crowded planet. the global population races towards 7 billion. a warning about what that will mean for all of us. this is "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo. the united nations says the world population will mark a milestone next week. come monday, 7 billion people will be sharing the earth's resources. the u.n. population released an annual report on wednesday. the number of people on the planet has more than doubled in the past 50 years from 3 billion in 1959. forecasters say the figure will surpass 10 billion this century. asia, the world's most populated region, is expected to reach 5.2 billion people by the middle of

the century. africa's population will triple and climb to an estimated 3.6 billion by 2100. developed countries including japan and european nations are expected to see their populations shrink. falling birth rates are largely to blame. the u.n. report says the global population increase will accelerate urbanization and spread poverty mainly in developing countries. it also says water shortages will worsen and developed countries will have difficulty maintaining economic growth and social security systems because of aging populations. the report calls on governments to respond by drawing up plans and investing appropriately. people in japan are lining up on opposite sides of a possible free trade deal. their government will decide early next month whether to join the negotiations on the trans-pacific partnership. business leaders argue the pact will be a boom for industry. farmers and fishermen disagree.

daisuke azuma reports. >> reporter: i am standing near a park near the national diet building in central tokyo. more than 3,000 people from the agriculture sector of the nation are here. they are holding placards that say no to tpp. it is evidence of those against the tpp among the crowd. the rally was organized by groups representing the farmers, fishermen and others. the free trade will hit farmers hardest by allowing low price imports into the domestic market. of particular consent is the future of rice, japan's main staple food, as well as dairy and beef products.

the organizer says japan's efficiency will plummet as it runs out. >> translator: we believe it is to japan's benefit to protect its people's lives. securing a beautiful land and a stable food supply, promoting local economies and employment and delivering reliable health care are fundamental to running a country. we are determined to do everything we can to stop the tpp. >> tpp! [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: the tpp aims to make trade tax-free in principle and also free of a number of barriers. negotiations are now underway in nine countries.

singapore, brunei, chile, new zealand, the united states, australia, peru, malaysia and vietnam. the scope of the tpp goes beyond agriculture and manufacturing sectors to cover 24 areas, including public works and other government procurements to protect intellectual property, insurance, medical care and labor regulations. the framework will have a significant impact on the lives of millions of people in the member nations. the nine countries in the tpp talks are believed to be aiming toward a basic agreement at apec meeting next month. japan is planning to announce ahead of that whether it will participate.

[ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: wednesday's protesters rallied in front of the foreign affairs ministry and the ministry of economy, trade and industry. they opposed japan's participation in the tpp talks, which they say will oppose the country to allow genetically modified foods and pesticides which would endanger food safety. meanwhile, those promoting japan's tpp bid held a symposium in tokyo earlier in the day. speakers stressed the advantages of the free trade scheme. they say it will help the manufacturing sector grow, including automobiles and tv makers. >> translator: is japan strongly committed to creating an open market and an open society?

or do we shut ourselves behind closed doors and keep things as they are? we're at the crossroads now. >> reporter: they also say the tpp would help japanese farmers make agricultural products overseas. >> translator: we farmers are concerned we'll not be able to produce enough food in five or ten years from now. the tpp debate is our last chance to reconsider japan's food self-sufficiency and the current state of agriculture. >> reporter: the tpp aims to free up trade on large scale. japan in some areas that it could also lose out in other areas. the specifics of the tpp have yet to be finalized. but the japanese public is already heavily divided over the issue.

again, the japanese government is facing a tough decision to make, join or not join the negotiations for the tpp talks. daisuke azuma, nhk world, tokyo. in london, the yen hit a new record high against the dollar on wednesday. the dollar briefly fell to 75.71 yen. in new york on tuesday, the greenback dropped to 75.73 yen. the yen continues to gain ground as market players worry how much the eu leaders can agree to in stemming the debt crisis. another factor here is the poor u.s. economic data that has fueled uncertainties over the american economy. the dollar is now changing hands at between 75.85 and 75.86. japan's finance minister, meanwhile, azumi has intervened in the markets to stem the yen's historic rise.

>> translator: we will not rule out any measures, and if necessary, we will take decisive action. i have instructed my deputies to be prepared to take action when needed. >> speaking at a lower house budget committee meeting this morning, azumi said the yen surge does not reflect the real economic fundamentals. he said it could dampen a recovery in exports. leaders of the european union are set to hold a second meeting in brussels. they aim to strike a comprehensive deal to stem the debt crisis in europe. the eu summit talks will start on wednesday at 6:00 p.m. local time. negotiations over the details appear to be facing difficulties. commercial banks holding greek government bonds strongly oppose a proposal that could lead to a write-off of more than 50% of the bond principle. talks appear stalled over how to

implement measures of how to boost the capital of financial institutions. another key plan is to bolster the eu bailout fund. delegates are considering an option to secure funds from countries or organizations outside of the euro zone. these could include the international monetary fund. rescuers in turkey are pulled three more people from the rubble on wednesday. but the odds of finding more survivors are decreasing. more than 72 hours have passed since the powerful earthquake. after that point, chances of being found alive drop rapidly. the magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit the eastern part of the country on sunday. 461 people are confirmed dead. many others remain trapped under collapsed buildings. rescue crews celebrated some success on wednesday.

they saved an 18-year-old man who's a student, and two teachers, women in their 20s. emergency workers rescued 40 people a day earlier and they're still digging. they hope to find more survivors, despite all the time that's passed. the turkish government has changed an earlier decision on international aid. it's now asking for more help from other countries. the japanese government is preparing to send tents. floodwaters have penetrated several vulnerable parts of bangkok. the government warned it is struggling to cope. and fears are rising that the crisis could spread to central areas of the capital. nhk world reports. >> reporter: a partly submerged airport in northern bangkok, the flooding crisis is deteriorating. more than a thousand people are already evacuated and have had

to flee again to several areas. >> translator: we have decided to leave the evacuation center because we fear that more severe flooding may cause blackouts. >> reporter: despite the rising water, the thai government has decided against moving its flood relief operations center out of the airport. with the runway already partly underwater, the two allies are canceling their services until the end of the month. the floods have already killed at least 373 people nationwide. thailand's prime minister gave a televised address on tuesday. she warned that the government might not be able to protect central bangkok.

>> reporter: this map shows the worst-case scenario as predicted by a disaster management expert. it shows that parts of bangkok could be inundated by up to 2 meters of water during the weekend. that's when a springtime with slow moving waters from the north. as residents of bangkok watch the fluctuating water levels in and around the city, they continue to prepare for the worst. for nhk world, bangkok. nhk has an interview with a japanese expert who has been monitoring the chao phraya river, bangkok's biggest water way over the past week. >> translator: the chao phraya river flows slowly through flat land. the damage could spread

gradually. and flooded areas might retain water for more than a month because of poor drainage. and in afghanistan, at least ten civilians were killed and more than 30 wounded after a fuel tanker exploded on a road near the largest american air base in the country. the blast happened in parwan province about 40 kilometers north of the capital kabul on tuesday night. officials quoted by reuters say a small bomb stuck to the side of the tanker exploded first, creating a hole. leaking fuel then ignited in a large blaze. the incident took place just 3 kilometers from bagram airfield. local officials have placed the blame on insurgents. japan has been hit by a series of cyberattacks on government and industrial targets. the foreign ministry says computers at its diplomatic missions abroad came under cyberattack this summer. the ministry said computers at some missions received virus

carrying e-mails, disguised as important messages in june and july. it says some computers were infected, but there were no data leaks. since cyberattacks at mitsubishi heavy industries came to late in september, the ministry instructed all overseas missions to conduct daily virus checks. chief cabinet secretary osamu fujimura said on wednesday that the foreign ministry shares two area local experts, one dealing with general information and the other for classified information. he said only the network for general information was targeted. >> translator: the affected offices have been removing the viruses one by one with the help of computer experts. there is no report that any classified information has leaked so far. >> the hackers also attacked the computer network server of a diet lower house. the police is urging the lower house to further investigate the problem.

the police issued the request on tuesday after being briefed by the lower house secretariat on the security breach from outside the chamber. the server is linked to the pcs of three lawmakers whose computers were found to have been infected by viruses in august. the lower house says no data leaks have been confirmed so far, but it has launched a task force to look into the matter. chamber officials say the server stores the i.d.s and passwords of about 2,700 users, including lawmakers and their secretaries. the information could give hackers access to e-mails and other confidential data. nhk surveyed 18 japanese government offices on computer security following a series of cyberattacks. 16 ministries and agencies responded and said their employees received malicious e-mail, but reported no damage including data leakage. the national police agency said it received 172 e-mails

containing viruses for the two and a half years through september. police looked at 29 such messages and found that 14 were designed to enable communication with servers in china. the economy trade and industry ministry says some computers were infected when 20 of its employees opened files attached to malicious e-mails last november. the defense ministry says it is monitoring its computer network around the clock. the government is stepping up security efforts and launched a system on tuesday to share information on cyberattacks with companies. pilots in japan took flight today in one of the most talked about airplanes in the world. all nippon air ways day budde its 787 dreamliner. we go through an exciting day at narita international airport.

>> reporter: this is the latest thing going in civil aviation. it is lighter, more fuel efficient and it is a better ride for passengers. now, after years of delays, the 787 dreamliner is finally taking its first flight, just a short hop from tokyo to hong kong. >> translator: i just want to get on it right now. >> so far i've only seen pictures of it. so now i'm going to see it live. >> translator: i want to be a pilot some day. >> reporter: ana sold tickets for this flight by lottery because of high demand. more than 25,000 people applied, but only 100 got a spot. >> translator: i'm so lucky i got picked. >> translator: i've been looking forward to this. we wanted to go on a family trip. >> translator: we wanted to ride a brand-new aircraft.

>> reporter: boeing engineers made the dreamliner out of lightweight carbon fiber. the plane uses 20% less fuel than other midsized aircraft. the 787 is the first plane of its size to be able to fly nonstop from tokyo to the u.s. east coast. along the way, passengers benefit from an improved humidity control system. they will also enjoy the view out of the wider windows. the dreamliner is now part of all nippon airways regular fleet. pilots will begin flying the 787 on domestic routes starting next week. they'll take on its first overnight flight between tokyo and frankfurt early next year.

rina nakano, nhk world, japan. now this lottery rina mentioned in her piece had a special theme. all nippon airways used it to pay tribute to the dreamliner's model number, of course, 787. the price includes an overnight stay in hong kong. and here are how some people are enjoying the fruit of the season, not on their plates, but in a way unique to japan. ♪ >> this is not a huge pot for cooking. it is an outdoor hot spring in western japan. the aromatic fruit known as yuzu is said to keep your body warm

and relax your mind. time to check on some of the stories we have gathered from broadcasters around asia. we begin tonight with this item sent by cctv china. chinese premier wen jiabao says the government will give top priority to ensuring sustainable economic development and keeping consumer prices under control. on tuesday, wen visited high tech enterprises in the northern port city to learn about difficulties and entrepreneurs are facing. the premier said the government should give national support to small and medium enterprises. he also stressed the need to ensure adequate food supplies, improve the country's distribution system, and strengthen price regulations in order to combat inflation. more than 30 coordinated

bomb attacks in southern thailand's yala province on tuesday left at least three people dead and about 50 others injured. police say the bombs started exploding at 6:15 p.m. local time at locations including the school, shops and hotels. the insurgents apparently planned the explosive devices in motorcycles. attack occurred on the anniversary of the 2004 suppression of an anti-government protest in which 85 people were killed. since then, the islamic insurgency claimed more than 4,700 people in thailand's muslim dominated southern provinces. hindus around the world are celebrating diwali, the festival of lights, on wednesday. the festival signifies the victory of good over evil. in india, people visit temples, pray and decorate their houses and workplaces with lights. they also exchange gifts with their relatives and friends. at night, people explode firecrackers. on the eve of the festival,

hindu committees from malaysia and singapore jointly organized a concert in kuala lumpur. famous artists from both countries presented a two-hour show. about 10,000 people including senior government officials participated. here are the latest market figures. mei shoji is up next with weather.

>> hi there. welcome back. let's talk about weather now. starting off with asia, high pressure dominates much of eastern continental asia. mongolia, northern china, korean peninsula as well as japan, looking very dry and calm for us on our thursday. here a little bit of showers will be making some precipitation and maybe some snow can be seen in western china. a little bit of showers here in northeastern china, but nothing too significant. we are already about thailand, we have reports of 80 millimeters, just in the span of 24 hours, has been reported in southern thailand. and, unfortunately, scattered and widespread showers will be continuing into our thursday, especially here in eastern coast of vietnam as well. so this northeastern monsoon is going to be making that flow and bringing those showers. here in tokyo, 19 degrees, seoul at 18 degrees. beijing, 16. chongqing as well. and bangkok we're looking at 34 degrees.

heading over to north america, well, first let's talk about this hurricane, which is just near the gulf of mexico. hurricane rina is now making -- is now moving at a speed of six kilometers per hour. we caught hurricane warning posted mutupost ed much of the eastern coast of yucatan. it looks like it could become a hurricane anytime soon, i should say. as it intensifies and maintains, it may even make landfall in the eastern coast of yucatan peninsula as it moves toward and returns over water, it will downgrade over a hurricane. as a hurricane, it will approach cuba later on. swell storm surges, these are all going to be at very high concern as we can see we're going to be seeing lots of precipitation to be built upon. 400 millimeters in the total amount could be seen just from this hurricane rina. we'll keep you updated with this system. winter storm here. this is a very traveling disturbing system. it will be from colorado to new

mexico. it may accumulate snowfall in the higher elevations up to about 60 centimeterers in some areas. showers here in central mississippi valley, all the way in towards new england. and just in the north of -- northeast, i should say, we may see some snow. and if we do, that will be our first seasonal snow. here just around the los angeles, southern california, and arizona, nevada, this area is going to be very low in humidity as well as gusts up to about 70 kilometers per hour. that's a very good recipe for critical fire risk. los angeles at 21 degrees. new york at 18. heading over to europe now, we have got disturbance here over the british isles. some may be very heavy in uk. here as well, showers and some strong winds to be felt, but stronger winds will be felt here. high waves of up to 6 meter high could be reaching the coast of the iberian peninsula and gusts

of about 100 kilometers per hour and heavy rain to come there. maybe severe thunderstorms here too as well as balkan peninsula and italy as well. but out towards the east, we're looking at a very clear weather here, dry and calm. here where the earthquake hit in van, the temperatures are going to drop significantly and we are looking at snow for our thursday forecast. the temperature here is 9 degrees. london at 12. paris at 17. and here is your extended forecasts.

♪ that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline." we'll be back with more news in half an hour. i'm michio kijima in tokyo. thank you for watching. bye-bye.

a town in thailand is covered in water.