welcome to nhk world "newsline." protesters in thailand are ramping up the pressure on the government as they push to put upcoming elections on hold. they're trying to shut down the capital bangkok. the demonstrators have taken over seven intersections. they're demanding the immediate resignation of prime minister yingluck shinawatra and they want the government to postpone a vote set for february 2nd. ongoing demonstrations last year forced yingluck to dissolve

parliament. the protesters say her brother has too much influence. thaksin shinawatra also served as prime minister until he was overthrown in 2006. >> translator: we will keep fighting until we win. demonstrators have set up a stage in an intersection in front of a shopping center. thousands of them are sitting in the area to block traffic. the government has deployed about 20,000 security officers. the unrest in thailand has left eight people dead, and more than 480 others injured since november. the protests are having an impact on tourism. authorities at bangkok suvarnabhumi airport are calling on travelers to arrive four hours before their flights. passengers crowded the departure lobby from early monday. >> translator: i arrived here at the airport for my flight extra early. i didn't get enough sleep, so i really need some rest.

>> officials say there have been no major problems so far. but some airlines have cut the number of flights in and out of the thai capital. human rights activists say fierce fighting between rival anti-government groups in syria has left almost 700 people dead this month. forces loyal to president bashar al assad are trying to take advantage of the divisions among the opposition. members of the major opposition force have been battling against al qaeda affiliated fighters in the northern city of aleppo and elsewhere. a british human rights group says 697 people have died in gun fights and suicide attacks by islamist extremists. it says 100 civilians are among the victims. government forces have been exploiting the divisions by increasing airstrikes on opposition strongholds in the outskirts of aleppo.

representatives of the government and opposition are under pressure to attend an international peace conference next week in switzerland. ministers from 11 countries met the leader of the opposition syrian national coalition on sunday in paris. they urged him to send snc delegates to the conference. >> translator: there will be no political solution for syria unless the government and opposition groups meet. >> jarvis says president assad has no future in syria, but he did not say whether his group is willing to attend the peace talks. some snc members have made assad's removal a precondition for their participation. the group is expected to make a final decision at a meeting on friday. iran has announced that the initial agreement on the country's nuclear program will

take effect on january 20th. the deal includes the scaling back of tehran's nuclear development. in return some international economic sanctions will be eased. the iranian foreign ministry made the deal public on sunday. deputy foreign minister abbas aranxi told local reporters that his country will soon start negotiations aimed at achieving a final settlement. iran had initially agreed with six world powers in november on this first step to be taken on tehran's nuclear program. officials and experts on both sides have since been discussing the specifics of the deal. the first phase requires iran to limit its nuclear development under the watch of the international atomic energy agency for six months through late july. productions of weapons grade 20% unriched uranium will be stopped. in return the six powers will reduce sanctions on iran for half a year, including the country's auto industry. a more open iranian economy

could allow international businesses to tap in to iran's large market, and its rich natural resources. u.s. president barack obama has welcomed the agreement. he describes it as concrete progress at the start of the initial nuclear deal. obama also noted that if tehran does not fully meet its commitments, the six countries will stop easing of -- stop the easing of sanctions and ratchet up the pressure. there's been another deadly terrorist attack in the afghan capital. a suicide bomber has killed two people and injured 21 others. the taliban has claimed responsibility. kabul police say someone on a bicycle approached a police training center bus, and set off an explosive in the eastern part of the city on sunday afternoon. a police officer and a civilian official were killed. the injured included three children and other civilians who were close by. the bus was severely damaged. the taliban later admitted that it targeted the police bus. the statement said the group had

kept under observation. a series of recent attacks by the taliban across afghanistan is raising concern about security for the upcoming presidential election to choose a successor to hamid karzai. campaigning will start next month. the voting is scheduled for early april. the world cup kicks off in brazil in less than six months. rocker fans from across that country and around the world will flock to gather for the one-month tournament. many brazilians are thrilled to host the event. but, they're already bracing for the down sides. they've seen the cost of airline tickets soar. only higher priced seats are available on most routes connecting to match venues. for example the cost of a ticket between rio de janeiro and sao paulo is about $500 u.s. dollars. that's roughly eight times the cheapest fare. world cup fans are also finding it difficult to reserve combinations. nhk world has the story.

>> reporter: booking a hotel room for the world cup in brazil has become so difficult, it's big news. the media pointed out almost daily, rooms are in short supply. rates are surging. >> translator: the process of hotel accommodations are continuing to increase in all of the 12 cities that will be hosting world cup games. here in porto allegre some local hotels have raised their fees to more than four times higher than current prices. >> reporter: the brazilian government has strengthened its surveillance on price hikes. but it hasn't been so effective. this chain has hotels throughout the country.

the reservation requests in december for the match locations. the hotel rooms is fully booked for the day of the opening game. the situation is just as bad in other cities. people have been snapping up lower priced rooms on game days. leaving only expensive suites available. >> translator: we set the fees in line with those in other countries that have hosted the world cup. >> reporter: in fact, at this japanese affiliated tourist agents receive many inquiries from japan about accommodations and flights. but they have difficulty getting

confirmation from hotels and airlines. >> translator: anyone who is interested in coming for the world cup should act soon. soccer fans from all over the world are planning to come here. >> reporter: and even the most modest of accommodations are trying to turn a profit. this hotel in central sao paulo is geared toward soccer fans. pictures of players hang on the wall. six to eight people can sleep in each room. the hostel is usually crowded and usually costs around $17 a night. >> we're on a budget, so like the price is really good and the location was better than most hotels. so -- >> reporter: but during the world cup, guests will pay about

$40. even then, it's reasonable compared to other hotels. >> crazy about football and crazy about world cup so i just hope everything goes well for me in brazil. >> reporter: diehard soccer fans would go anywhere or do anything to see a world cup match. when it comes to finding a place to stay in brazil, they will have to be prepared to spend, or be creative. nhk world, sao paulo. every morning, investors turn their attention to asia. the tokyo market leads the way. and markets around the world follow. >> from the decisions that could change the course of an economy. >> to the latest business trends. >> up-to-the minute market reports. >> and analysis by specialists from around the world. >> get all the latest business news and insight every day, here on "newsline."

some people in china are trying to revive window panes made from seashells. they were once common in homes before the country modernized. the windows are now getting a second life with many who are turning back to their traditions. we have the story. >> reporter: scenic watertowns lie outside the city of shanghai. seashell windows have graced this inn for about three years. >> translator: they are traditional. not only that, they are valuable. >> reporter: glass hadn't been common until about a century ago. so, the wealthy people of the shanghai region used translucent window panes made of seashells.

they considered paper too sensitive to humidity. >> translator: i felt the wisdom of the people from olden times. >> reporter: this man sells seashell windows. he also manages a brick factory. while making bricks to restore old buildings, he started thinking there might be a demand for seashell windows. >> translator: one of the things i like about seashell windows is that they soften the light. another attractive feature is, they're strong. and, one more thing that pleases me, they're filled with ancient wisdom. >> reporter: xi came up with a way of making seashell windows

from scratch. relying on his childhood memories of watching window craftsmen, he replicated the traditional windows. the key skill is making a clear, translucent window pane. the right kind of seashell, and how to process them, are trade secrets. xi placed the plates in the chinese-style frame to complete the window. they cost about $130 per square meter, ten times the price of ordinary glass windows. but xi says the windows are becoming popular as people show more interest in preserving historical towns. since last year, xi has been making the windows in the watertown that is being restored. the project was launched to restore buildings of the ching

dynasty era. it will be used as an exhibition hall for tourists. every window has seashell panes. the total area is 58 square meters. >> translator: the government is becoming increasingly positive about cultural conservation. we intend to make every effort to preserve our traditional culture. >> translator: my dream is to replace all the windows of the buildings under restoration around the country with seashell windows. i also want to develop young artisans and pass on my skills. >> reporter: xi's windows adorn seven sides in shanghai and other cities. a small chinese staff appreciates their traditional culture. they see the old windows in a

new light. nhk world. a sizzling hot steak. but it melts at the touch of a spoon. a tasty piece of fish that's just as soft. these are foods developed for elderly people in nursing care. a large number of seniors in japan are unable to eat solid foods. they make up a growing market. the industry is worth more than $1 billion a year. many are now looking to create new, and better products, to try to cash in. >> reporter: for the past eight years, this pharmaceutical company has worked on creating nursing care foods. the company has developed

technologies that can soften food. but with little change in its appearance. two plates of stir fried shrink and chili sauce. one on the right is cooked in the usual way. the one on the left is nursing care food. to make it like that, the company is using cutting-edge enzyme technology. the same enzymes that people have in their digestive tracts. as the enzymes penetrate the food, they soften and break down the proteins and fibers. a lotus root slice treated with an enzyme dissolves in water in just 20 seconds. there's one problem with using enzymes. they tend to make the foods taste bitter or acidic. the company has tested over 200 different enzymes. some of the dishes took two

years before they came out right. >> translator: it's not enough just to make food soft. we want to make food that tastes good. it takes time. >> reporter: other companies have different approaches. this is a nursing care version of the traditional plate served at new year in japan. it looks as good as the real thing. besides making food soft, and also tasty, the appearance is also crucial. >> translator: wow, that's amazing. >> translator: it's a great job. >> reporter: the new year dishes were produced by a company in yamagata prefecture that specializes in making school lunches. the president. >> translator: that's the first thing people see. they take in what the food looks like. if they can see what kind of food it is, that will help give

them an appetite. >> reporter: usually, when people aren't strong enough to swallow normal food, they have their meals blended into a puree. but that can put people off their food. for the medical community, this is a major issue. how to get elderly people to enjoy eating again. >> translator: people feel that eating a special food is a sign they've lost their trend. it's important to provide them with meals that other people don't view as being special. >> reporter: it took saito five years of trials to develop a kind of nursing care food that looks just like real fish. >> translator: he starts by first mashing the fish, then forming the paste into filet chips. to make sure the fish look right, the molds had to be exactly the right shape. he got them made by a company

that creates mannequins, using real slices of fish for the molds. the individual scales have been carefully reproduced. to give the fish exactly the right color, this machine is used. it's a printer designed especially for food, using food coloring to reproduce the pattern of the scales. >> reporter: for elderly people, eating is one of the great joys. i came up with these foods because i want people to be able to experience this pleasure right up until the end of their lives. >> reporter: as japan's population ages, the market for nursing care food will continue to grow. and so will these edible innovations. people across japan are shivering their way through the end of the holiday weekend. a high pressure system is pushing cold air toward the country, slamming it into an

area of low pressure. that's brought frigid conditions, and heavy snowfall. temperatures dropped below zero degrees celsius from northern to western japan. it was around minus 30 in some places on the northern island of hokkaido. temperatures across the country remain lower than average by up to four degrees during the day. around 60 centimeters of snow fell during a 24-hour period on the sea of japan coast. municipal officials launched an annual event to encourage residents to come together to remove snow. about 100 adults and children gathered to clear school routes. >> translator: i attended this event hoping students will go to school safely. >> about 40 centimeters more snow is expected to fall by tuesday in northern and central regions facing the sea of japan.

and our meteorologist robert speta has more on the situation. robert, what's the latest? >> you're right, there. we are expecting some more snow on top of what's already happening out here. the main reason is that sea effect snow machine cranking up yet again. high pressure farther off towards the west has been bringing in those northwesterly winds. believe it or not, one report in niigata, about 65 centimeters in the past 24 hours. you're still going to be seeing 20 to 40 centimeters along the sea of japan coastline. but it's not just that. we're talking about blowing snow. 90 kilometers for winds for a lot of you near the immediate coast. that blowing, that snow reducing visibility and making for some frigid windchills out here. now, most of this is on the sea of japan coastline and it's actually expected to taper off going through the day here on tuesday. along the pacific coast, believe it or not, been very dry here on monday. expect some frost through the overnight hours there into tokyo but things will be changing by wednesday. you see that area there in the blue down towards the southwest.

well this is actually a newly developing low pressure system, and this very well could bring some precipitation into tokyo by wednesday afternoon and evening. could be some of the white stuff mixed in there. so you want to keep an eye on this, nothing too heavy, nothing accumulating but it is going to be pushing through. high pressure towards the north, northeastern portions of china, that's staying cold but very dry out there. going through the next several days. should see a gradual warming trend, though. now farther towards the south, low pressure area there in southern portions of the philippines. this was a tropical depression over the weekend. it since has weakened out here but it still is bringing some torrential amounts of rain. one report about 185 millimeters here in the past 24 hours. that's just one location. numerous locations have seen some flooding here along eastern and northern portions of mindanao. also looking at landslides. there has been at least 13 reports of deaths out here due to this storm. not a named storm system, but it really is continuing to bring the foul weather. in the next 72 hours you can see

additional 200 to 300 millimeters in some locations. very well could see some more rain. should be tapering off thankfully later on in the week. as far as your temperatures, though, 30s, shanghai at 7. seoul just in the freezing mark with zero. and 7 in tokyo for the high. we'll be getting down near the freezing mark through the overnight hours, though. take a look over towards the americas and see what's going on here. we have one low pressure area moving acrossed northern rockies. that's bringing some snowfall and some gusty winds out here for you. some areas could see about 100 kilometers per hour. really is going to be blowing so the blowing snow, the big problem here, as well. less populated but the more severe storm is here in the northern rockies. more populated, less severe, is the one that's developing in the southeast. now this is going to bring some rain showers, also the risk of some severe thunderstorms even developing out of it. more so the temperatures will be warming up. you get rain on top of the snow pack, especially in the northeast, and we're talking about the risk of flooding. and that continues to push

through. eventually off toward the east. take a look at your temperatures for some of you. houston at 22. atlanta at 13. remember about a week ago today, new york and washington, d.c., we were talking about highs around minus 20 to minus 30. today, 13 there on your monday. and 11 in new york. so a big change, and a big change for the better for a lot of you. let's see what's going on in europe, and really started off western europe, very messy out here. we have one low after another while remains mild here in the east. see what's going on with this system. we have one low moving through the mediterranean. some 80 kilometer per hour winds near the coastline could be expected out of this one. plus in the higher elevations in the alpines you could see some heavy snowfall. also on and off showers there throughout the british isles as this cold front is bringing some snowfall there into the low country. and that low is really just going to be making for a messy situation. meanwhile, like i said, in the east, milder, staying chilly just at the freezing mark in warsaw and kiev. that's a look at your world weather.

here's the extended forecast.

japan is celebrating its new crop of adult citizens. people who turned 20 over the past year are taking part in coming of age day ceremonies. ♪ the municipal of urayasu is home to tokyo disneyland. every year it invites new adults to the theme park. they're treated to a special show. japan's internal affairs ministry estimates that 1.21 million citizens turned 20 last year. people are invited to municipalities to celebrate coming of age day on the second monday of each january.

a group of 20-year-olds in osaka celebrated by climbing to the top of japan's tallest building. the new 60 story structure is 300 meters tall. about 100 participants climbed all 1,637 steps in about one hour with the support of cheerleaders. >> translator: i liked it but i'm fine. i want to be a strong woman who is able to laugh all the time. >> that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, have a great day. a7guc

>> welcome back to "france 24." here are the headlines. johnsecretary of state kerry continues his diplomatic drive in paris, trying to shore up support ahead of the peace talks on syria later this month. thousands protest in bangkok, the latest move in their push to oust the prime minister. hollywood awards season gets into full swing with the golden globes. let's get the inside scoop on the big winners and losers.