it's 7:00 p.m. on a wednesday. i'm james tengan. we begin this hour with the latest developments in the december of the north korean leader's half brother. malaysian police are pointing to more links to pyongyang in the killing of kim jong-nam. inspector general khalid abu bakkar says authorities are searching for three north

koreans in connection with the case. he says they're all currently in malaysia. one of the men wanted for questioning is a 44-year-old second secretary at the north korean embassy in kuala lumpur. the second is a 37-year-old employee of north korea's state-owned airline. khalid says investigators do not yet know the occupation of the third man. kim jong-nam, the long-estranged half brother of the north korean leader, was attacked last week at the kuala lumpur international airport. so far, two women are in custody. one is from indonesia, the other is from vietnam. police have also detained one north korean man. one of the female suspects claims she thought they were caught up in a prank for a tv program. police say they don't believe the story. they say the women were trained to wipe toxins on kim's face and wash their hands after. police also revealed they have asked pyongyang to hand over four other north korean suspects

they have been searching for. >> we strongly believe all of them has left the country, and we strongly believe that they have arrived in pyongyang. and we would request the north korean authorities to assist us in tracing them and hand them over to us. >> the north korean embassy has said the three people already detained should be immediately released. it issued a statement on wednesday saying that the three, the vietnamese woman, the indonesian woman, and the north korean man, have been arrested unreasonably. the police believe one of the north korean suspects prepared for the attack in indonesia. they say o joong gil was in indonesia prior to the killing. he's one of the suspects malaysia asked north korea to hand over. police were investigating his activities in january, including

whether he contacted the indonesian suspect siti aisyah. a legendary robot is coming back to life thanks to a joint effort on two japanese companies. gene otani has the latest. five japanese companies have teamed up to recreate the astro boy robot. the project includes a mobile phone carrier and a computermaker. it marks 90 years since the birth of the animation master. the manga started in 1952, later adapted to tv and film. >> the new astro boy stands 44 supreme courts tall, one-third the height of the original.

he can walk and read facial expressions, has artificial intelligence, and comes with telecom functions. the makers say he draws on the cloud for enhanced interaction. >> translator: our reborn astro boy cannot take to the skies and the he may not quite have his famous 100k horsepower strength. but we'd love to keep an eye on how our project grows in the future. >> fans will be able to send the robot on their own. the components go on sale from april as a supplement to a weekly magazine. efforts by chinese authorities to avoid a potential property bubble are having some success. key figures show new home prices in some of the country's biggest centers stayed flat or fell slightly. figures from the national bureau of statistics compared prices between december and january. they found new home prices in beijing were unchanged. shanghai inched down. overall the cost of a new home rose in 45 cities out of 70 and

fell in 20. five were unchanged. the chinese government has been easing housing loan regulations to deal with unsold condominiums in regional centers. he has also been working to curb speculators buying and selling homes in urban areas. u.s. president donald trump wants reforms he says to bring jobs back to the country. and 16 ce os of america's major manufacturers have sent a letter to congress urging lawmakers to push ahead with a controversial tax plan. the republican proposal includes reducing corporate taxes and allowing exporters to deduct revenue from their income. also taxing importers on goods they bring in. supporters say bold reform, not minor adjustments, is what's needed right now. those who signed the letter

include boeing and caterpillar. u.s. retailers oppose the change, saying the burden will be passed on to consumers. checking the markets tokyo shares ended flat despite a streak of record high finishes on wall street. our business reporter has more from the tokyo stock exchange. >> tokyo shares traded in positive territory at the open boosted by tail winds from that record close forup u.s. stocks. most of the day shares were directionless as investors awaited the federal open market committee meeting's minutes. the nikkei 225 ended flat finishing at 19,379. the dollar halted its ascent against the yen putting a cap on tokyo share prices. let's see some of the movers. toshiba left gains adding 22%. buy orders flooded in after reports the conglomerate hopes to raise more than $17 billion

from the sale of its chip business. online retailer rakuten is up 9% after announcing a share buyback. steelmakers like jfe holdings saw buying on expectations of stronger demand for construction and autos. food companies like ajinomoto were lower. other markets in the asia-pacific region saw moderate gains amid cautious trading. the shanghai composite up to 3261 the closing number. higher oil prices lifted resource and energy shares. property stocks ended flat as investors shrugged off the latest home price data. over in hong kong, better than expected gdp figures boosted sentiment. the hang seng closed at 24,201. singapore was up by .9% supported by major banks. sydney's s&p asx200 index snapped a three-day losing

streak gaming .25%. japanese men earn more on average than women. but a new survey shows the wage gap by gender is narrower now than at any time in history. officials at the labor ministry ran a national survey on entities with ten or more employees. they found the average monthly pay packet, excluding overtime, was about $2,700 last year. that's unchanged from 2015 in yen terms. the average men's wage was nearly $3,000. women took home some $800 less. ministry officials say the gap is the smallest for the past 40 years. they put down the change to the growing number of women filling administrative positions and having longer careers. the growing number of tourists from abroad is prompting japanese companies to go on the hunt for foreign talent. the government is trying to help out. one idea is to make it easier for foreign workers with

specialized skills to gain residential status in designated zones in japan. prime minister shinzo abe, finance minister taro aso, and local revitalization minister yamamomoto have been sititting with members of a government panel. yamamoto proposed a system to make it easier for foreign workers to gain residential status in so-called special economic zones. the minister said workers with specialized skills are in particular demand in tourism, fashion, and animatioion. he said these zones should sete up committees to screen the business plans of companies. nhk has learned leading japanese brokerage nomura securities will give their workers one extra day off a a yr so they can go get a thorough medical checkup. executives say the measure will start in april. japanese employers are already required under law to offer their workers time off for checkups. these are often short and simple physicals.

a more extensive one takes an entire day but is optional, so not all workers opt for it. nomura's measure will apply to employees aged 30 or older. they will be able to apply to take time off april to december every year. executives may be hoping giving an extra paid holiday will encourage more employees to go for the more thorough exam. nli research institute says such programs by businesses have objectives that go beyond cutting the financial cost of medical care. he says they boost productivity and improve their corporate image. he says some firms are providing their workers with pedestrian meters to encourage walking. other efforts include healthier choices at company cafeterias and awarding employees who manage to quit smoking. people in france are rediscovering a well-known and traditional piece of japanese clothing, the kimono. the event is showcasing 120

items, including kimono and ornamental hairpins belonging to japanese department stores. this outfit shows how a woman from a samurai family in the edo period might dress herself in the 17th to mid-19th centuries. the collection includes colorful items that show the influence of western culture during the mid 19th to early 20th centuries. >> translator: in france, people have always been interested in kimono. ththe french have loved them ev since japaneseim at the end the 19th century when the kimono arrived. >> the organizers hope to encompass the culture of kimono, including textiles and the how fabrics were dyed. >> translator: the most important thing about kimono is an appreciation of beauty and harmon harmony, it's very aesthetic. >> the exhibition also features work by french fashion designers who incorporated kimono into

their modern designs. catch our report again online, together with a full transcript. that's a look at business news. i'm going to leave you with the markets. people in new zealand are remembering those who died six years ago when a major earthquake hit the southern city of christchurch. 185 people were killed, including 28 japanese. ♪ 3,500 people took part in a memorial service, including new

zealand's prime m ministeter an relatives of the victims. >> there are 195 people who cannot join us today. we feell their absence keenly o the sixth anniversary. >> they observed a minute of silence at 1212:51 p.m.m., the the quake struck. a memorial with the names of the victims has been erected in the city's center. >> translator: we find this memorial wall very comforting. i've dececided to live life to e fullllest. >> police are considering bringing criminal charges against people involved in t th design and construction of a building that collapsed during the quake. 113 people died in the collapse, including japanese who were enrolled at a language school. militants in northwestern pakistan have attacked a court complex. popolice told nhk that eight

civilianss are deaead and at le 30 others are wounded. they said the three militants were armed with hand grenades and rifles. one blew himself up and the others were killed in gun battles with police before they could enter the building. the attack is just the latest in a wave of assaults across the country sinince last week that s killed over 100 people. taliban breakaway group jamatatl arar has claimed responsibility. reuters said the faction released a video saying it would carry out a series of attacks. the u.n. says 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of starving to death. a day after declaring famine in south sudan, the u.n. says the same issue looms in nigeria, somalia, and yemen. it's appealing for help from international communities, saying timee is running out. unicef released an emergency statement after famine was formally declared in south sudan. parts of the country are

embroiled in civil war and armed clashes flared between the government and civilian forces. conflict is beingng blamed for food insecurity in northeastern nigeria. the islamic extremist group boko haram frequently carries out attacks in the region.. unicef sayays the number of children with acute malnutrition there is expected to reach 450,000 this year. >> the fact is that these conflicts are largely manmade. children are dying because of manmade conflict-affected disasters. in 2017 that's shameful. >> conflict has also been ragagg in yemen. unicicef says the numberr of children suffering from malnutrition has increased 200% sisince 202014. and it says drought is threatening an already fragile population in somalia, battered by decades of conflicts. u.s. government officials have announced new policies to implement president donald trump's executive order on immigration.

the measures include hiring 15,000 more border patrol and enforcement agents. the department of homeland security will also increase holding facilities for illegal immigrants. under t obamama administration, only those caughght within abou 190 kilometers of the border with mexico were repatriated. but that range will now be expanded. secretary of state rex tillerson and homeland security secretary john kelly are scheduled to visit mexico to discuss border security with president enrique pena nieto. they'll also talk about building a wall between the two countries which trump insists mexico will pay for. the white house press secretary says the new measures mean the president is keeping his campaign promises. >> the memo regarding the executive order, border security, and immigration enforcement improvements outlines the steps dhs will take to secure the nation's southern border. >> spicer says the move will

stop illegal immigration and speed up deportations. japan's nuclear watchdog has taken another step toward restarting a power plant on the sea of japan coast. the plant could go back online as early as this autumn. the regulator has approved a draft assessment of new safety measures brought in by the plant operator, kansai electric power company. the changes follow new requirements introduced after the 2011 fukushima nuclear disaster. among the new measures the regulator says the plant will be able to withstand greater impact from earthquakes and tsunamis. kansai electric is planning to implement the safety measures by may. before the reactors can be brought back online, further equipment checks are needed in addition to public consultations. and a legal hurdle remains to be

cleared. a japanese court ordered the operator to keep the plant's reactors offline, citing insufficient safety measures. the utility has appealed the ruling. truck drivers in japan have a reputation for being a tough bunch. but they can be soft at heart. children's drawings are being wrapped onto their rigs to remind them of the importance of safe driver. nhk world's that cash show kobayashi reports. >> reporter: takato drives long distances. it's a hard job but the back of his truck tells a different story. pictures show him at work and his smiling family. they were drawn by his children.

he has three kids. 6-year-old riko drew the family portrait. she's learning to write and included a message to her father. keturo, his 5-year-old son, drew a picture of a truck to remind his dad to pay attention. he often delivers freight to the docks. >> translator: don't fall into the ocean, daddy. >> translator: wouldn't it be awfulfy fell into the ocean when i was driving? >> translator: you would drown and bubbles would come up. >> translator: my children's drawings help me stay alert and avoid getting into an accident. i drive as if my kids were riding in the truck with me. >> reporter: the idea of decorating trucks with children's drawings originated at a freight company in osaka. the initiative began in 2013 after one of the drivers was

involved in an accident. the truck hit a motorcycle while turning at the intersection. the cyclist died. company president miata says he'll never forget what the victim's father saidd at the hospital. >> translator: he told me his son had just died and said, i want you to know my son has a daughter in elementary school. >> reporter: miyata took action to spare any other family such grief. his company upgraded its safety training, giving drivers a clear message. miyata also came up with the idea of having drivers' children draw pictures on the tracks. he hopes the connection with their own children would inspire them to pay attention all the time. so far, so good, since the program started three years ago, no accidents.

driver koyoshi is single. but he didn't want to be left out. >> translator: i'm envious of the other drivers whose trucks are covered with their kids' drawings. i often admire them from afar. >> reporter: a colleague enlisted his son to make a picture for koyoshi. the boy prepared carefully, observing his dad's friend taking care of his truck. then he let inspiration guide his hand. >> translator: if accidents happen frequently, maybe nobody would want to drive trucks anymore. what's going to take their place? i hope people follow traffic rules more closely. >> reporter: the drawing is doing its part time prove

driving. >> translator: it's done. it's done. >> reporter: he even drew a portrait of koyoshi. >> translator: it's good. i can see he put a lot into this. >> reporter: now when koyoshi sets out on deliveries, he proudly displays the decoration and feels a sentiment. when stuck in traffic he's inspired to keep calm and concentrate on the cars around him. another delivery, another safe arrival. >> translator: i felt a bit nervous because i knew that people on the road could see the drawings. this motivated me to drive more safely. >> reporter: each trip a work of art in itself.

takeshi kobayashi, nhk world, osaka. >> something trucks in other countries might want to emulate. you're watching nhk "newsline." visitors to tokyo this weekend can look forward to fair weather, although tomorrow and thursday, some precipitation is in the forecacast. hehere with the details is saya mori. >> yes, clouds are getting thicker and thicker in tokyo. it's going to be raining on thursday. now rain is falling heavily across western japan at this moment. actually, the same system caused snowfall in parts of northern china. that includes beijing. let's take a look at this video from the city. the first snow of 2017 fell in beijing on tuesday, slowing traffic and reducing visibility in the city. the snowfall lasted about ten hours and was followed by chilly subzero temperatures. the china meteorological agency issued an alert for icy roads. now snow has ended in beijing, but instead the same system is causing some snowfall in parts

of north korea and also hail. down towards the south along this cold front, heavy rain is falling across southern portions ofof china and alslso parts of h korea. the system is also affecting western japanhiss moment. it is expxpected to move toward the east. as you can see, rain is expected for northern japan as well. snow is a already on n the grou. so rain could raise the potential for avalanches. down towards thehe soututh, dea floods occccurred in jakarta on tuesday due to torrents of heavy rainfall. more r rain is expected. this is the rainy season, but more heavy rain is anticipated for the southeast of the philippines due to another disturbance. temperatures are as follows on your thursday. 33 manila with partly sunny conditions. thunderstorms could happen in bangkok with 35 degrees. in the single digits in chongqi chongqing. temperatures are on the rise in beijing. tokyo at 18 degrees. this is going to be more like mid-april in the city.

now let's go to europe then. an intense low pressure system is approaching the scandinavian peninsula. it is expected to cause quite a lot of snowfall and windydy coconditions acrossanyy places f the continent. we're expecting heavy snowfall that could lead to avalanchess across the scandinavian peninsula. the c cold front is expxpected move over the b british isles fm friday, excuse me, from late wednesday into thursday. winds are going to be extrememe strong. gusts could be up too 130 kilometers per hour. also heavy rain is expected for the southern portions and to the north up to 20 centimeters of snow is expected into the next couple of days. we'll see sunny weather wednesday but light showers expected on your thursday. 13 for the high. paris at 13 degrees. beautiful weather once again across the iberian peninsula. moscow, snowy wetter with a high of only minus 1 degree on wednesda let's go t north amererica. ysys of h heavy rain has led to significant flooding across

parts of california in san jose actually floods are taking place and 200 people have been evacuated. we have threats for flooding across inland areas as well, like wyoming. floods are occurring due to snow melt because 10 tours are tempen the rise. across the east thunderstorms are expected for the deep south so watch out for flooding. temperatures are going to be extremely warm. chicago at 23 degrees. it should be around 2 degrees for this time of year, so nearly 20 degrees higher than normal. if it hit 23 degrees it's going to be the warmest temperature ever recorded in february. all right, that's it from me now. here's your extended forecast.

for news and special reports, be sure to watch "newsroom tokyo" at the top of the hour. for all ofvp

>> you are watching "france 24." these are the headlines. donald trump bows to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the united states the giving immigration officers even more power to kick them out. the american president meanwhile gets a slap from amnesty international over what it calls toxic be mongering by antiestablishment politicians like donald trump. two new suspects wanted in qu