a very very well back to nhk "newsline." and broadcasting to viewers around the globe. it is 10:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. heavy snowfall that started on monday has caused more than 240 vehicles to be stuck on highways. transportation officials say about 60 cars were stuck on a section of road. some people have been sitting in their vehicles for more than 18 hours.

an nhk employee described the scene. >> translator: a huge tow truck is pulling the bigger cars out of snow. they're now working on a car in front of the bus i'm on. >> emergency response workers say a handful of people were taken to hospital for observation. a local governor asked the self-defense force to dispatch a relief team to deliver gas and blankets. the wintry weather not unusual for this time of year. robert speta joins us now. give us the latest. >> let's go ahead and talk about this where we have been seeing this heavy snow really dominating much of central and western japan. if you remember back over the course of the past several weeks, you've had this winter

weather pattern really in place and definitely bringing all the snow. that's for starters but also the amount of snow we have seen come down in a short period of time. a meter and a third there came down in 72 hour period. that is why even though japan's road clearing services out here with the snowfall is pretty good. still having a hard time with some of these areas. that combined with the high winds. some of these areas out here upwards of 91 kilometers per hour. you have snow drifts on top of that with white out conditions. definitely a hard time clearing up the roads out toward the west. the same section of highway seeing the same amount of snow and 1,000 cars were stranded at that time. it took about two days to clear up the road.

this will be some time coming before all of the services back on some of the highways will be available again. this is one of the reasons. exceptionally cold. minus 33 reported out there this morning in hokkaido. more snowfall, 60 centimeters still possible. >> thanks very much. we'll have more in world weather. onto business news now, u.s.

president donald trump is getting his company out of a free trade deal. one that his predecessor worked hard to get into. get us up to date. what's happening here. >> you'll remember one of trump's campaign pledges is to withdraw from the tpp free trade deal. he called it a potential disaster. he said it would result in job losses. now that he's president, he's made good on his promise and pulled out of the deal. instead of the tpp trunk says, he plans to seek one-on-one deals. the tpp was agreed on by the u.s. and 11 other countries including japan while president barack obama was in office. it will not take effect without u.s. approval. >> great thing for the american worker what we just did. >> house speaker paul ryan released a statement saying trump has followed through on

his promise to insist on better trade agreements. ryan was once a propoennent of e trade deal. john mccain made a statement criticizing the deal. he said it's a mistake that will have consequences for the economy and america's position in the asia pacific region. it will create an opening for china at the expense of american workers. president trump is also taking up the issue of large u.s. trade deficits with japan and china. he has criticized the two countries for engaging in trade practices that he claims are unfair to u.s. manufacturers. trump was speaking to corporate executives. he indicated that japan and china are making it difficult for u.s. firms to sell their products in their countries. >> we sell a car into japan and they do things to us that make it impossible to sell cars in

japan. they sell cars into us and they come in like by the hundreds of thousands on the biggest ships i've ever seen. we have to talk about that. it's not fair. >> trump added he will lower current taxes from 35% to between 15 to 20%. he said he will aim to cut regulations. he stressed again he will impose a border tax on goods produced at factories that have been moved out of the u.s. american business leaders welcomed trump's plan. >> the president is very, very serious on making sure the united states economy will be strong and have policies, tax, regulatory or trade to drive that. i think very positive meeting for united states of america and manufacturing. >> ford has already announced a cancellation of its plan to build a new plant in mexico and to instead invest in the u.s. the latest tpp move

underscored investors concern about global trade even though the new president reiterated his promise for deregulation and tokyo share prices tracked a lower close on wall street and opened in the negative. right now the nikkei is trading in the positive by just a touch, 18,894. the dollar does continue to falter and the stronger yen is hitting export related shares. let's take a look at currencies. the dollar does continue to weaken. it's right along 112 and 113 yen. the pair was trading above 115 yen just before trump took office. the dollar skidded against the euro too. the common currency is now fetching $1.07. that's a high we haven't seen in more than six weeks. investors are flocking to save haven assets. the yield on the u.s. ten-year note has fallen to 2.4026%.

let's move onto markets open this hour. in the asia pacific we're seeing a mixed picture. seoul's kospi down just a touch. australia higher been half a percent. china markets will open in less than half a hour. businesses across japan are launching annual wage negotiations. an nhk survey shows a majority of them are considering some form of raise. many are cautious about hiking the base bay. they are uncertain about the economy following trump's inauguration. nhk polled 100 major companies about their economic outlook and wage plans. results show that 51 firms said they are thinking about giving a raise in one form or another while ten replied they have no plans to do so. among the firms considering a raise, 32 said it will be given as a regular pay increase based on seniority. 13 said they will likely offer bonuses or other one time

raises. meanwhile, 14 replied they are considering a base pay hike for all employees and ten said they are looking to do the same but only for a particular group of workers such as those who are raising children. the country's agriculture sector has taken a hit. they repihelping keep farming a while helping a group who have overlooked opportunities. >> reporter: it's harvest time but the people in this orchard are not typical farmers. most of the people have disabilities. >> translator: it's a tough job, but i really enjoy working with other people. >> reporter: they raise around ten kinds of fruits and

vegetables under the supervision of experienced farmers. it's operated by a nonprofit dedicated to opportunities for people with disabilities. organizations with similar missions are on the rise in japan often with the support of local governments. people with disabilities also operate the store where the farm's products are sold. the two businesses bring in around $850,000 a year. the head of the npo says it accomplishes two key goals. >> we're helping to address the shortage of farmers and this provides our workers with a path to independence. >> reporter: the npo was working with farmers who have no heirs to revive abandoned plots. so far it's prepared two

hectares that are now ready for planting. throughout the operation roles are assigned according to the abilities of each worker. this man has difficult walking so his job is to pick up pairs that have fallen from trees. other members of the team are in charge of packing the fruit. >> the best part of farming is everyone involved can play a key role. >> reporter: the workers say farming gives them a sense of fulfillment. he has a mild developmental disability. he once worked for a more traditional company but he didn't stay long. he started working at the farm six years ago. he had no agricultural experience but he now drives a tractor and is an important member of the team. >> i've been told to just do whatever i can. i'm doing my best. it's what i live for. >> reporter: this farm is the

result of people seeking common solutions to pressing social problems and the workers who keep it going are reaping rewards. >> i'll be back next hour with more business headlines. here's another check on markets. onto other stories we're following this hour. china is urging trump to uphold the one-china policy.

trump indicated he will rethink the long-standing position that taiwan is part of chinese territory. a ministry spokesperson was speaking monday at the first news conference since trump's inauguration. >> translator: china wants the new u.s. government to recognize the sensitive nature of the taiwan issue and stick with the policy of one china. >> the spokesperson stressed the two sides must respect each other's core interests and major concerns, while managing differences in a constructive south korea is asking the president to resolve an issue souring relations with japan. but he says it will take some time to work out what to do about a statue symbolizing those referred to as comfort women outside japan's consulate in pusan. the prime minister is carrying out the duties of president park geun-hye, who has been impeached over a scandal. he commented on the statue

installed in december. some politicians plan to put up a similar figure on islands claimed by japan. >> translator: there is a need for the government to draw on a wide range of wisdom to resolve the issue for the sake of bilateral relations. i aim to discuss the matter with various parties and do my best to resolve the issue. >> he said it's difficult for the government to interfere with actions taken by private citizens. he added it would take some time to resolve the matter. japanese officials say the placement of the statue runs counter to a 2015 bilateral agreement. south korea promised to resolve the issue of a similar statue in front of the japanese embassy in seoul. the ambassador to south korea and the consul general have been recalled in protest. japanese leaders say they will watch how seoul handles the issue before deciding when that

send them back to their posts. indonesian authorities have detained 17 nationals with suspected links to the islamic state militant group. the accused were deported from turkey because of fears they wanted to enter syria. security officials have been on high alert following a series of foiled attacks last year. the jakarta post says the nationals include eight women. they were detained saturday on their arrival from turkey at the capital's international airport. police estimate more than 500 indonesians have flocked to join the group in the middle east. the exodus is stoking fears radicals could launch attacks after they return home. last year, police arrested 170 people for attempting to launch terror attacks. that's more than double the number the previous year. people in india have paused to remember the most enigmatic national hero on the 120th

anniversary of his birth. he led the indian national army as it collaborated with the japanese and germans against the british in world war ii. many see him as a leader for fighting for indian independence. the prime minister paid a formal tribute. and members of the student party organized a rally in an eastern state. >> translator: he sacrificed his life for the country. he organized the youth and played an important role in india's independence struggle. that is why today, on his birthday, we are holding this rally with a 120-meter long flag. >> the indian government has officially said he died of burns when his aircraft crashed three days after the end of world war ii. but historians call the death a

mystery, but some think he faked it to avoid arrest for his military role. an animated film that was a hit at home in japan is now setting records in other countries. "your name" is the highest grossing japanese movie of all time in china and thailand, and has just set the record in south korea. it tells a bittersweet love story of a tokyo boy and a girl from the country who swap bodies. as of sunday the number of people to see the film in the country was already over 3 million. the record was previously held by "hal's moving castle."

the asean economic community is working to maintain robust growth across southeast asia. china is increasing its presence in the region, especially on the economic front through trade and infrastructure projects. nhk world reports from northern thailand. >> reporter: the mekong river runs between northern thailand and laos. it is often busy with cargo boats headed to china. they carry natural rubber, and all the goods produced in thailand. some boats even carry products from hong kong, such as tires to inland china and shipping over the river is cheaper than sending over land. products from china are also sent to southeast asia, such as

sunflower seeds, and trade headed in both directions has made the mekong a key trade route linking china with southeast asia. development of the road network is also making trade easier. this bridge connects thailand and laos and is used by trucks heading to and from china. a ferry used to be the only way for trucks to cross, so the bridge cut travel time when it was completed three years ago. improvements to the distribution network have helped trade between thailand and china triple over the past decade. >> translator: along with the bridge, the road was improved. now i can save time and drive comfortably. >> translator: storage facilities for frozen items and distribution centers have been set up in china's border region. so even more shipping is now possible. >> reporter: the rail network is also expanding. china has a vision to link its inland area with singapore via thailand and other countries by train. thailand and china plan to work

together to bring high-speed trains to thailand. >> translator: once a high-speed railway is completed between china and thailand, thailand will become a role model in infrastructure development as well as a distribution hub of the region. >> reporter: china's infrastructure projects are helping chinese firms make economic inroads and increasing the country's influence in the region. syrian peace talks got off to a rocky start on monday. they traded barbs. the russian and turkish peace

talks are taking place. turkey backed opposition forces. aen the regime is violating the cease-fire on a daily basis. >> there's no meaning to go further than this step. >> syria's ambassador to the u.n. said government forces are only targeting terrorist groups. he then criticized the rebels. >> they did not behave. they did not according to the references of the meeting. >> the peace negotiations are aimed at potentially opening a path to resume u.n. med uaiated peace talks. it's uncertain if they can reach an agreement on concrete steps to maintain the truth. the bloody war is in its sixth year.

we head into sumo now. the first japan-born wrestler in 19 years will be promoted to the highest rank of yokozuna, or grand champion. he won the new year grand sumo tournament that ended on sunday with 14 wins and 1 loss for his first-ever title. an advisory panel to japan's sumo association decided on monday to recommend to the association that he be promoted. the association is to officially decide on the promotion and inform him of the results on wednesday.

>> people in his hometown north of tokyo welcomed the news. >> translator: he's the pride of the town. >> translator: i hope he keeps on winning as a japanese yokozuna. >> his father said his son's hard work is being rewarded. >> translator: he has reached this point step by step, and he's still in the middle of his journey. >> he would be the 72nd yokozuna. the last japan born to become grand champion was promoted in 1998. let's take a look at world weather. people across italy are grappling with heavy rain. unusual amounts of rain in the southern regions are causing

severe flooding there. robert speta joins us now with more. >> yes, actually, what we have been seeing is this area of low pressure. late last week it started back around the iberian peninsula. it's been drifting toward the east after bringing snow there. this low pressure area continues to linger. that's been bringing that heavy rain across southern areas of italy. more snow in the higher elevations where people are still digging out after the deadly avalanching this past weekend. i want to show you here from southern italy some video we have of the heavy rain causing this flooding and some landslides. you can see a car getting stuck on the road. three times the average for the entire month of january. red alerts were issued. many schools were closed on monday. some still closed on tuesday.

more rain is in the forecast. we have this area of low pressure off to the east. much of italy especially toward the south you have the orange alerts today. also toward the balkan peninsula we'll be seeing gusty winds too. the front will drift off there towards the east. still a potent storm system. it's not over yet. it really remains a little separated from the jet stream. that's why it's not moving very fast at all. now north of this we have exceptionally cool temperatures. we have a high of only minus three. berlin at 1. paris at 4. london you've been seeing significant fog out there. might see flight delays. just a high of 4 on tuesday. down towards the south things are warming up. now, take a look here across japan real fast.

we've been talking about our heavy snow. hundreds of cars were stranded out here through the overnight hours. still 50 centimeters is expected. high pressure will drift in. minus one here. here is your extended outlook.

>> that is all. thanks very much for joining us.

>> welcome to a very special new years edition of focus on europe, i'm michelle henery. we are wrapping up 2016 by taking a look back at some of our best reports of the year. and what a year it was! we've seen just how divided this continent is. it was a shock to many europeans when britain voted to leave the european union in the brexit referendum. the fishermen in cornwall, however, are elated. >> bye-bye brussels! now we can spend our own money on what we think is right. >> the fishermen of norway would like to do just that - in this case, take back the control over their fjord and do what they think is right. norway's government has approved a controversial plan for a m