we expect to hear soon from japan's prime minister, shinzo abe. for more on this we want to turn to cnn's will ripley. he joins us live from beijing. very disturbing development. and of course as i mentioned, we have chosen to still that shot from the video in order not to give them any more publicity than isis wanting out of this. talk to us about the situation. what do we know about those two hostages and how shinzo abe is likely to respond as we wait to hear from him as he visits jerusalem? >> reporter: it's gut wrenching to the images and to see that video and listen to this now-familiar message from isis. and that familiar isis executioner believed to be jihadi john responsible for the executions of so many others from so many other countries and now japan. two people two citizens of japan, a passivist country that doesn't believe in military action aside from self-defense, though citizens are seen in a similar situation kneeling next to him. we know that one is a journalist. according to his twitter account, he has filed reports for a number

class -- >> those interview -- those in tokyo have repeated what shinzo abe has said.lthough those in japan has a mixed record when it comes to paying a ransom. it is highly unlikely they will pay that $200 million some in the next 72 hours. -- that $200 million sum in the next 72 hours. although the japanese prime minister did, in fact, pay a ransom and friesen red army groups. why is japan -- and free some red army groups. why is japan embroiled in what is happening in middle east? in cairo, he pledged the same sum $200 million in military assistance for countries fighting isis. he said he feared if they were able to gain a foothold in the region. although it is constricted by the constitution, it cannot play direct roles overseas, it has played logistical roles in the conflict in afghanistan and also in iraq. that appears to be white it is a target. >> the united nations has confirmed one of its peacekeepers has been abducted in the capital of the central african republic. it comes a day after a french charity worker and a churchman were abducted in the area of bang

i don't know if we have the sound queued up from prime minister shinzo abe.spoke a few minutes ago. he talked about the japanese government's commitment to support the coalition against isis also responded to this terrible video. take a listen. >> translator: i feel very sorry for this matter and to the families. the government has tried its best to deal with this matter but we are deeply saddened by this despicable and horrendous act of terrorism. and we denounce it on the strongest terms. to the terrorists we will never never forgive them for this act. >> reporter: poppy, japan has just recently decided to take a stand against terrorism, publicly pledging support for the coalition against isis. and now on a sunday morning here japan is learning the painful consequences that can come with taking a stand against a murderous group such as this. >> and the statement coming from isis saying placing blame on japanese prime minister shinzo abe and saying there is a nightmare ahead for the people of japan. i want to bring in michael weiss, also bob bair. to you, wi

the prime minister shinzo abe came on national television in the morning and said that unfortunately,ould not but say that the credibility of this video was high, a couple of hours later his chief cabinet secretary who has been leading the japanese public pronouncements and statements on this since this gannon folding on tuesday he said that japan had found no basis so far to deny the murder. the video that came out overnight showed another japanese captive a still i think of him holding up what seemed to be the photograph of the dead body. there was audio file underneath that image purportedly of his speaking in that the words condemned the actions of shinzo abe or rather his inaction, saying that had led to the death. also saying that the demand of the hostage takers had changed from $200 million to the release of a female suicide bomber aura tempted suicide bomber who was involved in the 2005 hotel bombing in amman. and has been held in jordan since then. that if she were released so would the hostage be. so far no reaction to that from the japanese government. no comment being mad

xi held talks with japan's prime minister shinzo abe in november. it was the first summit in 2 1/2 years. the president's address could be suggesting china's history to group the regions to the communist party and strengthen public opinion against japan. >>> a declassified british document quotes a former japanese prime minister as saying his nation in china have agreed to maintain the status quo over the senkaku islands in the east china sea. files released on tuesday by the british national archives showed the remarks being made to late british prime minister margaret thatcher. the two met in japan in 1982. the document quotes suzuki agreed that the two countries should cooperate on the basis of their major common interest and leave aside differences of detail. suzuki says they both agree to maintain the status quo over the senkakus without discussing the matter concretely. abe and he told thatcher the issue is effectively shelved. she was due to negotiate with china over future of hong kong which was british crown colony at the time. the document

xi held talks with shinzo abe in november. that was the first summit in two and a half years. the president's address could be suggesting china is using history to boost allegiance to the party and strengthen public opinion of japan. >>> police investigators in china are trying to determine the cause of a fatal explosion that rocked afternoon auto parts factory wednesday morning in a southern part of the country. they say at least 17 people are dead and 33 others injured. several blasts struck the facility in the city of fosha thrks. the explosions blew out the roof and walls of the plant and smashed windows in other nearby buildings. officials say operations at the factory have been suspended for regular checks and cl >>> people in the mallay peninsula have performed a puppet theater more than 100 years. recently they've seen the population dwindle. one puppet master is trying to turn things around exploring possibilities in the traditional theater. nhk world reports. >> reporter: characters and stories are drawn from ancient indian epics. the prints in this tale is a man res

we know that this is a major priority for prime minister shinzo abe. working with authorities there to see if there is any way to work out a deal to secure the safe return of kenji goto. the one surviving japanese hostage after the execution believed to be confirmed now of haruna yukawa. the u.s. and japan saying as you said that the picture that is circulating on the internet is credible. this is an awful time for kenji goto's mother. she spoke earlier today about the pain she is going through right now. >> translator: i am a mother. i cannot bear this. i got to believe in everyone's effort. otherwise, i cannot live. the human fighting. this is not the samurai warlord era. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe is facing criticism now because of the fact that this hostage crisis erupted two days after he made a very public announcement of $200 million to support the coalition against isis. some of his opponents in the country saying haddon he done that more privately, the countries receiving the aid would have been just as happy and preventing that kn

we are awaiting prime minister shinzo shinzo abe. he has spoken about the outage he has felt over all of this. he said there were no words, strong condemnation. and we expect similar language. but moving forward, japan has already said it pledges to continue to support the coalition against isis through humanitarian aid. >> will ripley thank you for your reporting on this. to all of our correspondents around the world, thank you all for your reporting on this. we will continue to follow this throughout the evening here on cnn. thank you to our viewers in the united states our viewers around the world. we'll be back with you at the top of the hour, 5:00 eastern, right here with the latest on this story. right now kickoff in arizona hosted by rachel nichols and dan marino begins after a quick break. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more

. >>> ahead, japan's shinzo abe lashes out, condemning the latest threat from isis to kill a japanese hostage. >> and a smashing success. apple posts the largest profit in corps history, massive sales of the iphone 6 and surging demand in china. >>> thanks for joining us everyone. it is 4:00 p.m. in tokyo. japanese prime minister shinzo abe says his government is working together to win the release of isis hostage kenji goto. >> isis released a new public of-- new picture of goto holing a picture of the jordanian pilot captured last month. the message says isis will kill both men in 24 hours unless jordan release a female prisoner convicted in a series of bombings in 2005. >> we want to bring in will ripley now who is following developments from tokyo. it is a race again time now for japan to convince jordan to cooperate and consider releasing a convicted terrorist in exchange for the two hostages. what progress has likely been made at this snow shower. >> reporter: we know that all of those discussions continue to happen feverishly behind the scenes. you mentioned it is a race agains

. >>> shinzo abe spoke with the australian prime minister. he says he believes the people and government of japan will overcome the challenge. abe met indonesian trade minister in tokyo and thanked him for indonesia's condemnation of the hostage taking. the photo online shows jogo and hat another hostage unless they pay the deadline in 72 hours around 2:50 p.m. japan time on friday. the japanese just promised aid to countries in the middle east. prime minister abe says the aid is for non-military and support for people across the middle east and wilton fight against global terrorism. the two men went missing months before they appeared tuesday on the internet. it seems efforts to free the pair have been going on for some time. we have more. >> reporter: a source told us that they sent an e-mail and captured a journalist but doesn't include any threat of killing him. later information contained personal information known only to go toe and his family. a message sent earlier this month demands a ransom of more than $17 million. a representative

shinzo abe to do all he can to secure goto's release. his mother has pleaded for abe to secure her son's release. we've also had the #iamkenji campaign, mirroring the charlie hebdo campaign. the ball is very much in the jordan and i sis -- and isis courts. japan has claimed the role of observer in wishing for the best. >> thank you for that report from tokyo. now to israeli soldiers -- now, two israeli soldiers and a spanish peacekeeper were killed wednesday. the classes began when a lebanese military group -- the clashes began when a lebanese military group began shelling. >> they take away the burned remains of the convoy, shelled by hezbollah. the most serious conflict since the wark 2006. >>-- the war of 2006. >> there is no interest in escalating the situation to the third war but israel must retaliate. >> two israeli soldiers were killed when hezbollah hit their convoy with bombs. a narrow strip of occupied land. the militant group suggested the attack was carried out in retaliation for an israeli airstrike in the golan heights 10

now that shinzo abe is home what will he be doing? >> he will get an update from the government which is entirely foengs the on the situation. it's the main -- focussed on the situation. it's the main news in japan, we had a news conference from the chief cabinet secretary, essentially the spokesman for the japanese government. and he made it clear they were trying to do all it could to go through any international channel of communication with i.s.i.s. with i.s.i.l. to get this out safely. he said that it was important that i.s.i.l. understood that the $200 million which the man in the video referred to brandishing the knife with the same appearance and voice as the man who is known as jihadion which we've seen in the videos for the past fewer months. he was making it clear, that the japanese money was going towards nonmilitary aid to those battling i.s.i.l. that money, the $200 million is what the man in the video is demanding in ransom for the two men. during the news conference the chief cabinet secretary was asked whether a ranso

prime minister shinzo abe spoke to reporters after the cabinet meeting. >> translator: i believe theft budget will serve to achieve the twin goals of reviving japan's economy and restoring its fiscal health. >> he added that the government will do its utmost to improve social security including support for child care. >>> the world bank has downgraded its global growth protection for this year. despite growth in the u.s. economy and plunge in crude oil prices. officials expect the global economy will expand 3%. that's 0.4 of a percentage point lower than the bank's forecast released last june. the lender estimates the world economy in 2014 grew 2.6%. officials say the u.s. economy will grow this year by 3.2%. that is up 0.2 of a point from the june forecast. the economists expect the u.s. will play a leading role in the world economy. but they calculate eurozone growth at 1.1% down 0.7 point and they revised down japan's growth to 1.2%. japan's recovery has been sluggish since it hiked its consumption tax. and the lender projects china's growth at 7.1%, which is down 0.4 point. analy

. >>> prime minister shinzo abe has instructed his ministers to do their utmost to bring freelance journalist kenji goto back home. abe says he is fully aware of the unbearable pain and sorrow that yukawa's family must be experiencing. yoshihide suga said the government suspects the men were captured by islamic state militants. he said the government based its assumption on a variety of information. >> translator: the government continues to use all available channels for the release of goto. with cooperation from jordan and other countries, and groups. we duly recognize that the top priority is human life. >> suga said there has been no contact from islamic state. moves by the jordanian government are in focus at this new stage in the crisis with the militants demanding an exchange of captives. nhk world's takafumi terui has more. >> reporter: jordan's government spokesperson says they are cooperating closely with their japanese counterparts. but officials on both sides are not providing details. al rishawi is in prison for her involvement in a series of bomb attacks in amman in 2005. the at

prime minister shinzo abe was on a tour of the middle east at the time. he had recently announced that japan would give $200 million to help refugees displaced by islamic state militants in iraq, syria and neighboring countries. abe called the threats an act of terrorism. he said japan's aim was to provide humanitarian aid in non-military fields. people in japan expressed shock at the news of the threats. >> translator: i want them to be released soon. i hope everything will be resolved peacefully. >> japan's leaders set up a task force in the jordanian capital, amman. officials asked neighboring governments for help. they also reached out to local tribal and religious leaders, hoping to open a channel to negotiate with the militants. on january 24th, more than a day after the militants' deadline expired, another video was posted online. it featured goto holding a photo that appeared to show yukawa had been executed. a voice on the video said the militants had changed their demands. they now wanted an iraqi woman freed from death row in jordan. sajida al

shinzo abe will travel to four countries and territories, as part of his diplomacy for 2015 he's expectedto announce support for the global fight against the militant group islamic state. abe will meet with leaders in egypt, jordan, israel and the palestinian territories. >> translator: based on our principle of pro-active contributions to peace i'll tell the leaders that japan will provide support in the nonmilitary field. i hope my visit contributes to peace and stability in the region. >> this is his first official trip abroad since he launched his third cabinet last month. abe's first stop is egypt where he will speak about his diplomatic and national security policies. in the wake of the terrorist attacks in france, abe is expected to call on world leaders to take gradual steps to create stability in the region. he is also expected to convey his policy goal of pro-actively contributing to the creation of peace in the region. this will include the financial support to countries such as egypt, jordan turkey lebanon, and others destabilized by the islamic state insurgents. >>> this is t

the meeting came two months after japanese prime minister shinzo abe and chinese president xi jinping agreed to restart the talks. the talks broke off as a result of the deterioration of the relations after japan nationalized the senkaku islands in the east china sea in 2012. china and taiwan claim them. in 2013 one of china's navy frigates directed radar at a japanese maritime self-defense force destroyer. the threat was not only in the sea, but also in the air. in the following year the chinese fighter jet flew abnormally close to a japanese self-defense force aircraft on patrol in may. and then a month later, a similar incident occurred. a research fellow with the tokyo foundation and former navy captain with japan's self-defense forces. he says the communication mechanism is indispensable to avoid a contingency. >> there is a huge perception gap between japan and china, especially in the navies. it means japan doesn't trust china's navy. also china's navy doesn't trust the msdf. they take aggressive action. so it is very dangerous. so something happened which cannot be understood

shinzo abe returned home early from the middle east. he was on a six-day tour when a video appeared online purporting to show the hostages alongside a captor. abe held an emergency cabinet meeting in tokyo. >> translator: using people's lives as a threat is an intolerable and outrageous act of terrorism. i demand the two japanese men not be harmed. and that they be released immediately. >> the men in black demands a ransom. he threatens to kill the hostages unless japan pays within 72 hours. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga says officials believe the two men are kenji goto and haruna yukawa. he says officials are acting on the assumption the deadline is around 2:50 p.m. on friday, japan time. >> translator: it's a tough race against time. but, the government will do all it can to deal with this matter. i ordered ministers to make full use of all diplomatic channels and routes we've established for the release of the two men. no matter what it takes. our country will never give in to terrorism. we will work with the international c

shinzo abe spoke to reporters in jerusalem while on his middle east tour. he demanded the release of the two japanese captives. >> translator: islamic state said in the video that they will kill japanese citizens. using people's lives as shields for a threat is an act of terror. i'm furious about this. the two japanese citizens should not be harmed. they should be released immediately. this is what we insist upon. i have ordered the japanese government to put the highest priority on protecting human lives. we will cooperate with the international community to contribute to regional peace and security. this policy is unwavering, and we will not change it. >> abe defended his pledge to provide humanitarian aid to countries in the middle east. he also said japan will continue to support nonmilitary sectors. last october, kenji goto reported for "newsline" about people who fled from syria to turkey. >> reporter: the city is just a stone's throw away from the turkish border town. as many as 180,000 people from syria have poured since the islamic state started at

he wouldn't answer directly when asked would they consider paying the ransom but given the fact shinzo abe put so much stake in being a responsible player on the world stage at a time when the united states and the copying dom of telling the allies not to pay ransoms like i.s.i.l. the chances that japan would pay a vast figure are unlikely. >> domestically what has the effect been on shinzo abe, and how many pressure is there on him from home to negotiate release and do it quickly. ? >> certainly there is a lot. >> i do apologise for the technical glitch. harry reporting from tokyo into japan. we move on 13 people have been wounded in a knife attack on a bus much the attacker is a 23-year-old palestinian. he was shot and apprehended by police. >>> well the attack happened at 7:15am local time in tel aviv when the attacker ordered a bus on the bagan road in the heart of tel aviv belonging to the company. stabbing the 55-year-old driver in the chest before moving on inside the bus to stab other passengers, and then he fled. the bus ran away but was apprehended and caught by israeli secur

talking about the count down having started further criticism of the government of shinzo abe. but those comurn communications not carrying the official sign of the group. group. there has been some criticism about the fact that shinzo abe first spoke about this in front of an israeli flag, that might have caused further problems in trite to -- trying to get in touch. the government has said it is not going to bow to terrorism which is expected to be a rejection of contact with the captors but it's highest priority is to protect human life oops. negotiation is going on perhaps the deadline has been extended but also media here in japan reporting an unnamed senior source in the japanese government denying that and saying once again there have been no direct contacts made. >> harry can you give us a sense of how this story has captured the attention of the japanese people? >> well it has been absolutely the biggest story since it broke tuesday afternoon japan time. so the newspapers, the first few pages of the newspapers are entirely devoted to this story. there is some questioni

for the prime minister shinzo abe in the middle east right now.t two days ago in a diplomatic push and push to bring japan into a major role on the global stage announcing $200 million in aid to help fight isis. two days later, isis comes out with the video on social media essentially telling japan all right, now we are going to charge you $200 million or take the lives of two of your citizens.

. >>> meanwhile, japan's prime minister shinzo abe is facing criticism over his government's responsehostage crisis speaking in parliament he once again called for the release of the prisoner. >> translator: the acts of terror by isil have that have involved our innocent citizens are something that we cannot forgive. it's terrorism and we strongly condemn it. without giving in to terrorism our country will continue to cooperate with the international community. >>> now syrian activists say a car bam has killed at least 10 people. most of the victims were children. the explores went off in the main square of the town which is near the jordanian border. in dual, a duma. a fire killed five feet. 20 other people were killed. >>> maximum restraint after two israeli soldiers and a u.n. peacekeeper were killed in the exchange of fire between israel and hez h*ez bowling a. benjamin netanyahu ooh has warmed the lebanese group that they will pay the full prize for the deaths of the us really troops. any stole johnston reports. >> reporter: this is moments after an anti tank vehicle his an israe

now i want to bring our viewers sound recently in to cnn from japan's prime minister shinzo abe. i spoke in front of a lot of television cameras in japan a short time ago with a message for the isis militants whom he calls terrorists. listen. >> translator: i feel very sorry for this matter and to the families. the government has tried its best to deal with this matter, but we are deeply saddened by this despicable and horrendous act of terrorism, and we denounce it on the strongest terms. to the terrorist ss we will never, never forgive them for this act. >> let's go straight to tokyo qup. will brickley is live for us there. the remarks from the japanese prime minister the entire country is shocked, completely saddened. can you tell us a little bit how the man they lost how important he is to the people there? >> reporter: yes, a man, poppy, who people have really come to know and love as he has been now in people's homes on every major channel here since this whole crisis unfolded more than a week ago. kenji goto 47 years old, married, a father of two, just had a new daughter a

shinzo abe would like to.y have done it in the past. >> first of all, he doesn't pay ransom, right? >> they have paid ransom in the past. this time, they're hesitant to because the ransom issues have been so devisive. >> where is japan? >> more toward the united states. but protecting the people is a really big deal. they don't have the same experience we have a people all over the place. these two people, now one person, are really big deal in japan. >> what do you make of the way japan is telling the story? if you like they're doing it so publicly and sort of bundling it. >> they have to do it publicly. the reason is, the u.s. has so much experience with this kind of engagement in the world in japan doesn't. it is the emotion of the politics and the mothers and kenji moto's mother is everywhere in the japanese media. it is not a media train and how to respond to this type of situation. >> japanese foreign-policy has been conducted along -- you visit the shrine, does he not visit the shrine. now they are actu

for the prime minister shinzo abe in the middle east right now. just two days ago in a diplomatic push and push to bring japan into a major role on the global stage announcing $200 million in aid to help fight isis. two days later, isis comes out with the video on social media essentially telling japan all right, now we are going to charge you $200 million or take the lives of two of your citizens. kenji who you see on the left side of the screen. a journalist in the middle east. he has not posted anything on social media since october. he has never come home. and on the right, haruna he is the owner of a private security company. he was taken in august. his father has spoken over the summer over the shock he was in at that moment. you can imagine what he is thinking now, john after seeing and hearing about this video. >> will any sense of exactly why japan is being targeted or is it just a target of opportunity at this point by the isis terrorists? >> reporter: what we see and what we have seen with previous cases is isis take these hostages and

prime minister shinzo abe had offered to fight against extremists a it is unclear. disappear from websites after it was posted. the united states and is prepared to step up sanctions in russia at least 30 people were killed when rockets hit the strategically placed ports. the attack after pro-russian separatists rejected talks and promising new offensive against government forces. lifting the airasia fuselage. the cable snapped. strong currents were too much for the tide. 70 bodies have been recovered from the airplane which crashed december 28 with 162 people on board. a preliminary report may be released this week. india has shifted on climate change. prime minister modi said they have -- have to reduce emissions. these comments are just is moving toward joining the international deal on curbing greenhouse gases. china is calling for foreign powers to move the economy. its latest move is boasting their restrictions. let's get over there. christine, a good morning. what are they planning? >> they are trying to make it easier for professionals and sectors to live an

here's what prime minister shinzo abe said today. >> translator: i cannot give particular details.ernment has, due to this very difficult situation, been asking for assistance from the jordanian government. we will continue to make all possible efforts to that mr. goto is released as soon as possible. >> it would be no small concession for jordan to release the prisoner. but the government in amman is under pressure to bring its young pilot back home. >> that could tip the scales in favor of a prisoner swap. becky anderson has more. >> reporter: this was the moment that the 26-year-old pilot came to public attention, captured by isis in late december after his f-16 crashed in northern syria. one month later, the jordanian public plead with authorities to give the militants something that might buy his freedom. the release of a convicted iraqi terrorist, now held for nine years by jordan for terror attacks at hotels that killed at least 57 people. among the crowds in amman, the pilot's father. >> translator: i firmly ask to make strong efforts to bring him back and liberate him star

. >> that's shinzo abe in the middle east on the tour of the region. let's get more on the actual video. we are joined by bbc asian regional editor and bbc arabic. thank you for being here. great concern in japan. what is their relationship with the middle east? >> the japanese always tried to tread cautiously in the middle east despite being a close ally the japanese like to take a backseat. they have big economic interest not least the fact they rely on most of their oil in the middle east. they are reluctant to get involved too deeply in the middle east. due to pressure from the united states and due to the demands from their alliance with the united states, they have tended to contribute nonmilitary aid. as you were hearing there, in cairo, mr. abe put forward a pledge of $200 million for nonmilitary aid, it's for refugees and people affected in syria and iraq. mr. abe is a much more proactive leader and wants to play a bigger role in the international community in general. he has lots of threats in the region from china, russia and north korea. he

prime minister shinzo abe, please save the life of kenji. i plead for you to work with the jordanian government until the very end. when i see your kind face i don't remember what was said. my mind goes blank and all i can do is cry. i beg you mr. prime minister abe. >> just a while ago the deputy foreign minister spoke outside jordan saying everything was being done to save mr. do toe. >> we will never give up until the japanese hostage comes back to our nation and we pray for him and we never give up. >> of course japan's concerns predominantly about kenji goto. he's not the only hostage whose life is in threat and the jordanian air force pilot we mentioned, he's believed to have been captured when his aircraft came down. there have been demonstrations supporting him as well in jordan overnight. islamic state message, it will kill him unless they release an iraqi woman on death row in jordan. that's for her role in a series of hotel bombings in 2005 which killed about 60 people. the father led the cause for his government to meet the deman

. >> temple university agent studies professor says bringing goto home alive is critical for shinzo abestage crisis unfolded two days after abe pledged $200 million to the coalition against isis. >> what he >> what he did is signal to isis i am on the side of your enemy and pated a bull's-eye on japan. >> japanese newspapers are showing pictures like this protesters outside the prime minister's residence. >> the u.s./japan relationship, that is the cornerstone of japanese foreign policy. >> reporter: longtime analyst keith henry points to the policy to never goergt withgotiate with terrorists. james foley, he was later beheaded. japan called for goto's immediate release saying the government is working closely with other nations. >> show the world japan can stand up for something, and in this case stand up against terrorism. >> reporter: taking a stand comes with a heavy price. goto's mother in agony. "i'm a mother" she says. "the cannot bear this." the question can japan bear the painful consequences of standing up to a brutal enemy like isis? such a difficult time for so many people i

there have been meetings with prime minister shinzo abe and. the jordanian pilot has also been held captive. >>> egypt has accused leadership in gaza of allowing fight tours launch attacks in the sinai peninsula. >>> african union leaders are meeting for their final day in their summit. we have the latest now. >> reporter: the hits of state are expected to issue declarations of major issues that have been the subject of this summit. they're considering a project by the african union for original against bow could had a boko haram. other issues are sudan's care and leaders have moved peace talkstalks to move forward on peace talks. the ebola epidemic some of the poorest countries on the continent are also on the agenda. the push to find alternative sources, this organization depends on foreign findings and the good will of member states many of whom are unwilling or unable to find resources. this makes it difficult to respond to situations as soon as they arise. >> we'll speak to the founder and publisher of the africa briefing magazine. welcome

it has demanded $200 million the same figure, pledged by shinzo abe for countries fighting against islamic state. the government has made it clear it will not give in to terror. mr. abe rejected the demand. >> this is unforgivable. i feel a strong resentment. i demand they immediately release them. >> according to western analysts the video is designed to create fear and people in japan and all countries involved in the fight against islamic state. >> we have seen this with reviews videos. -- previous videos. they try to get western audiences to turn against the government and force the government to stay out of the middle east, to which ross support or participation in military action in the region. >> the video has been running all day and is already having an impact. >> i have seen the pictures on the news. the fact that it has reached japan is really scary. >> other countries, including france and italy have paid large ransoms for the release of hostages. both deny it. >> in the past, they have handed over large sums of money to get the citizens back. the amount being demanded is vast.

the prime minister shinzo abe calling the actions unforgivable and demanding the release of these men. and when asked specifically if japan would be willing to negotiate with these terrorists he didn't answer the question. only saying that he's appointed a top official to do everything possible to get these men safely returned home. if this isis ultimatum is the truth and they will only accept $200 million in three days then the fate right now of these men, kenji goto and haruna yukawa both men very much in grave danger right now and a country very very concerned for their well-being and shocked that japan has now been dragged into this much like the united states and britain who saw two of their citizens from each country executed brutally on camera at the hands of isis and the very same jihadist that appeared in this video. >> that sum $200 million seemingly deliberately chosen because it's the exact amount japan is contributing to the effort against isis in that region. you also said that the prime minister did not specifically rule in or out some possible solution here. does japan

shinzo abe is on the final leg of a six-day tour in the middle east.s pledged $200 million of nonmilitary aid to countries in the region. >> this comes as a shock, not least of all because it is a pacifist constitution. >> "the guardian" focuses on why this might be happening. this says it highlights the risk in the prime minister's drive to raise japan's profile on the international stage. this is another analysis in "the daily beast." what does it mean for the prime minister? critics say he is a hawkish prime minister and he is moving forward to rebuild to rise japan. he can either let these two japanese citizens be killed and face negative reaction at home or he can negotiate with the terrorists and loose face as a hawk. he is very stressed about the situation and has vowed to save the two men. the fact that japan is being targeted by terrorism could give him impetus to change the japanese constitution. if the two men die, the antiwar constitution could go with them. a lot is at stake. >> a terrible situation. let's wrap up on a lighter note. in the

so far no reaction from the japanese government, shinzo abe saying the reaction is still forthcoming. >> latest on that plus. ukraine's president says he will punish pro-russian rebels after a rocket kills 30 people in the eastern city of mariupul. >> sunday night. >> 140 world leaders will take the podium. >> get the full story. >> there is real disunity in the security council. >> about issues that impact your world. >> infectious diseases are a major threat to health. >> "the week ahead". sunday 8:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> headlines on al jazeera. voting has taken place in greece in a snap general election that could change the direction of the country dramatically. syriza says it will end austerity measures if it wins. barack obama is in india. prime minister narendra modi breaks protocol and hugging him as he gets off the plane. >>> after the apparent killing of a japanese hostage shinnzo abe is demanding the release of the other hostage kenji goto. >>> election after 48% of the vote main arrival accusing the municipal election of manipulating the results. >>> le

prime minister shinzo abe hopes to strengthen its capabilities after the art over island in the china sea >>> the indonesian rescue team found the black boxes, it's hoped the recorder and flight data recorder will settle on what caused the crash. the black boxes are analysed in jakarta >>> haiti's political instability and reconstruction efforts after the devastating earthquake in 2010. back then we met an orphan boy facing an uncertain future. we visit port-au-prince to find out how he's doing. >> this 8-year-old lost his brother and father. the day of the disaster al jazeera found him in an orphanage. he was terrified and could not stop crying. in the day after he was brought to the orphanage with another. we tracked him down. he is one of tens of thousands that have been left orphans. let's see how he's doing now. this is your class in here. he's 13. he is still living in the same orphanage. that is where the similarities to five years ago end. he's gained weight and scars from falling rubble have long gong. he is learning to read and write, and soon will graduate from middle schoo

the reaction understandably from the japanese prime minister shinzo abe, outrage. >> oh, i thought we were going to hear from the japanese prime minister but he did express outrage and he intimated that japan would not be paying the ransom. is that what you understand will? >> reporter: yes. you know he called -- shinzo abe called these actions unforgivable and he again stressed one, we're going to actually have the sound ready for you now, carol. listen to what the prime minister said. he stressed that this money was intended to help people not to engage in the battle against isis. >> translator: it is an unacceptable act to threaten us in exchange for human lives and i feel angry about it. i strongly urge them to immediately release the hostages without harming them. the pledged aid is very important to the refugees in need and has nothing to do with the islamic communities or the radical militants. >> so carol we're choosing to show these two men, kenji goto and harouma. kenji is a freelance journalist covering war zones. he was last heard of october 23rd. that was the last time he

. >>> we want to begin this hour in tokyo where japanese prime minister shinzo abe says his government is working to win the release of isis hostage kenji goto. >> isis released a new picture of goto on tuesday holding a photo of a jordanian pile captured by the terror group last month. the message says isis will kill boeing men in 24 hours unless jordan releases a female prisoner convicted in a series of bombings in 2005. >> all right. let's bring in will ripley who is following developments from tokyo. hill this is a critical negotiation. we know that the japanese envoy is there in jordan talking with representative of the jordanian government. the clock is ticking. there's only hours left. what is the situation? what are we learning? what is the latest on this? >> reporter: eight hours until the apparent isis deadline. we've heard strong words from the prime minister shinzo abe himself calling the actions of isis despicable but stressing the japanese government is doing everything possible to work with the jordanian government to secure the release of kenji goto. of course goto's li

. >> translation: dear mr prime minister shinzo abe, please save the life of kenji goto jogo i call on you to work with all your strength until the very end. >> for i.s.i.l. getting from syria to iraq is a battle. from the north of iraq and close to sinjar city zeina khodr reports. >> reporter: this is the only way to approach sinjar city controlled by the islamic state of iraq and levant. sniper fire is almost constant. i.s.i.l.'s main supply line that links the strong holds in syria and north-west iraq runs through the outskirts of the city. the group kaned afford to lose it. >> the fight for sinjar is in its second month. it is an area where 100,000 used to life. before the fight is over a battle has started. kurdish peshmerga troops are not facing i.s.i.l. alone. brethren came from across the border to fight a common enemy. the pyd is a syrian kurdish party that is linked to the p.k.k. the iraqi kurdish leadership which had a long history of rivalry with the parties accused them of wanting to impose their authority in sinjar. >> we welcome anyone's help. it seems the p.k.k. has a p

one of them is prime minister shinzo abe. he had strong words about the attack. >> cowardly attacks are totally unacceptable no matter what the reasons are. i strongly condemn those responsible and offer my heart felt condolences to all victims. >> the head of the national police agency pledges firm action against international terrorism. he says police will prevent terrorists from entering japan. he said they're working with intelligence agent says from chance and other countries. >> officials have tightened security here too. in japanese police officers are patrolling schools, businesses and other facilities with ties to france. >> about 200 people gathered at the embassy to pray for the victims. ambassador says terrorists threatened the staff of charlie hebdo many years. he says the journalists showed bravery refusing to compromise as they continued to work. some people held banners to show support for the victims. >> i feel very upset for france not only the murder that had been made but also the symbol of france of the l

but also the government of shinzo abe, mr., the prime minister, has taken a pretty hard line stance saying it wants to get these men released but it will never give in to terrorism. those are the words that he used. and that suggests mr. abe has no intention at all of handing over this money. >> i want to take you back to what is our main story, the death of saudi king abdullah to be seceded by his half-brother salman. we'll have a look at the situation at airport, i believe -- we'll do that in a moment. we'll have a look at the situation in a moment but first let's think about salman, the man that takes over. 79 years old, we think. it's not entirely clear with members of the saudi leadership their precise age. before becoming king he served as defense minister. he was recently crowned prince and for the best part of 50 years, he was governor of the province of the saudi province riyadh. and he said a cautious approach to social and cultural reform but that he is liberal in his personal life. he's also on twitter, with a newl

japanese prime minister shinzo abe said it was unforgivable. >> i feel deep resentment and condemn these facts. i would like again strongly call for no hammer harm to be done against kinzi gji goto. >>> we have an exclusive report from northern iraq. >> reporter: kurdish peshmerga groups have been winning battles, but the war against the islamic state in iraq and the levant is far from over. air support provided by the u.s.-led coalition has helped them but the commander say that they are not enough. they say the slow pace of the offensive allows isil to regain momentum. the chancellor of the regional security town council oversee the operations on the ground. he told me that the international community needs to engage more. this, he said, would require ground troops because it will take time for iraqi forces to be ready to defeat isil. >> to wait until the training is completed, until the forces especially in iraq are coming to a position where they can take a longer time. i believe that there has to be a way of bringing more forces to the ground. and not only defend on the airstrikes.

shinzo abe's government is trying to verify video of a japanese hostage. the government has not confirmed that yukawa has been killed. >> top kurdish regional leader in iraq told al jazeera that he needs more ground troops to defeat isil. he said that the international community needs to send reinforcements. >> british troops have been winning battles. but the war against the islamic state in iraq and the levant is far from over. air sport led by the u.s.-led coalition has helped them, but the commander said they are not enough. they say the slow pace of the offensive allows isil to recover from the offensive. he told me that the international community needs to engage more. this, he said, would require ground troops because it will take time for iraqi forces to be ready to defeat isil. >> to wait until the training is completed, especially in iraq they're coming to a position where they can come in, but it will take a longer time. there has to be a way of bringing more forces to the ground and not only depend on the airstrikes. >> are you calling for fore

prime minister shinzo abe spoke with tony abbott in australia and david cameron in britain. abe asked for their assistance in gathering information and help freeing the two men. abbott promised to do his best to facilitate the release of the hostages. cameron promised to stand by japan and offer any possible assistance. video posted online shows kenji goto and haruna yukawa kneeling on the ground. a purported islamic state member threatens to kill them if the demand is not met. officials in tokyo assume the deadline is around 2:50 p.m. japan time on friday. the japanese government had just promised the equivalent amount of aid to countries in the middle east. prime minister abe says the financial assistant is for nonmilitary purposes, including support for displaced people and refugees. a japanese foreign ministry official said on thursday they are seeing small signs of progress. they've been getting some direct and indirect responses from who they believe are the militants. and another government representative says the situation isn't completely stalled but is not getting