. . glad to have you with us on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. the u.n. nuclear watchdog wants iran to confirm whether it has built an extension to a military facility outside tehran. the country is suspected of having conducted tests at the site to develop nuclear weapons. officials with the international atomic energy agency distributed a report on iran's nuclear development to member states. it was the first update since iran and six world powers reached a final agreement last month to limit tehran's nuclear program in return for lifting economic sanctions. the u.n. agency says iran is broadly complying with the agreement. for example, it's providing information on allegations of

past work on nuclear weapons by the agreed deadline. but the iaea officials says satellite imagery has revealed that an extension has been made to the parchin military site. they say such activity could undermine its ability to verify whether tests have been conducted there. western countries had urged iran to allow iaea inspectors to enter the facility, but the final agreement did not refer to inspections due to opposition from tehran. the u.s. and south korean militaries have wrapped up a 12-day exercise. the annual drill is aimed at preparing for emergencies on the korean peninsula. 30,000 american and 50,000 south korean personnel checked chain of command and other operations. it included a large-scale fire drill in the city of pochon for the first time in three years. tanks and fighter jets fired at a target representing a north korean underground military facility. the exercise came as tensions

between the two koreas flared up. the north's military shot artillery rounds towards south korean frontline troops, and it temporarily declared a quasi-state of war at its frontline areas. >> this exercise is just showing our capabilities in case of any provocative actions from the north. >> analysts say leaders in pyongyang may launch a long-range ballistic missile in october to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling workers party of korea. people from around the world are meeting in tokyo to discuss the challenges facing women. the japanese government has put high priority on empowering women and giving them greater access to job opportunities. officials believe this is essential to ensure the country's continued growth. nhk world's mitsuko nishikawa has more. >> reporter: this is the second time the government has hosted

the world assembly for women. about 150 leading figures from many countries have gathered here to attend the two-day forum. prime minister shinzo abe told participants japan needs to learn from some other countries. >> translator: northern european countries put weight on women's advancement. they have successfully achieved both economic growth and a higher birth rate. i hope japan will follow suit. but the largest hurdle is the traditional work culture that often justifies long working hours, mainly by men. >> reporter: there's a reason why the japanese government is focusing on women's issues. japan is getting older, and its working population keeps on declining. the country lags far behind other developed countries in the advancement of women.

switzerland-based foundation, the world economic forum, has ranked japan 104th out of 142 countries in addressing its gender gap. it's the lowest among major developed countries. the rank reflects the large wage gap between genders and the country's tiny number of female executives. to try to bring a turnaround, the diet passed a law on friday promoting the role of women. it requires state and local governments and larger companies to draw up numerical targets on the ratio of women in managerial positions and on the percentage of female recruits. employers are required to make the figures public. officials think the conference, which started on the day the law passed, will provide a platform for change within the country and around the world.

the first democratically elected female president in africa, ellen johnson-sirleaf of liberia, said improvements have to be made, both in her own country, and in japan. >> women have made significant progress in all areas and levels of society. however, it is equally clear that we are not there yet. in sub-sahara africa, women account for only 22% of seats in national parliaments. both japan and liberia have much catching up to do at 9% and 10% respectively. >> reporter: participants will discuss issues ranging from work/life balance management to women and peace building. the organizers plan to issue a final report to improve the

advancement of women. international discussions of this kind are always important to find ways to get rid of social stigma. but the real test is how effectively and quickly people can implement the results of the discussions. the organizer, japan, faces a crucial period if it's to show tangible results that lead to greater empowerment of women. mitsuko nishikawa, nhk world, tokyo. an african fighting for refugee status in japan is closer to success thanks to a court. he won a ruling that says the government must approve his application. the man fled the democratic republic of the congo. he'd suffered government oppression because he had protested election fraud. he arrived in japan seven years ago and asked the justice ministry for refugee status.

he got turned down, so he filed a lawsuit. the tokyo district court ruled in the man's favor. the presiding judge said congolese authorities had issued appearance orders and search warrants against him. he also said members of the political party the man belonged to had been tortured. japanese lawyers say no court in the country had previously ordered the government to recognize someone as a refugee. officials at the justice ministry say they'll study the ruling and decide how to respond. students from across the globe have been sharing their views on ways to build peace. they took the floor on the last day of a u.n. disarmament conference in the japanese city of hiroshima. government officials and experts from 23 countries had been meeting since wednesday. they discussed efforts made toward nuclear disarmament since the nonproliferation treaty review conference in may. they also spoke about the inhumane effects of nuclear weapons. students from high schools and

universities around the world explained what they think is necessary for peace. a group of germans and canadians studying in hiroshima said they think the key is tolerance. they said young people should experience different cultures so they can build healthy relationships. hiroshima has hosted the conference almost every year since 1989. mayor kazumi matsui highlighted this year's achievements. he said participants had sent a strong message about ridding the world of nuclear weapons. japanese cabinet ministers have set a new cap on the price to build a national stadium for the 2020 tokyo games. they've scrapped the original plan amid criticism for the skyrocketing price tag. they say they'll now cut costs by 40%. >> translator: we've limited the function of the new stadium to what is needed for the competitions. we considered what's best for

the athletes and what would suit a main stadium for the 2020 olympics and paralympics. >> cabinet ministers endorsed a new cap that limits construction costs to about $1.3 billion. the new stadium will have about 68,000 seats for the games. they can be increased to 80,000 if necessary for a world cup soccer match. the stadium's roof will now only cover the upper seats and a subtrack for warm-ups will be walking distance from the stadium. the stadium is set for completion by the end of april 2020. but the international olympic committee requested it be finished by january of that year. so the government will seek proposals from designers and construction firms to try to meet that date. and the organizers of the tokyo olympics have again defended their logo against the claim of plagiarism. they explained how the design differs from a theater emblem in

belgium. members of the tokyo organizing committee described how japanese art director kinjiro sono had created their logo. they said the red circle was originally in a different position at the bottom right. they said the letter t was originally easier to recognize. they said sona modified his design twice because checks of international trademarks revealed similarities. belgian graphic designer olivier dubei filed a lawsuit in belgium earlier this month. he said the logo is extremely similar to a theater logo he created two years ago. he's demanding the international olympic committee stop using sono's design. >> translator: the original design shows that the creation process makes it quite different from the belgian theater logo. >> the tokyo organizers say they regret the lawsuit was filed. they say they hope people now appreciate the thinking behind their logo.

people cleaning up the fallout from the fukushima nuclear accident have begun a new phase of their work. they started full-scale decontamination in a town that received the highest levels of radioactivity. about 30 workers gathered at an elementary school in okuma. they've removed topsoil from the playground. the government said the area will be off-limits for a long time. the environment ministry launched full-scale decontamination at the request of local authorities. >> translator: the local authorities have designated this district as a hub for reconstruction. so we're going to carry out a full-scale cleanup to help them. >> ministry officials plan to finish decontaminating about 95 hectares by next march. japan's ruling liberal democratic party has scheduled its presidential election for september 20th. prime minister shinzo abe is

almost certain to be re-elected. abe's term as the party president expires at the end of september. the party's election committee has set the official start date of the campaign on september 8th. if no other candidate steps forward at that time, abe will win by default. he's expressed his readiness to stay on in the post. all ldp factions support his re-election. officials in indonesia have held a groundbreaking ceremony on friday for the country's largest power plant. the nation has been suffering from severe power shortages. dhra dhirakaosal from our bureau in bangkok is following the story. >> the construction project has been delayed due to stalled talks with local residents over

land acquisition. indonesian president joko widodo stressed that the ceremony is proof that his government has started to address its infrastructure failings. nhk world's yusuke ota has more. >> reporter: the construction of the 2,000 megawatt coal-fired power plant is set to start in batang, central java. when completed, it will be able to provide electricity for 2 million households. >> translator: i hope this power plant will be a model for other projects involving foreign investment. >> reporter: a joint venture set up by japan's itochu and j power and indonesia's energy company will operate and build the plant. but the project has faced opposition from local farmers

who refuse to relocate. in indonesia, major development projects were pushed through, particularly by the government of the old party president. but now that the country's more democratized, authorities have no choice but to win the consent of local residents. government officials say private groundbreaking ceremony came about after negotiations with locals reached a point where compromise is likely. >> translator: the indonesian government showed it can tackle problems on its own. foreign investors will not be so anxious. >> reporter: indonesia, asean's largest economy and most populous country, is undergoing rapid modernization and industrialization. the government states indonesia needs to build power plants with a total output of 35,000 megawatts over the next five

years to resolve the pressing problem of worsening power shortage. meanwhile, foreign investors have been demanding that the indonesian government take measures to improve its investment environment. they are calling for the construction of more roads and power plants as well as official assistance for land acquisition for their businesses. japan has positioned infrastructure exports as part of its growth strategy. by bringing the batang project to the start gate, president joko widodo's administration now appears to be sending a positive message to japan and other overseas investors. yusuke ota, nhk world, batang, indonesia. indonesia's economy is developing, but not fast enough for millions of its poor. nearly half the population still

lives on less than $2 a day, and many people die from diseases due to lack of medical care. one young doctor is trying to tackle this problem, and his novel solution has had an unintended side effect. nhk world's fransiska renata reports. >> reporter: a tiny clinic in the city of malal. people show up to receive treatment and medicine. they pay for this service not in cash, but in garbage. >> translator: i'm just grateful to be able to receive medical treatment. it keeps me in good health. >> reporter: 25-year-old gamal albinsaid founded this clinic two years ago. >> translator: you need to keep your blood pressure from rising, so please be careful what you eat. >> reporter: he also came up with the clinic's unique health

care program. residents drop off a set quota of recyclable trash every month, 4 kilograms of cardboard, or 2.5 kilograms of plastic. in return, they receive a free medical examination up to twice a month. the clinic then sells the collected trash to junk dealers. it uses this money to care for the patients who collected the garbage. about 200 people are now using the system. gamal's idea was inspired by a news story. he heard about a sick 3-year-old girl who died because her family was too poor to take her to hospital. >> translator: this problem will

not be solved by just waiting for patients. i felt the need to change society so that all people can receive medical care. >> reporter: 53-year-old maimuna is one of gamal's regular patients. she lost four daughters to illness, including dysentery. she heard about gamal's clinic and decided to join the program to protect her surviving family members. maimuna used to dump her garbage on a river bank. but now, she actively collects and separates trash, looking for items to recycle. >> translator: i never thought garbage would help keep us healthy. i would have been able to save my daughters' lives had this clinic existed. i hope this program expands so

that many lives will be saved. >> reporter: gamal is due to open another clinic in september. his activities have spurred health authorities to start similar programs in other regions. the young doctor is winning international recognition. in 2014, he was awarded the young sustainability entrepreneur prize by britain's prince charles, chosen from a field of over 500 candidates. >> translator: my dream is to enable more people to receive medical care, not only in indonesia. i am determined to work hard for this. >> reporter: health care for the poor and a cleaner environment, gamal is determined to prove that innovative thinking can tackle some of the major

problems plaguing developing nations. fransiska renatta, nhk world, indonesia. and that wraps up our bulletin. i'm dhra dhirakaosal in bangkok. chinese leaders say they'll beef up the country's safety measures in response to the massive chemical explosions in tianjin two weeks ago. the midnight blast shocked the entire nation. at least 145 have been confirmed dead and 28 are missing. investigators say the chemicals were stored at the warehouses illegally. but they're still struggling to determine what led to the explosions. nhk world's takafumi terui went to see how residents and authorities are dealing with the situation. >> reporter: earlier this week we visited the port city of

tianjin to check on the situation two weeks after the incident. this modern five-story building is close to the blast site. there was no sign of anyone either using it or doing any repair work. other buildings still bore evidence of extensive damage. the explosions occurred at the port. city government officials say the complex was storing about 2,500 tons of toxic chemicals. among the roughly 40 substances kept there were sodium cyanide and ammonium nitrate, which is used in making bombs. the blasts were so severe that they damaged buildings several kilometers away. authorities have cordoned off

the area. here we were within two kilometers of the site. unauthorized entry is strictly prohibited. trucks could be seen carrying damaged containers out of the restricted area, one after another. we spent about 15 minutes filming around the area. as we drove away, firefighters sprayed our car with water. the same thing happened to every car in this area, probably to prevent contamination by toxic substances from spreading. residential buildings also suffered damage in the explosion. people are returning from the places where they took shelter to pick up their belongings. some of them have found new accommodations because they don't want to continue living here. >> translator: we can't live here. we're moving out.

>> translator: the government compensation isn't enough. it doesn't even cover half our rent. >> reporter: fear of contamination is also affecting commercial activities. this fish market is about seven kilometers from the site. before the explosion, the place used to be crowded with customers. but now it's deserted. >> translator: sales have dropped 75%. people are spreading rumors that the seafood might be contaminated, which isn't true. >> reporter: the city center is about 40 kilometers from where the explosions occurred. here, people seem to be going about their daily lives as usual. >> translator: i live in the city, so i'm not affected. >> reporter: but some people are worried that the chemicals might already have spread out over a wide area. >> translator: i felt like the

rain was burning my skin. >> reporter: anxiety is particularly strong among mothers, like this woman who is expecting a baby next month. >> translator: there's scary rumors on the internet. it's hard to tell what's true. the government hasn't given us a clear explanation. >> reporter: the explosions violently shook the city of tianjin out of its sleep. two weeks later, the shock waves continued to reverberate, affecting the daily lives of the city's residents and business community, as well as the credibility of the local and national authorities. takafumi terui, nhk world, tianjin. there's more to come here on "newsline." but first, the three-day outlook on the world's weather.

japanese people have a reputation for longevity. a new study reveals that not only do they live long, they also enjoy the longest periods of health. researchers from the university of washington and other institutions have been studying what's called healthy life expectancy. the results have been published on the online edition of the british journal "the lancet." the term "healthy life expectancy" refers to the average period a person can live without nursing or sickness that hampers their daily lives. the study compared people from 188 countries and territories. japan ranks first in both the male and female categories. the figure for japanese men is

just over 71 years, and for women slightly over 75.5 years. both increased by more than three years from their levels in 1990. among men, singapore ranks second followed by the southwestern european nation of andora. among women, andora ranks second and singapore was third. the world health organization promotes healthy life expectancy as a benchmark for public health. they say one reason people are living longer in good health is the progress that's been made in dealing with infectious diseases. and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. and from all of us at nhk world, thanks for watching, and have a good day wherever you are. x

>> hello and welcome to "global 3000." at what point does development aid begin to do more harm than good? join us as we tackle this topic and much more. here's a look at what's coming up on today's program. poverty as business -- a critical look at kenya's aid industry. thirsty neighbors -- honduras and el salvador share the same shrinking river. and off the streets and into the kitchen -- a fresh start for homeless children in cambodia. international aid is