hello there, and welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, november 25th. i'm kathryn kobayashi in tokyo. the foreign ministers of iran and six world powers have agreed to push back an important deadline again. they're trying to map oup terms for iran's nuclear program agreeable to everyone, but they say they'll need another seven months to resolve some big differences. ministers from the u.s., britain, france, china, russia and germany are taking part in the talks. they met with iran's foreign minister. they're trying to reach a broad deal that lets them focus on big

issues now and worry about details later. they were hoping to reach it by midnight, but they couldn't find any middle ground on a range of issues, including the scale of uranium enrichment that should be allowed. they agreed to continue their negotiations until march. they are trying to turn it into something more lasting. they already missed the first deadline they set for themselves earlier this year. >> there are still some significant points of disagreement, and they have to be worked through. >> the major obstacle is that there is a compounded mistrust, mutual. >> a number of republican lawmakers in the u.s. congress are calling for more sanctions to pressure iran. the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, ed royce says he doubts iran's supreme leader will see things differently over the next few months. royce says the seven month

extension should be used to tighten the economic vice. they said they believe the talks should be coupled with sanctions. but white house spokesperson josh earnest says it could be counter-productive. he says the administration believes enough progress has been made to answer the concerns. iran's president is upbeat about the way the talks are going. hassan rouhani says negotiators are reaching progress and will reach a deal sooner or later. he said he ran will defend its right to develop nuclear power and will work hard to get economic powers to list economic sanctions. the huskey fence secretary of state has become a high level problem. chuck hagel is stepping down.

president obama praised him for efforts during upheaval at home and abroad. >> having guided the department through this transition, it was an important time for him to complete his service. >> the president said hagel helped strengthen alliances in the asia-pacific region. he also commended him for his handling of the ebola crisis in west africa. he said hagel always gave him honest advice. >> it's been the greatest privilege of my life. the greatest privilege of my life to lead and most important to serve, to serve with the men and will of the defense department and support their families. >> the president has come into pressure since the democrats suffered a heavy defeat in midterm elections. political insiders say he is trying to ease critics by removing hagel. they have disagreed on a range of matters, such as how to handle the threat in syria and

the threat posed by the p islamic state militant group. u.s. officials have painted a picture of the suffering endured by some of the world's most vulnerable people. they've released a report that says one third of human trafficking victims are children. and that ratio is rising. they're calling on the global community to help solve the problem. a committee from the u.n. says between 2010 and 2013 at least 40,000 people were victims. children are increasingly becoming targets. one in three people trafficked is younger than 18. women and girls account for 70% of the victims. traffickers usually sell men into forced labor in manufacturing and construction sectors. some victims have to sell their organs. the victims come from at least 152 countries. they tend to start in poor parts

of the world and end up in developed nations. executive director of the agency, said the data represents only what has been uncovered, he said it's clear the scale of modern-day slavery is far greater. investors were keeping an eye on movements by bankers. and ai uchida joins us now. what you have seen? >> on friday officials at the people's bank of china unexpectedly cut their one-year lending rate. and that was the first since 2012. and the european central bank's mario draghi said he's ready to give an ease to the euro zone. now these developments came as good news for the world markets like china and the u.s. and here in tokyo, share prices this morning are on the rise. the nikkei is trading higher by

one third percent. investors are buying stocks in major exporters, including car and electronics makers. currency makers also increased their appetites. they're buying the dollar and selling the yen. one dollar will get you in the upper part of 1.17 in yen. some investors are buying currency as german business sentiment came up higher than expected. let's look at other parts of the asia pacific region. the kospi is pretty much unchanged right now. let's see what's happening in australia. the index is trading lower, down by more than two-thirds percent. people at a research firm see the number of eco friendly cars rising. and they say the tokyo olympics

in 2020 will kick start the market. consultants say that estimates of fuel-cell vehicles will rise to 50,000 in 2020. they project sales of 400,000 in 2030. that means eco friendly cars will make up 10% of the market. fuel cell vehicles run on electricity generated by chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen. the only exhaust they emit is water. the researchers think the number of corporate users will rise in the run up to the tokyo summer olympics. they also except more hydrogen fueling stations to open around the country. they say mass production will make eco friendly cars cheaper. toyota motors says it will launch the first fuel cell car for the commercial market next month. honda plans to introduce one next fiscal year followed by nissan three years from now.

>> translator: fuel cell cars won't be major players until 2020 when auto makers will release second-generation models. >> he says the government and auto makers need to work together to build hydrogen fueling facilities. managers and auto makers and other businesses are getting on the hydrogen bandwagon. they include officials at a major bank. they are betting on hydrogen as the fuel of the future. they plan to lend money at low interest rates to firms developing hydrogen-related technologies or that are investing in the sector. the officials also plan to help companies with relevant technology pool, pool their resources and launch new businesses. >> translator: japanese businesses have very high-level, hydrogen-related technologies. they're playing a leading role in efforts to achieve a

hydrogen-powered society. >> executives say they see sector creating new lending opportunities. people on the panel set up by the japanese government have produced a road map for the country's economy. they say there will be 100 million people in the future. officials at the council on economic and fiscal policy in january established the panel. it's made up of experts from various fields. they've been looking into mid and long-term challenges facing the economy. the panel says that by around 2020 the government should double spending on measures aimed at countering the low birthrate and that government officials should raise the employment rate of women in their 30s and 40s and people 6

5 and older. couples are flocking to okinawa to get married against the white sands and blue seas. they've seen 50% more weddings in the first half of this year as compared to the same half of last year. almost half of these couples are from hong kong. we take a look at this booming international business. >> reporter: one of okinawa's beautiful beaches can be seen from a nearby wedding chapel. the bride and groom are one of a growing number of hong kong couples who are choosing to marry in okinawa. more than 20 guests are attending. one reason for the trend is that okinawa is a great background for wedding photographs. >> translator: photo time,

everyone. >> reporter: family and friends have come to the ceremony with professional-level cameras, and they take shot after shot. and here is the main event. a professional photographer poses the couple for shots that will go in the wedding album. hong kong couples have high expectations for the wedding photos. and they like to get some unique shots. okinawa is the ideal place for them to capture images of their big day. >> translator: although i had never been to okinawa, i chose

it for the good weather and the beautiful wedding halls. >> reporter: in hong kong, weddings are a big business. the industry holds promotional events nearly every month. according to a private research firm, hong kong couples spend over $34,000 on average for their weddings in 2013. that's an increase of more than 30% over a two year period. >> hong kong couple, they regard the wedding as their biggest project in their lifetime. so they enjoy the preparation process, and also they tend to spend more money in every single item. >> reporter: bridal businesses in okinawa see hong kong as a major market and are investing in ways to attract more couples.

>> you can take really beautiful photos of you with your wedding dress fluttering in the wind. >> translator: okinawa is the closest place to hong kong with an atmosphere like a beach resort. it's just two or three hours away. couples can have a chapel wedding near blue waters, and under clear blue skies. we hope to bring more couples from all across asia to okinawa. >> reporter: the wedding industry will continue to promote okinawa as the perfect place for couples from overseas to tie the knot. nhk world. okinawa. and time now to take a brief look at our global economic calendar for the week. on tuesday, the u.s. will

announce gdp totals. preliminary numbers show the economy is on a steady recovery track. on thursday, yoe apec nations will be meeting in vienna. japan's consumer price index for october is due out on friday. september showed a 3% gain, but the pace was slightly slower than the previous month. on the same day, euro zone countries will release their consumer price indeces for october. also on friday, india will release gdp data for july to september. the economy grew by 5.7% in the previous quarter from a year earlier. the highest pace in two years. that's the latest in business. markets.ve you with a che o

police in hong kong say employees from bus and taxi firm also join the effort to clear blockades across city. they say drovers and other staff will start removing barricades put up by pro-democracy students two months ago. representatives from the firms sought a court injunction against the use of the barriers. authorities granted their request. they issued an order banning people from occupying roads in the kowloon district. officers started removing barriers last week near government buildings in the

admiralty district. they clashed with demonstrators in the area. the protesters say they're not going anywhere. they're demanding open nominations in the next election for the city's chief executive in 2017. officials in north korea are seeking to play a bigger role. they're asking for more exports to be sent through their economic zones. an envoy from kim jong-un met with the governor in eastern russia. he is secretary of the north korean worker's party. he said officials in pyongyang want to strengthen bilateral ties. he said they are developing in the russian east under the policies of putin. they have already exported natural resources through a special economic zone in north korea. they are supposed to send a

special shipment of coal. they are seeking closer ties with russia as a way of gaining foreign currency amid souring relations with china. officials at japan's defense ministry have chosen u.s.-made aircraft to be the first large-scale drones. they want to better monitor the activities of neighboring countries. the drone has a wingspan of about 40 meters. it can monitor the ground in an altitude of 22,000 meters with an advanced infrared sensor. the drone also has a mechanism to avoid collisions with other aircraft. defense officials planned to start introducing the global hawk in fiscal 2019. a request funds the drone. they consider deploying the aircraft at the misawa base. the ministry has also four u.s.g

aircraft. it has a wider range than the earlier model e 2 c. they are currently operating 17 of the older aircraft. a court no the philippines has handed out hefty penalties to those poaching sea creatures. they were fined about $1,000 each for taking in endangered turtl turtles. the court ordered the fishermen to pay the fine or spend a year in jail. they captured the animals near the spratly islands. chinese government officials say the philippines has no jurisdiction notice area. they're demanding the fishermen be set free. a bookstore owner in japan has found a way to compete with

e-books and online shopping. he's offering a personal touch with reading selections. and his fresh chapter is helping revive his business. >> reporter: sun gau what is a small city of about 8,000 in hokkaido, japan's northern-most prefecture. this bookstore has been in business for over 50 years. next to the checkout, packages of books are stacked up, ready to be shipped. each contains about 10 volumes. this man has run the shop sense taking over from his father. most of the other bookstores in the area have shut down. but he has customers across the country, thanks to a special service he offers. it's a program he calls 10 thousand yen worth of bocks. he picks out books worth 10,000 yen, about $85. each customer gets a different selection, tailored to their

individual needs. the idea came to him about 10 years ago. he was at a party and happened to tell some old friends that his store was in financial difficulties. >> translator: some of my former schoolmates each gave knee a 10,000 yen note and asked me to recommend a few books they thought i might enjoy. >> reporter: that inspired him to pick out books for each reede reader rather than current best sellers. customers fill out a questionnaire about their personal life. he daus on these details to select books he feels are important to their life experiences. >> translator: it's not me giving the readers viadvice. it's the authors. i speak to readers' concerns and give them help. >> reporter: recently, there's been a big change in the

information shared on the questionnaires. customers are writing about deeper problems they don't even tell their friends. more people are writing frankly about family issues or subjects like bullying. this man ordered 10,000 yen worth of books last summer. a few months earlier, his wife had died of cancer shortly before their 30th wedding anniversary. still, deep in mourning he came across this book service. in the questionnaire, he wrote about his grief. >> translator: i was desperately searching for answers. i just wanted to be able to see things from a different perspective. i felt sure this store would send some books to help heal my heart. >> reporter: among the books that he was sent was a volume of

poetry, called "from one hand to another", about the preciousness of connections between people. he was moved by one passage in particular. >> translator: even the most loving parents can't leave this world together with their children. one by one, we must all go ahead. >> reporter: he says reading this made him see his wife's death in a different light. he realized their children were proof of her existence, and he has opened up to them more. >> translator: this book made me see that we all die eventually, i should do my utmost to pass on to my children all that i can. >> translator: rather than giving my own advice, i recommend books as though i'm introducing a doctor to a patient. books are more powerful than people think. >> reporter: there are now some 200 people across the country on the waiting list for his 10,000 yens worth of books.

and the orders continue to flow in. it's time now for a check of the weather. people in nagano prefecture are cleaning up after being hit by an earthquake. officials are meanwhile mourning residents of possible landslides. >> a big earthquake hit around the weekend, now we're worried about the heavy rainfall that will be pulling in, you can see from this satellite images. clouds over much of japan. we're likely to get more rainfall which will lead to landslides. this is the system already affecting kyushu and 50 millimeter in an hour was already found across one prefecture. so in and around here about 15 millimeters of rainfall.

it's certainly enough to cause landslides. so secondary disasters weill bea high threat. the rein will be covering much of central japan but clearing out around kyushu. and the korean peninsula, things are clearing out here. we're likely to see rain continue across shanghai. chilly rain here, just 12 for the high in tokyo. you might want to wait until the weekend to enjoy this beautiful foliage where our meteorologist robert speta found these beautiful, vibrant colors. i'm sure it will be staying until this weekend to enjoy. moving on to europe, we have a few low pressure systems affecting this continent. this one is really bringing severe flooding across morocco. at least 32 people have died from this flooding. the good news is it will be dissipating for our wednesday. but another system could provide rainfall for thursday for similar locations.

ongoing situation with severe flooding across france yet again will be in this area. the snowfall will be across the scandinavian peninsula up to about 15 centimeters. and the high pressure system dominates much of the eastern regions, quite chilly. moscow at minus 2. here and around buffalo we have flood warning with the melting snow and above-average temperatures and the rain. the western areas will see more snow, about 15 centimeters, and this massive low pressure system is bringing windy conditions as well. and the cold front sagging all the way into the deep south. this will be traveling into the mid atlantic and new england states, and this is going to provide some severe weather. snow will be traveling into the big cities. i know a lot of you will be traveling across the area, so traveling will be very hazardous there when you factor in the

rai rain. as for the weather across the bigger picture, winnipeg seeing 11 degrees, but if you think that's chilly, some people enjoyed sporting events out in antarctica. the 10th annual antarctic marathon was held this weekend. the average 2004 at the start was minus 15 degrees. despite the harsh temperatures they said the scenery was amazing. here's your extended forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.

euromaxx highlights. here is your host. >> hello, and a warm welcome to the show. before we kick things off we want to give you a little taste of what is in store over the next 30 minutes -- make-up artist maria malone guerbaa and her famous faces. a patron of the arts builds a spectacular building for top collections. featuring a german singer who can hold two different notes at the same time. is it an iceberg, is it a ship or is it a cloud? whatever you liken the newest art museum in paris to be, it is the topic of conversation amongst architects right now. this week the 11 art galleries inside opened to the public and we weren't the only ones who turned up to see it finally finished.