hello and thank you for joining us on this edionf ine. i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. members of international atomic energy agency are turning up the presse on iran. delegates at the annual meeting in vienna have been telling leaders in teheran to be more transparent about their nuclear development program. the 160-member nuclear agency opened the annual five-day conference on monday. director general said iran's leaders failed to meet an august deadline for five key promises. >> iran has implemented a number of measures as planned.

however, two such measures remain to be implemented. >> reporter: amano said leaders in deran provided no information on alleged experiments on nuclear devices. u.s. energy secretary earnest mones said preventing the prolive nation of nuclear weapons is one of president obama's priorities. he said the u.s. cannot accept any breach of the agreement. >> we all on iran to cooperate fully to resolve all outstanding issues particularly those that give rise to concerns regarding the possible military dimension of iran's nuclear program. >> a european union leader urged iran to take swift action saying it's essential to cooperate swiftly with the iaea situation.

militants in egypt said they were behind a bombing on sunday. the attack killed three police officers, guarding the foreign ministry. the group soldiers of egypt posted a statement on the twitter account. it vowed to protect the oppressed people. if threatened to target officers of what it called the criminal security agencies and it said the attacks won't stop until the ruling tyrants fall and the oppression ends. the islamic state militant group issued a statement urging allies in egypt to continue attacking security forces. egyptian president took office last weir and launched a crackdown of extremists. there have been a series of bombings. militant attacked a police check point in northwestern pakistan. four people have been killed. no group claimed responsibility. the incident occurred in a region where the pakistani taliban has been active.

afp report it is attack happened in hangu. local police said at least four militants drove toward the checkpoint and began firing killing a three police officers and a passer by. the pakistani military launched large-scale counterterrorism military operations in june soon after an attack on the airport. that attack in pakistan's largest city exposed how vulnerable the country had become to ill about thes. an attack killed several thousand militants as well as 86 troops. concerns are rising that the militants may retaliate. afghanistan's president-elect is celebrating his win and facing up to the challenges ahead. former finance minister ashraf ghani will take over from hamid karzai next week, and he'll inherit a country fractured by ethnic conflicts. ghani was named president-elect on sunday after months of

electoral disputes. he's due to be sworn in next ay. he'll govern alongside his former rival abdullah abdullah. the ex-foreign minister will take the new role of chief executive. a post similar to prime minister. ghani and abdullah have different ethnic support bases and they disagree about how to deal with the taliban militants. abdullah advocates a hardline stance, ghani favors negotiations. people in afghanistan are hoping that the former rivals can work together to bring stability to the country as most foreign troops are preparing to leave. emerging economic powers still struggling with poverty. emboldened citizens still demanding democracy. the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on south and southeast asia every weekday live from bangkok only on nhk world "newsline."

thousands of students in hong kong have begun a week-long boycott of classes. they're protesting china's stance on electing the city's leader. a student federation says members from 24 schools are expected to join. the group says about 13,000 people gathered for a rally at the chinese university of hong kong. china's top legislative body decided last month to allow the city to directly elect its next chief executive, but it virtually ruled out participation by pro-democracy candidates. >> i want to tell them we will not just say yes to whatever they do. we will fight for our rights and fight for our democracy. >> translator: we have the right to vote, but we won't be able to choose our leaders freely. the younger generation must raise its voice for hong kong's future. >> hong kong's government has welcomed the decision, calling the election progress in

democratization. it intends to make legal arrangements for the vote. pro-democracy groups plan to hold a large-scale protest on october 1st in the city's financial district. a news website affiliated with the chinese government is carrying a report of explosions in the xinjiang uighur autonomous region. it says two people were killed and many others injured. the article says the blasts occurred at a shop and other locations in the southeastern part of the region. it says all the injured have been taken to hospitals and order has been restored, but it gives no further details. many uighur muslims in the region are increasingly wary of the economic and political disparity with the han people who represent the majority in china. they're also discontent with government restrictions on religious activities. in may, attackers threw explosives into a morning market in urumqi killing or injuring more than 130 people. other attacks in july targeted

police stations and government buildings in the district of kashgar killing 37. security authorities have reportedly shot dead 59 people suspected of involvement. japanese business leaders are visiting beijing in hopes of strengthening economic ties between the two countries. they've held their first-ever networking event of its kind with chinese executives, and they're expecting to meet with vice premier wang yang later this week. japanese delegates from the japan/china economic association include sadayuki sakakibara who chairs the japan business federation or keidanren. members of the delegation kicked off their six-day tour by meeting executives of major chinese financial institutions and environment-related firms. they exchanged opinions on how to develop new businesses. the association began sending delegations to china in 1975. members of the delegation had

hoped they could meet chinese government leaders amid cooler bilateral relations. they're set to meet vice premier wang on wednesday. he's a chinese communist party politburo member and is known for implementing structural reforms. the owner of a scandal-hit food processing firm says most of the company's staff will be laid off. shanghai husi food was accused in july of selling meat past its expiration date. investigators are studying claims that the company sold out of date chicken to restaurants in and outside china. in japan, fast food giant mcdonald's and a major convenience store chain were forced to suspend sales of some products. chinese authorities arrested six husi executives and charged them with selling substandard products. the investigation is ongoing. husi's illinois based parent company released a statement disclosing its plans to lay off 340 employees in shanghai. a small number of workers will be kept on while authorities

investigate the case. the statement said shanghai husi has experienced significant financial and customer losses and it's very unlikely that production will be resumed soon. prosperous, pushing ahead. china's rise brought it wealth, power and problems. income gath divides its people. pollution threatens their health. and differences over territory strain relations with its neighbors. find out the challenges china faces on "newsline." people in new zealand may vote on whether to keep the union jack in their flag. prime minister john key says he's ready to hold a referendum on changing the design. >> we want to have the referendum. i'd want to embark on the referendum relatively quickly. i'd like the issue dealt with in 2015. >> the flag bears the union jack due to the nation's historical ties to britain. some new zealanders suggest

switching to the silver fern, which is a national symbol widely used by sports teams, but a group of war veterans strongly opposes changing the flag. they say do doing so would disrespect those who fought and died defending it. dengue fever is a disease spread by mosquitoes that usually affects tropical countries. outbreaks have been frequent in places considered dengue free, including japan. health workers fighting the disease could look to india for some unique aquatic assistance. abhishek dhulia of nhk world reports. >> reporter: dengue fever mainly starts spreading in india from september when monsoon season enters its last stage.

more than 75,000 infections were reported in 2013, six times the number five years ago. 167 people died. health officials visit homes in the capital new delhi to look for pools of stagnant water. if they find mosquito larva, the homeowner will be issued a warning. if it happens again, they could be fined. >> translator: when larvae are found, we write in "plus." >> reporter: to help fight infections, local health authorities have recruited some water-borne patrols. guppy fish breed rapidly and feed on mosquito larva. officials release them into water where mosquitos could breed. >> it's very effective, very effective, and we get 100% results. we are not using chemicals. it's not harmful to the nature.

>> reporter: the method of using the fish has attracted international attention. the asian development bank conducted experiments in cambodia and laos. it confirmed in september 2013 that the method was an effective way to stop mosquito breeding. with dengue outbreaks spreading to other tropical regions, more countries will look to guppy fish to help combat this potentially fatal disease. abishek dhulia, nhk world, new delhi. japan's foreign minister says his new greenhouse gas reduction targets as soon as possible.

fumio kishida spoke to foreign and environment ministers from various countries during a meeting on climate change in new york. the meeting came ahead of the u.n. climate summit scheduled for tuesday. the next round of u.n. talks on combating global warming will be held at the end of next year. it's known as cop21, and its aim will be creating a framework to go in effect from 2020. kishida stressed the need to move beyond the current framework, which requires only industrialized countries to cut emissions. he said countries need to create a fair and effective replacement that involves all nations. many of the ministers at the meeting expressed concern over the lack of progress in the global fight against climate change. and people around the world have shown they feel the same way. they held rallies in more than 160 countries calling for leaders to take action now. nhk world's craig dale reports. >> if we don't get it -- >> shut it down!

>> if we don't get it -- >> shut it down! >> reporter: they called it the people's climate march. people around the world joined in. hundreds of thousands rallied in new york, some offering a simple message for political and business leaders. >> wake up. >> reporter: they marched ahead of the u.n. climate summit. leaders of about 120 nations meet tuesday to figure out how to reduce growing carbon emissions and to forge a framework for a potential global agreement in advance of talks next year in paris. >> climate change is a defining issue of our time, and there is no time to lose. if we do not take action now, we will have to pay much more. >> reporter: action is what people almost everywhere want to see. from france to britain. australia to brazil and beyond. the message is pretty much the same. the people who rallied in more

than 160 countries said saving the planet requires governments and businesses to slash carbon output. >> we cannot put more into the earth. otherwise we're going to get into the area of runaway climate change. >> reporter: the vast majority of scientists agree. the world is changing. storms are stronger and more devastating. rainfall more intense. and temperatures are reaching extreme highs and lows. just look at what happened last month. western japan experienced its wettest august since national records began in 1946. in britain, temperatures dipped to lows not felt in more than two decades, and about a third of the contiguous u.s. was in drought. these protesters say climate change is real, and they say the world needs an international agreement to turn things around. >> we need to ratify a treaty that cuts our carbon in the atmosphere.

>> reporter: at the same time, they want to boost sources of clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind. >> take a position against fossil fuel expansion. really put resources into developing alternative sources of energy. >> reporter: that goal may prove too lofty for world leaders. still, when they meet at the u.n., they'll likely feel pressure to come up with some plan to appease their voters but perhaps more importantly deal with the problem many say has been put off for too long. craig dale, nhk world. russia has opened a new airport on etorofu. it's one of four islands held by russia and claimed by japan. sakhalin regional governor alexander khoroshavin attended the opening ceremony in central etorofu. construction of the airport began in 2007.

its 2,300 meter runway will be used for both civilian and military planes. officials say regular flights are planned to the cities of khabarovsk and khabarovsk and yuzhno-sakhalinsk in the russian far east. planes are expected to bring a sharp increase in the flow of people and goods. the larger airport will also be able to handle military transport aircraft. japan calls the islands the northern territories. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga says the four islands are being occupied by russia without legal grounds. he says japan has no means of stopping infrastructure projects there. >> translator: we have to reach a fundamental settlement over the northern territories issue. we will negotiate tenaciously with russian officials to seek a solution that is acceptable to both sides. >> suga says the opening of the airport will not affect plans to

arrange a bilateral summit. many japanese farmers struggle to make a profit in a country that imports more than half its food. one farmer in northern japan is using innovative marketing techniques to stand out from the crowd, and he's watching his bottom line grow. nhk world's risa wakabayashi explains. >> reporter: at the airport in hokkaido, the gateway to japan's far north. many airport stores sell fresh seafood to travelers, but there's one store that's attracting customers with a sales system called sumekodai, which means all you can stuff into a container. six kinds of organic cherry tomatoes are sold by the cupful. customers try to stuff as many tomatoes as possible. >> translator: i didn't know there are so many different types. i'd like to try them all.

>> reporter: we visited farmer hiroki otsuka to see how the produce is grown. he and his wife grow 22 kinds of organic vegetables, including cherry tomatoes, eggplant, italian parsley on 18 hectares of fields. his farm earns $1 million in annual sales. only about 1% of hokkaido vegetable farmers make this much. the reason for otsuka's success is his motto -- never to sell products in the same way as other farmers. one of his popular products is dried sweet potatoes that are selling extremely well. thanks to his unique way of marketing them. usually we don't see many varieties of dried sweet

potatoes at the supermarket. but otsuka offers products made from five types of sweet potatoes. the $6 cost may seem to be a lot to pay for a bag of dried sweet potatoes, but consumers don't seem to mind the price. annual sales have reached $170,000. >> translator: i can't survive if my products don't make an impression on customers. more varieties of produce translate into more sales. >> reporter: otsuka's ideas have opened up a new market for water spinach, a popular ingredient in chinese cooking. >> translator: i thought it was delicious when i tasted it in

taiwan. i was convinced that it would sell well, so i decided to give it a try. >> reporter: but people in hokkaido weren't familiar with the vegetable. otsuka felt he needed something extra to attract customers. he developed sauce for pan-fried water spinach. it includes sesame oil, garlic and lemon juice. he attaches a small packet of the sauce to each of the vegetable bags. the product has become extremely popular because customers can use the sauce to cook pan-fried water spinach in just a few minutes. >> translator: i'm looking for something that no other organic farmer in japan is offering.

>> reporter: otsuka's marketing ideas make his products attractive to customers by giving them added value. it's these efforts that are the secret behind his success. risa wakabayashi, nhk world. about 2 million people live in nagoya, central japan, but even during the busiest times of the day the streets are almost empty. nhk world's miki matsumoto looked below the surface to find out why. >> reporter: it's 8:30 a.m., the peak of the morning rush hour, but there's hardly anyone to be seen. that's because they're all under ground. >> translator: it's cooler down here. >> reporter: there is a maze of underground passageways running under the city.

they're especially useful in the hot summer or the freezing winter. these women are heading into the basement food section of a department store. but that doesn't seem to be their destination. this underground passage connects the department store to the shop next door. >> translator: i use them to avoid the sun. >> translator: i don't want to sweat because my makeup will run. >> reporter: children go to and from their schools this way. >> translator: the streets have many busy intersections. it's safer to use the passageways. >> reporter: space is at a premium under ground. even the delivery trucks have to be lower than usual.

this truck was custom built because of the low ceiling in the underground parking lot. it's hard for the delivery teams in such a cramped space. there are over 500 shops and restaurants in the underground arcades. over 1,000 packages a day are delivered to them. >> translator: it's much easier for us if we can drive down to the basement levels, but we have to be very careful not to hit anyone, so that makes it harder. >> reporter: there are plenty of places to relax at the end of the day, but there's one drawback.

>> translator: sorry, we're closing now. >> reporter: all the entrances except those near the subway ticket gates close at 10:00 p.m. this group is heading home from a night out. after ten minutes, they finally find an entrance that's open. >> translator: without the underground malls, it wouldn't be nagoya, no way. >> translator: you said it.

>> reporter: the citizens of nagoya love their underground passages so much that people from other places sometimes call them malls. burrowing under the city is part of their way of life. miki matsumoto, nhk world, nagoya. and next here's a three-day outlook on the world's weather.

that's all for now on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo, and from all of us at nhk world, thanks for watching and have a god day wherever you are.

>> "euromaxx highlights." and here is your host. >> thanks for joining us for our round up of lifestyle news in europe. this is what we have coming up on the show today >> an annual horse racing event hits the beach in spain. >> former classical pianist vika now performs heavy metal. >> kiiking is the latest extreme sport and it comes from estonia. >> if horses are racing it is usually on a grass track, but in the most southern province of spain there is an annual race on the beach. the former fishing village used to use horses to transport fish