live from tokyo this is nhk newsline. north korea is lashing out at asia after police there suggested a north korean diplomat was connected to the case. and the half brother of his leader.

at the north korean embassy they denied they had been asked by malaysian police to cooperate. >> they're saying they did this and that but that's lies and slander. we cannot accept it. >> kim jong nam was attacked at the airport. one of them is a north korean man. on wednesday they held a news conference and pointed to more leaks in the murder investigation. they demanded north korea hand over four other suspects they say left malaysia right after the killing. they also said they want to question three more north korean including an embassy official and employee of a state owned airline. police don't know the occupation of the third man. the investigators haven't said why they want to question them but the embassy official and airline worker were identified on airport security footage.

one report said the diplomat was seen sending off the four north korean suspects. south korea is urging the government to relocate a statue causing a diplomatic rile with japan. it symbolizes people referred to as comfort women. it was placed in front of the japanese conciliate in december by a civic group. officials say they received a document last week from south korea's foreign minister. they say it's undesirable from the viewpoint of international relations and diplomatic protocol. they also call for discussions on relocating the statue. talk should involve different levels of government along with groups. japan's chief cabinet secretary is calling for a 2015 agreement between the countries to be

followed. it says south korea will work to resolve the issue of a similar statue in front of japan's embassy in seoul. >> we'll continue to seize every opportunity to call on south korea to fulfill it's obligations in line wit our bilateral agreement. >> in response to the placement of the statue. a court awarded record compensation to residents living near an air base. they're ordered to pay $260 billion to damages suffered from aircraft noise. but there's a ban on overnight flights. >> judges don't understand the feelings of local residents. >> airplanes sometimes fly until around midnight. my kids tell me it'simpossible for them to sleep. the ruling was handed down on thursday. judges say that under the

japan-u.s. security treaty the japanese government is not in a position to regulate u.s. military aircraft operations. some 22,000 people from around the u.s. air base filed the suit in 2011. the japanese government says it failed to make its case. to fulfill the purpose of the japan-u.s. security treaty it's essential to have their troops ready for rapid response to training. and doing so due consideration should be paid to public safety. >> the government will ask u.s. forces to try to lessen the impact of noise from aircraft. the residents intend to appeal the decision which allows night flights to continue. russia is making visas easier to get for people that want tonighter by the far east. they hope to encourage development there by attracting more visitors from asia.

the lower house rliament passed a bill to simplify visa applications. foreigners that want to enter via the far east can get an 8 davie is a if they apply online. they apply to those entering from the city or the regions. the bill expected to pass the upper house and then be signed into law by president vladimir putin. the government plans to put the procedures in place in september when the eastern economic forum is held. u.s. president donald trump has waded into another culture war. his administration is revoking guidelines that say transgender students should be free to choose which bathrooms to use. the obama administration issued the guidance but some states filed lawsuits demanding it be

withdrawn. departments of justice and education said yesterday the rules were drawn up without legal analysis. they said each state or school district should be free to make its own decision. it sparked protests outside of the white house. civil rights activists say it puts children in danger. >> these are kids that have to go to school all the time worried about being bullied by other kids and educators and now they have to worry about the attorney general of the united states and the president of the united states bullying them? it's just not okay. >> but the white house maintains it's an issue of federal overreach. sean spicer said trump made it clear he's a firm believer in state's rights. japanese officials are trying to use an icy system aimed at making it easier for foreign tourists to get around the country. details on and that other business headlines.

japanese government and business officials are testing a system using a data base that allows shops and other facilities to provide services to foreign travellers. the officials aim to have it in operation by the tokyo olympics in 2020. 60 firms and other organizations in tokyo including hotels, restaurants and museums are taking part. the test is being overseen by the internal affairs ministry for two years. travellers register personal information into the system including passport data and any food allergies they would have. when travellers hold a smart card their personal information appears on a tablet computer. this allows staff to order products or dishes the users would like. officials can accumulate information on the preferences of foreign visitors through this system. >> it's just simple and all the worries will be communicated

easily through this car. >> workers at japan's largest parcel delivery firm are seeking relief amid the labor crunch. as demanded in on going labor talks to limit the number of parcels the firm handles during the new physical year in april. this is due to a surge in demand as online shopping grows. union representatives are calling for a review of the service. in addition they want the firm to negotiate rate hikes for online stores and other big corporate clients. management has acknowledged that the union's proposals warrant consideration. the number of deliveries is expected to rise by 8% a record, 1.87 billion. analysts say the labor talks may

lead to an entry wide change as most delivery firms are facing similar challenges. the ceo of nissan motor says it's time for change. he'll be stepping down from his current post. he joined the company when the auto maker was struggling to survive. >> the move takes effect april first. he said in a statement he has taken on new responsibilities. nissan acquired a major stake in that company last october placing it under the nissan umbrella he also took into account the shareholders meeting in june. the two companies formed an alliance in 1999. he served in a variety of senior management positions for nearly

two decades. failed to clarify the course of u.s. monitor policy weakening investor sentiment. >> investors notice some he has answer the in the fed minutes. some caution against too soon this saw the dollar drift lower. take a look at the levels forth. the nikkei 225 finished lower. the broader topix also edged down. and re-signed as ceo but will stay on as chairman. he is also the chair of mitsubishi motors. some think he will be able to devote more time and energy to

rebuilding mitsubishi. switching to currency markets it helped recovering from overnight lows. below 113 after the dovish tone on interest rate hikes. many will be focussing on joint session of congress on tuesday. moving on to other markets in the asia pacific region they drop by .3%. the closing number there. broader property taxes and rules nor asset management. 3137 to reach an 18 month high. consumer prices for january rose 0.6% from a year ago. the biggest rise in over two years.

seou seoul's kospi inched up. hang seng slipping by 0.4%. he favors a strong dollar calling it a good thing for the united states in the long run. previously president trump warned an excessively strong dollar could hurt u.s. exports and voiced similar concerns but now in an interview with the wall street journal the treasury secretary and support for the strong green back. the dollar continues to be the leading currency in the world and it's appreciation is good for what it called the longer term. they rise since the presidential election is a sign of confidence in the trump administration and in the economic out look. toshiba is likely to sell a much bigger stake in it's main stay chip business than it originally announced. sources familiar with the matter say the struggling japanese

electronics maker let go up from its initial plan of under 20%. toshiba will hold a board meeting on friday. also an extraordinary meeting to seek approval. to secure the funds for its health. they are aiming to agreement an by june. >> more than 40 brands have been awarded the highest grade. japanese rice growers are eager to get the highest evaluation possible so as to enhance their brand image. officials say that 44 brands are given a special a ranking among 141 types of race produced the last year. that's two fewer than the

previous year and the first decline in 7 years. the ranking is based on taste and texture. the rice was rated special for 28 years in a row. he was also in the top category and for the 6th straight year association officials say the taste of rice grown in japan is getting better overall due to improvements in the trains. japan's fishery has been eyeing new markets for sometime now but it's a small wholesaler in western japan that finally took action. >> reporter: a truckload of fish bound for the muslim world. making this happen required a lot of work behind the scenes. he's putting the finishing touches on the process. he has the containers in

accordance with islamic law and the tuna is now ready for export. this container is being sent to malaysia on a trial run. the supplier sells farmed fish including tuna and japanese yellow tail. they already ship to the u.s. and china. but he wants to cast his net even wider. he's eyeing a market of 1.6 billion people. >> translator: about 25% of the world's people are muslims. that is a big market for a small company like us. i want to be a pioneer to expand business there. i want them to eat delicious fish from japan. >> reporter: first he had to get certified. the islamic faith imposes strict rules in a wide range of areas from fish feed to

transportation. equipment for example, he had to prove there was no animal hair in the brushes. even the boxes have to be checked. >> some additives in the foam contain animal products but these items have already been cleared. >> reporter: it took him 18 months to receive certification, a first for japanese farmed fish. >> translator: we had to check every item to see if it could be used and allow certified products. it was a time consuming process. he's now setting his sights on the middle east. more japanese restaurants are setting up in the united arab

emirat emirates. they have developed a taste for fish. his first pitch to dubai went well. he says wholesalers are pleased to learn his fish are certified. >> translator: people there were impressed with the quality of japanese fish. they said they want to start siness rightaway. >> reporter: he's now testing the waters in other parts o the middle east with the help of japanese trade officials. >> sdi arabi and qatar are promising candidates. hotel restaurants are ideal targets for your company' high end fish. >> translator: there is a growing interest overseas in japanese cuisine. our next goal is to work together with other producers to serve these consumers. >> reporter: he worked hard to open doors. now his company is a ground breaker in muslim markets and he

plans to take advantage. >> you can catch the report again online. just look for nhk world and business wrap. i'm going to leave you with markets. an international team of sign hicientists made a big dis. multiple earth sized planets.

>> reporter: scientists delivered their stunning news. >> there's 7 earth sized planets orbiting the nearby star about 40 light years away. it gives us a hint that finding a second earth is not just a matter of if, but when. >> reporter: the researchers are from various countries and published details of their discovery in the science journal. judging by their distance from the dwarf star as well as their mass the planets could have water, not ice on their surface. they also say they may have solid ground made from rock and other materials. planets similar to earth have been found in the past but the scientists say this is the first time this many were found revolving around one star and relatively close to earth. >> what we really have in this story is a major step forward toward answering one of these very questions that are at the heart of so many of our

philosophe philosophers, what we're thinking about when we're by ourselves. that is are we alone out there. >> reporter: the discovery has people around this planet exciting. >> it's very exciting news because it's around there. if we can contact with them. >> translator: i wonder if life exists beyond earth. >> reporter: scientists say the planned launch of a state of the art space telescope will allow them to find out more. in japan's national astronomical observatory wants to pitch in. one of its telescopes in hawaii has a large mirror with a diameter almost as large as a telescope used to find the planets. researchers are working with the americans in their search for a ninth planet in our solar system. japan's help could make a big

difference. >> translator: it's conceivable that by using our telescopes we may unveil the secrets of earth-like planets through immediate space observation. >> reporter: nasa officials say finding life elsewhere is one of their overarching goals. s also a dream of mankind that could be closer than ever. nhk world, tokyo. 75 years ago a presidential order resulted in the internment of japanese americans during the second world war. today both young and old from that community are speaking out over fears the u.s. is heading back down a dark path. nhk world has the story. >> reporter: this is a 4th generation japanese american

visiting a new exhibit at the smithsonian. it's one that he has a deep personal connection too the internment of japanese americans during world war ii. >> unfortunately a lot of hateful feelings toward certain groups of people. that's why it's so critical for japanese americans to continue passing along the message and say no, not again. >> reporter: this is t 1942 order signed by preside sevelt. as a result 120,000 people were in camps across the u.s. more than 7 decades later donald trump's campaign rhetoric against muslims and his executive order banning travellers from certain muslim majority countries feels all too familiar. >> i was just barely 12 years

old and i didn't really realize what was happening. we lost everything. very unfortunate that we have not learned from the past. >> shutting the door on those in need is unacceptable. >> after the travel ban was issued he participated in one of the many protests that emerged in airports across the united stat states. >> he is fuelled by the experience of his grandmother that spent three years in a camp. >> we must continue standing up for values. not party politics but standing up for what is right and descent in this world. >> reporter: he hopes people can learn from history in order to avoid making the same mistakes and he wants president trump to

visit the smithsonians to reflect on the lessons from the exhibit for himself. thanks. world weather and stormy conditions in the british isles. >> winter storm is zipping across the british isles at this moment. it's the fourth named storm of the season. this system has been intensifying quite rapidly. it's down by about 30 in just 24 hours. this kind of intensifying system is calle a weather bomb. because of t pressure gradient we're seeing extremely strong winds in manyreasf the british isles. wind gusts of 140ilometers per hour in some spots. more strong winds are expecte as we go into the next several hours and heavy snow is expected to continue across the northern areas like scotland after 20 centimeters of snow may fall now

it's going to be 18 degrees in athens and 2 degrees in moscow with snow flakes on your thursday. let's go to the southern hemisphere and talk about what is going on in central portions of chile. weather has been dry over the past ten years and this year there's severe wildfires in the center of the country. they have burned about 3,500 acres of land forcing evacuations of 3,000 people. this is the worst period of forest fires in it's history. so far no injury versus been reported from this incident but so far this year more than 580,000 have been burned and weather has been quite dry and that's causing numerous wildfire

across the region. and as we can see no rain is expected for much of central areas so conditions will not improve any time soon. and across north america there's a front effecting the southern areas. it's causing a variety of weather. heavy snowfall toward the north. we have blizzard warnings in place. in wyoming white out conditions may happen and in the south winds are strong and temperatures are high and critical fire weather risk except in the area and then thunderstorms expected. freezing rain in eastern parts of canada as well. all sorts of weather event across north america. temperatures high in the southern plains. 30 degrees in dallas. 27 degrees in oklahoma city but cold air coming in from the north. so temperatures will go down by about 10 degrees as we go into friday and finally over in japan it's a stormy day. many places in the untry. especiallylong the pacific

side of the nation. you have strg winds and heavy rainfall across the south and the system is pulling away but snow is kicking up across the northern areas of japan again and snow will continue at least for the next three days or so. sapporo with snowy weather at least until sunday. tokyo will see sunny weather on friday and warm on sunday when tokyo marathon will be taking place and on monday it's going to be another chilly day once again. 8 foot high with the weather. that's it for now. here's your extended forecast around the globe.

>> and that was this hour's news and weather live from our studios here in vp

genie: this is france 24. time for 60 around the world. i'm genie godula. these are the headlines. peace talks on syria get back undertime for 60 around the world. way today in geneva. with continuing violence on the ground and political deadlock even the u.n. envoy behind the talks says hope for a breakthrough is slim. a slap in the face for lgbt activists. the trump administration revokes a landmark