-- the liberal democratic party, and shinzo abe -- >> what about shinzo abe a's nationalism?>> if you ask what i think about criticism of what he's done so far, it is the nationalism against china. but there has been success in getting engagement with china. the governor of tokyo with just over in a meeting with the deputy prime minister of china, i think obviously that -- backing out a little bit on a unilateral view of history. i we will see more out of that -- i suspect we will see more out of that relationship in the past -- in the next few months than we have seen in the past. >> syria is in a stalemate? >> not quite. a thought is consolidating power. -- assad is consolidating power. >> you think he will remain in power? >> i certainly do. i saw with prime minister and >> i certainly do. i saw with prime minister prime ministerrdogan is mainly concerned with holding onto power. >> and what about this interview yet complex it was an extraordinary interview. he was dealing with a six percent success in local -- 46% success in local elections. his response on corruption was

shinzo abe is due to make a speech. japan and other countries are in a territorial dispute with china. >> ezip shan pd -- egyptian candidate hamdeen sabahi has admitted defeat. he has accepted the choice of the people but said there was voil eyeingses. >>> -- violations. >>> international aid to syria without the approval of the government. 9.3 million syrians need assistance, among them many north of the homs. there are strict media restrictions, but an al jazeera team gained access. >> reporter: abu lives with his wife and six children in a one-room house. they use plastic sheets to cover the holes caused by shelling. he has no prospects of work and they rely on charities and relief organizations. >> translation: as you can see, there's shelling every day with all kinds of weapons like artillery and rockets. the shelling and bombardment destroyed more than 90% of the houses and forced the people to leave the village. >> the government regained control after rebels retreated. it is one of the many villages devastated b

. >>> prime minister shinzo abe and his israeli counterpart have agreed on a partnership that will create new opportunities for japanese businesses. >>> and some japanese entrepreneurs are hoping to sell clients around the world on one of the world's most coveted delicacies. >>> a separatist leader in eastern ukraine says his group won't take part in the upcoming presidential election. pushylin says the people have chosen independence from kiev and says he'll seek formal ties with moscow. pro-russian activists staged a referendum on sunday in defiance of ukraine's interim leaders. pushylin says about 90% of the voters in the donetsk region and 90% in the luhansk region backed autonomy. >> translator: the people of the donetsk region have endorsed the establishment 6 the donetsk people's republic, which we declared on april 7th. >> pushylin said he will ask leaders in moscow to consider accepting donetsk into the russian federation. and he said he will establish a military in the region. he says separatists will not hold any kind of dialogue with ukraine's interim government. after pushyli

tokyo has indicated that it will provide vietnam with patrol boats, but japanese prime minister shinzo abe is calling for dialogue with china. not welcome dangerous maritime encounters between fighter planes and ships. what should be exchanged are words. let's sit at a table, first exchange smiles, and then have a discussion. response from china has not yet been forthcoming. earlier, the japanese coast guard reported two chinese ships and -- entered territorial waters. >> u.s. defense secretary chuck hagel has been commenting on the situation in thailand, saying the country's military leaders that took over power in a coup earlier this month should come as he put it, move immediately to hold elections, after the for that the timetable return to democracy, hinting that polls could be more than one year away. >> the announcement by general prayuth chan-ocha has mixed reactions. the capital city has been in crisis for months and some are frustrated elections have been pushed back until next year at the earliest. >> it is too slow. i wanted sooner. the delay has gone on too long, for several m

japanese prime minister shinzo abe has announced north korean officials have promised to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the abductions of japanese nationals by north korean agents. abe spoke on the results of government talks that ended in sweden on wednesday. he said pyongyang has promised to investigate the fate of all japanese citizens, including abductees and those who were allegedly abducted but not officially recognized as abductees. he said a special investigative committee will be set up based on the promise. he stressed that a complete resolution of the abduction issue is the top priority of his government. >> officials from both nations met for three days in stockholm. the japanese government says at least 17 people were kidnapped in the 1970s and '80s. five of them returned to japan in 2002. hundreds of other people are suspected to have been abducted by the north. as we just mentioned, north korean authorities have promised to launch a comprehensive fresh investigation into an issue dating back decades. japanese officials promised to lift some sanctions in exchange for a

. >>> japanese prime minister shinzo abe has renewed his commitment to an early conclusion of regional free trade negotiations. he urged his cabinet ministers to go all out to hammer out a transpacific partnership agreement in upcoming talks while safeguarding national interests. >> translator: next week's ministerial meeting on the tpp in singapore will be extremely important for winding up the talks early. >> abe told the tpp-related ministers that officials from japan and the united states are taking a leadership role in accelerating the multilateral negotiations. economic revitalization minister will attend the singapore meeting that opens on monday. the chief negotiators from the 12 participating countries ended working-level discussions on thursday without making much progress. they're facing difficulties trying to reach agreements on the protection of intellectual property as well as on farm product tariffs and other issues. the tpp is aimed at drawing up new trade rules among the member nations and creating a single economic zone in the asia-pacific region. abe said he agrees w

prime minister shinzo abe received the report from a panel of experts last week. he said he's in favor of reinterpreting the constitution to allow for collective self-defense under certain conditions. members of abe's liberal democratic party and coalition party will examine the matter and other defense issues. they're expected to begin by examining how japan should respond to incidents that are not immediately recognizable as an armed attack. they hope to lay out means of dealing with possible scenarios suches aan armed group pretending to be fishermen landing on one of japan's remote islands. officials will also discuss the legal framework that would allow japanese personnel on u.n. peacekeeping missions to come to the aid of geographically distant peacekeepers from other nations. the japanese government has traditionally interpreted the constitution as barring japan from engaging in collective self-defense. coalition officials will exchange views on whether this should be altered. ldp vice president komura says he wants the abe cabinet to decide on the constitu

japanese prime minister shinzo abe met in berlin with german chancellor angela merkel. >> translator: we reached an agreement to urge russia to play a responsible role in the international community. >> reporter: the u.s. and european union have been trying to pressure putin by broadening sanctions against senior russian officials and companies. >> the european borders cannot, will not be changed through political intimidation or military force. and we have to be resolute in imposing cost. >> reporter: russian leaders have denied they're behind the turmoil. and they've criticized the sanctions. they say they won't retaliate, yet. foreign minister sergei lavrov says they want to give others the opportunity to calm down. but things seem far from calm on the ground in eastern ukraine. as the separatists expand their reach. government troops stay well away, manning checkpoints on the outskirts of the occupied region. to make matters worse, ukraine is deeply in debt. the international monetary fund has thrown it a $17 billion lifeline. >> we are trying to improve the situation so that the

. >>> japanese prime minister shinzo abe has renewed his commitment to bring more women into the labor force. he also stressed that his administration will improve its financial support for child rearing families. abe spoke on tuesday at a meeting held in tokyo to discuss ways to enhance the position of working women in society. he called on corporate japan to change its male dominant thinking, noting that half of the consumers in the country are women. he said he's convinced that women play more active roles will lead to a vibrant japan. >> translator: we will aim by 2020 to create a society for women fill over 30% of key positions. to build such a structure in the entire country, we will carry out policies to encourage business leaders to work out plans to train women and promote them to managerial posts. >> abe also said his government will help create more nursery schools, so no women who are willing to work have to stay home to look after their children. >>> japanese investors looking overseas now and watching their assets grow and grow. a measure of their investment in foreign ma

. >>> japanese prime minister shinzo abe's advisory panel has submitted a report that says the government should re-examine japan's interpretation of the constitution. the report says the government should enable the country to exercise its right to collective self-defense. that would enable japan to use armed force to defend countries it has close relations with under attack. now, the japanese government has traditionally interpreted the war renouncing constitution to mean the country cannot exercise that right. now, in the discussions, the panel took into account security and defense issues in the region. the report points out china's rising maritime assertiveness as well as north korea's development of its nuclear capabilities and missiles. it says the japanese government cannot respond adequately to those threats under the current constitution's interpretation to maintain peace. the key issue, the right to collective self-defense, is a nation's inherent right under the u.n. charter. the japanese government says when a closely related country is attacked, they possess the right to use

. >>> prime minister shinzo abe has been backing a plan to lower the corporate tax rate. critics say that would also lower government revenue. those in favor have shot back. they suggest the government should force companies that don't pay taxes now to pay up. some members of the liberal democratic party research commission argue the tax should be lowered in the next business year to help economic growth. others say first government leaders need to demonstrate how they plan to bring in more revenue. they're planning -- and they're calling for restrictions on spending to reduce the deficit. members are studying a plan to lower the tax rate gradually. some say even companies that don't earn a profit should be forced to pay to make up for any loss in revenue. critics say it's still not clear how much this would bring in. and they say it would have a major impact on small and medium-sized businesses. >>> well, not that long ago ship builders in japan could boast that they made more vessels than anyone else in the world. but they've fallen behind their competitors in china and

. >>> japanese prime minister shinzo abe is hoping to hold talks with chinese president xi jinping at an economic summit in beijing later this year. liberal democratic party vice president masahiko koumura and other leaders are visiting china. koumura met former minister tang jiaxuan on sunday. he wants to hold talks with xi during the economic summit in beijing. tang promised he will convey the request to the chinese leadership. tang referred to ongoing discussions in japan over whether the country can exercise its right to collective self-defense. that allows japan to use armed force to defend allies under attack. he also asked koumura whether japan's cabinet is trying to radically change the security policy. koumura replied he doesn't see china as a threat but added japan and other countries in the region worries tat china keeps spending more money on defense. >>> the japanese delegates are expected to meet a high-ranking official on the chain east community party on monday to try to improve relations between the two nations. >>> japan's finance minister taro aso is promising to he

narrow their differences before and during a summit last month between japanese prime minister shinzo abe and u.s. president barack obama. the negotiators had hoped to resume talks in early may. but japanese officials say u.s. farmers want them to eliminate tariffs on beef and pork. and they say there is no prospect of resuming one-on-one discussions with the americans before the trade ministers meet. japan's economic revitalization minister hasn't given up hope. >> translator: i think japan and the u.s. need to calm down a little and take time to look at the situation. >> japanese officials say they hope to resume talks with the americans when they meet in singapore. >>> smartphone makers and other high tech firms need flash memories that can hold more and more data. major electronicsmaker toshiba is building a new plant to cash in on that growing and increasingly competitive market. toshiba is the world's second biggest producer of flash memory. company executives say they're planning to build a factory in central japan to make flash memory that can store 1 terra byte of data. they expe

the bill supports prime minister shinzo abe's policy of pro-active contribution to peace. and he says the u.s. endorses recent increases in japan's defense budget, and other actions that will enable japan to bear greater responsibility under the alliance. now the bill will be sent to the house, and the senate for approval. >>> many japanese companies are expecting the biggest profits in fiscal 2013 since the global financial crisis. japan's earnings season reached its peak on friday. about 18% of the companies listed on the tokyo stock exchange, or 438 of them, have announced their earnings for the year that ended in march. analysts at snbc nikko security expect the operating profits of all listed firms to total about $390 billion. that's up about 30% from the previous year. big winners are electronic appliance, auto, and steelmakers. as well as real estate firms. they benefited from the yen's decline, and a nationwide shopping spree ahead of the sales tax hike last month. but in the current fiscal year the companies are bracing for slower profit growth, because of concern

prime minister shinzo abe says he hopes the investigation will finally resolve the issue. negotiators reached the agreement after three days of talks in stockholm. in response the japanese say they're ready to ease restrictions on travel, and allow north korean ships on humanitarian missions into japanese ports. but they say that will only happen once officials in pyongyang set up a special committee and start their investigation. prime minister abe says his government will urge the north koreans to do their work effectively. >> translator: i believe we can finally open the door toward freeing the abductees. until now, this door wouldn't open. >> nor koreans heard the news on state-run television. >> translator: on the issues of handling the remains of japanese and when survivors are found, we agree to discuss the next course of action and take the necessary measures for returning them to japan. >> north korean leaders reneged on a similar agreement several years ago. japanese officials say they'll monitor the investigation closely to make sure it results in the abductees

the japanese prime minister, shinzo abe, had criticized china for moving a giant oil rig into waterst vietnam claims. beijing rejected abe's statement, saying it, "neglects reality and confuses the facts." in syria, government t.v. reported 39 people died and 200 were hurt when a mortar shell hit an election rally for president bashar al-assad. it happened overnight in the southern city of daraa. assad was not there, but scores of people were wounded. meanwhile, opposition activists released this video allegedly showing a chlorine gas attack yesterday, at a village north of damascus. the assad regime denies using chemical weapons. >> sreenivasan: president obama announced a new shuffle in his cabinet today. he nominated housing secretary shaun donovan to head the white house office of management and budget. and he tapped three-term san antonio mayor, julian castro, as donovan's successor at the department of housing and urban development. >> i am absolutely confident that these two individuals are going to do a great job because they've done a great job in everything that they've don

osting shinzo abe today. the latest leg of the tour. it will focus on free trade.o forge a free-trade deal with the u.k. talking mounting tensions, ukraine is seeking the separatist in the heartland. the and. -- the interior ministry said they have regained control. violence has spread to the black sea gateway. let's stay with that story. straight tocow as the news reporter who joins us from the phone. henry, the actions of this aekend takes us forward quite long way. we are seeing open conflicts in the countryparts in including odessa which is significant. if we are looking for pretext to our russian reaction, does it go far enough? headinginly, we are into that direction. the spokesperson for blood where putin issued a strongly worded statement which said they have blood on their hands and the western countries, the u.s. and the european union states that support the ukrainian government by extension are responsible for are takingthat place. he was referring to an incident that took place on friday were more than 40 pro-russian activism were burned alive in a tra

this according to prime minister shinzo abe who went on television appealing to japanese citizens to support these measures. he wants to aaa constitute -- to strip away constitutional restrictions on japan's armed forces. to support the united states if it is attacked, to clear mines in shipping lanes and to deal with illegal activities forcefully near remote islands. that of course is raising alarm bells in some capitals around the region, specifically beijing. japan embroiled in territorial disputes. it has to do with the east china islands upe see the for dispute. these are very complex regional issues. lingering tensions, remnants of the world war. japan it appears wants to have a firmer military posture. the foreign ministry in beijing reacting, saying the international community must maintain high alert on japan's intentions. we have seen cautious reaction and theicials in seoul china daily newspaper out with an editorial saying abe moves forward. the public constitutional rights have been stripped. a counter offensive by regional powers. certainly this ratcheting up tensions b

. >>> still to come, is japan's shinzo abe's arrowheaded straight for its target or will it miss?ave the latest from asia. ♪ [ banker ] sydney needed some financial guidance so she could take her dream to the next level. so we talked about her options. her valuable assets were staying. and selling her car wouldn't fly. we helped sydney manage her debt and prioritize her goals, so she could really turn up the volume on her dreams today...and tomorrow. so let's see what we can do about that... remodel. motorcycle. [ female announcer ] some questions take more than a bank. they take a banker. make a my financial priorities appointment today. because when people talk, great things happen. >>> you're watching "worldwide exchange." >>> the recent book by michael lewis, "flash boys" has stirred up controversy between exchanges and high frequency traders. the protagonist in the book went on to start his own exchange called the iex platform. as eamon javers reports, he's seeing a backlash. >> cnbc obtained copies, request s trades to be directed one way. the clients worried about high freq

moscow japan's prime minister has pledged to bolster his nation's security role in the asia pacific shinzo abe was speaking at the asia security summit in singapore amid a spike in tensions between china and its neighbors over a number of disputed islands prime minister lend his support to states in the region looking to control their borders and keep their sea and routes open he also stressed it is no longer possible for any one nation to keep the peace alone indeed just last month u.s. president barack obama backed tokyo in a key territorial dispute against beijing and washington currently has its largest fleet docked in japan finally the prime minister lashed out at china's growing assertiveness in the region saying changes to the status quo are simply unacceptable so let's have a look at what's exactly at stake in that region beijing it now claims much of the resource rich south china sea an area that stretches many hundreds of kilometers or to the south and to the east of the province but other states for example like vietnam brunei malaysia and the philippines as well they all want to sl