and tsunami because strong tremors can strike anywhere. the latest demographic forecast from the tokyo metropolitan government says the city's population will reach its

peak in 2025. what's more, it will also be considerably older. the number of people living in the city last near topped 13.5 million. it's expected to hit 14 million before it starts to drop off. an earlier forecast had placed the peak in 2020. but new officials now predict growth will continue as young families move to central tokyo where condominiums are being built. they also see signs of an uptick in the sagging birth rate. people 65 and over will account for roughly a quarter of residents in 2030. by 2050, nearly one third. the city of nikko is celebrating a landmark year.

the 250th anniversary of the founding of its site. despite a good reputation with tourists, the town faces economic challenges. a local mountain climber has organized a new sporting event. nhk world tells us more. >> reporter: hundreds of runners set off from this world heritage site. they run 32 meters and mostly on mountain paths. this is known as trail running. this man organized the event. the mountain climber came up with the idea of using these mountains to promote his hometown of nikko. a typhoon struck there last year, damaging the hot spring resort and hurtingng local business. he wanted to help.

>> translator: it's actually difficult to attract visitors and there aren't many young people here so the place has been struggling. that's why i decided to stand up. >> reporter: he focused on nikko's historory. >> translator: this is a statue. >> reporter: he was a monk who founded nikko many years ago. he would go from mountain to mountain as a form of training that resembled trail running. he wanted to showcase many aspects of his home region, so he included this plateau in the course. it offers a view of nikko's sacred mountains which have been worshipped for centuries. he inspired local residents who pitched in to help to do something for nikko. they soon discovered a problem. a lot of garbage on the course. >> translator: there are some

buried underneath. >> reporter: they gathered to clclean it up, worried abobout impression it could leave on participants. when race day came, conditions were ideal. sasaki's group used a drone to capture their achievement. and local monks came to pray for their sasafety. the wilderness of nikko loomed over the runners. a view that has enchanted generaratis s of monks for a thousand years. >> translator: it was like a dream.

i was able to enjoy the wilderness. >> translator: it was great to be able to run historic paths. >> translator: i am relieved that we were able to hold this event. i'm pretty sure our ancestors of nikko are happy too. >> reporter: and he's happy to have brought the residents of his hometown together while connecting the past with the present, but he doesn't want to stop there. he's aiming to turn the run into an annual event and attract people from all over the world. nhk world, nikko. the loss of a loved one can push people to action and such is the case with our next story

of a japanese woman who lost her young son to tragedy. she's making sure others aren't at the same risk. >> reporter: she speaks about the importance of first aid at an event in the capital accra. >> translator: cardiac arrest can start suddenly, even with a hit in the chest by a baseball or soccer ball. >> reporter: tatsuki's son died in ghana three years ago. he got into difficulties while surfing. he might have lived if only there had been the proper equipment at hand, such as an automated external defibrillator or aed. an aed is a heart starter, the machine that uses electric shock to revive the fallen. after losing her son,

certificate in first aid and then founded an npo. one of her goals is to distribute as many aeds to ghana as possible. >> translator: i realized when i came to ghana that many people can't get the same l level of medical care we have in japan. i started this project to distribute aeds. >> reporter: the aed which have been sent last year is being used in this teaching hospital. she helped demonstrate the device along with some emergency resuscitation methods. >> use this part and push hard. >> reporter: doctors say the donated aed has already saved lives. >> i think every hospital in

ghana has to have it and be able to use it efficiently to be able to save lives. >> translator: i feel reassured to see the hospital using the aed. and watching the students leararning resuscitation method. it makes me feel my son's death was not in vain. it pushes me to work hard, to keep going with this project. >> reporter: the group raises money through its website and word of mouth. while nothing will bring him back, the project in his name may help others to live. now, low-lying bangladesh is one of the asian countries most at risk from climate change. also one of the region's poorest nations lacking adequate funds to protect its land. about 50,000 people in the

country lose their homes to rising water levels every year. >> reporter: the village of singapore is nearly 200 kilometers from the sea, but even here, climate change is a growing threat. over the past five years, land about 200 0 meters from ththe regional riverbank has been eroded. over 100 homes have been swept away. forcing 2,000 villagers to leave. a school building tilt as the rirising river has worn away it foundations. it's too dangerous for children to study here anymore. the water is forcing waves of residents from their homes. this 26-year-old former farmer lives with his wife, parents and 1-month-old baby girl. >> translator: we won't be able to live here if more land is

eroded. in that case, we'll have to leave this village. >> reporter: he already had to move once four years ago when the rising river swept away their home and fields. without farmland, he had to find a different job to provide for his family. other villagers are also concerned that their homes may soon be swept away. >> translator: nobody will be able to live in this village if no countermeasures are taken. in about a decade, our village may disappear completely. >> reporter: half the land in bangladesh is less than 10 meters above sea level. experts say that as ice melts, due to global warming, a vast amount of water is flowing down into the river, sharply raising

its height. rising sea rivers, high waves, and floods forced by cyclones are making things worse. the bangladeshi government is pushing to build embankments and evacuation shelters. the shortage of funds has slowed the process. some studies suggest about 18% of bangladeshi land will be lost at the current rate. displaced people are flocking to the capital. many have to live in slums. there are more than 5,000 people living in this tiny land, the same as two football grounds. this 40-year-old was a fisherman in the southern town who had swept away his home twice. he gave up. sold his fishing nets and moved

to daka last year. >> translator: my life is tough. i have no land. i want to go back to my hometown, but i've lost my home, land, assets, everything. >> reporter: the harsh reality of climate change is affecting more and more people around the world. more needs to be done to help them keep their land, their homes and their jobs. nhk world, singapore, bangladesh. let's turn to world weather now with our meteorologist sayaka mori. sayaka, i want to start off with japan. we had a chilly, but very sunny, nice day here in tokyo which is often the case around the end of the year or new year's in japan. but, sayaka, will this lovely weather continue through the new year's? >> i have some good news. nice weather will likely continue and tememperatures

expected to rise. on january 1st, tokyo could see a high of 13 degrees, more like march. across the north, heavy snow is falling this moment. in fact, over the past 24 hours, nearly 45 centimeters of snow fell. as we go into morrrrow, condititions will be improving. that's good news. it looks like on january 1st, the conditions are going to be quite calm in many parts of japan, including sapporo as well as fukukoa. fukukoa could see the high of 15 degrees on monday and normally higher conditions continue into next week. let's go to china. a a couple of high preurure systems e caususing calmlm weatr in many plplaces ithe country. there's no rain inin most of th country. that's actually not good news.

in beijing the air quality level is unhealthy and it looks like that air condition will likely continue into sunday. now, beijing will see temperatures warming up at least as we go into the next couple of days, same goes for shanghai as well as seoul and in bangkok you'll see windy conditions on your saturday. let's go to southeastern portions of europe. there's a lingering low pressure system over turkey and the balkan peninsula. this system is packing quite cold air. snow i is falling in turkey and alalso warm and moist air from e south and that is causing heavy rainfall across the coastal areas of the country. we have some video coming out of the south coast of the country. that weather affected mersin on the mediterranean coast on late wednesday into thursday. the heaviest rain since 2001 has cacaused fatal flash floods.s. two people are killed and in the northern city a bus traveling to the city from istanbul plunged over a cliff due to the icy

weather conditions on wednesday. 4 people were killed and 27 injured. more bad weather is expected for southwestern portions of europe. right now, a very potent system is causing some breezy conditions across the north. wind gusts nearly 120 kilometers an hour in norway, avalanche risk is getting higher and higherer. in the middle of the continent quite calm to high pressure systems. athens, you'll see some sleet on your friday and ankara you'll see snow lingering into the first day of 2017. let's go to north america. there is a potent winter storm affecting southeastern portions of canada with heavy snowfall plus very blustery conditions. the system caused nearly 60 centimeters of snowfall in maine and parts o of quebecc and atlac canada. hazardous driving conditions, so

pleasetatay sa.. more s snow is expected r ththe cascades and northern rockies. snow is expected in parts of california and rain will likely affect parts of california such as los angeles. rainy weather will continue into saturday in l.a. and sunny weather will come back on the first day of 2017. all right. have a happy holiday. here's the extended forecast.

before we go, one of tokyo's many subway lines is trying to attract more passengers with a music video. the tokyo metropolitan government which operates the line teamed w with japapane guitisist ana rarapp. ♪ the video titled "tokyo roller coaster" h b beenreleased on youtube a the tnsportatn bure's websi. itncludes turistic footage from a drivers cabin on the train. the transportation bureau says that the line is the deepest in the country with one station 42 meters below the surface. it's ao o the ngesest 40.7 7 kilometers the video isarart of promional caaign marng the 25thnniversa of thline. >>take a rid that bngs us to e end this editi of nhk ewsline. we wl see yoagain athe top the hr.

i'm minori takao. thank you for joining us. ♪

syria's nationwide cease-fire is under threat. clashes break out near damascus and there are reports of government airstrikes. russia moves to expel 35 u.s. diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after washington lashes out at moscow for alleged electoral hacking. of turkey clears a draft constitutional amendments that would expand the president's