here in japan it's 7:00 p.m. on a monday. i'm james tengan in tokyo. welcome to "newsline." here are some of the stories we're following this hour. eurozone leaders have wrapped up their marathon negotiations with an agreement on greece. the president of video gamemaker nintendo has died from illness. sat toro iwata led the development of many of the company's hit products. and women are going ape over

a resident at a japanese zoo. they can't get over how handsome he is. eurozone leaders have reached an agreement to keep greece from going bankrupt. european council president donald tusk says sheaf agreed to begin new bailout talks. >> leaders have agreed in principle that they are ready to start negotiations on be aan esn program, which in other words means continued support for greece. >> leaders have been trying to keep greece's economy from crumbling. negotiations stretched for over 16 hours. they're urging greek lawmakers to legalize reform plans by wednesday. greece needs to pay back massive loans in july and august. eurozone finance ministers say they'll discuss emergency aid. if greek officials are able to reach a new deal a deal in the new round of talks, they'll receive funds from the european stability mechanism, or esn.

japan's top government spokesperson says he welcomes the deal. >> translator: stability in the eurozone is important for stability for the world economy. so there is no doubt this agreement will be positive for the japanese economy. >> he added that he hoped the agreement would be steadily implemented to stabilize a region vital for global growth. the situation in greece has had a strong impact on investor behavior. ramin mellegard joins us from our business desk. how are the markets reacting? >> so far pretty positive stuff. investors are really taking heart from the news that an agreement has finally been reached. th're turning bullish in european markets and currency traders picked up the euro on hopes there will be further developments concerning greece. the euro popped higher against other major currencies, against the yen the common currency rose

to the upper 137-yen range, a two-week high, currently at 136.67. the euro touched a two-week high against the dollar before retreating a touch. it's now fetching 1.1077. the greek deal is also cheering up stock reversers in europe in early trading on monday. london's ftse is currently up .75%. frank furt up 1.37%. paris is up 2%. positive stuff there. some investors expect there could be more twists and turns in upcoming negotiations and that's making them a touch nervous. in tokyo investors were encouraged by higher stock prices in shanghai. the nikkei average gained 1.57%. it closed at 20,089 recovering the key 20,000 level for the first time in four days. the shanghai composite continues its upward momentum. it added 2.4% finishing at 3,970. it hit the 4,000 mark at one

point for the first time since july 2nd. better than expected export figures for june helped lift the benchmark. most other market in the asia-pacific region are higher following gains in shanghai. hong kong closed up 1.3%. tokyo police say a bank and a major security firm have come under cyber attack. they're investigating whether other financial institutions have also been hit. distributed denial of service attacks can crash websites by flooding them with massive amounts of data. last month, sanai online banking services was diskupted for two hours by such an attack. sources say e-mails demanded money in bit coins to end the attack. bank officials say they've reported the incident to police and stepped up counter measures. the affected brokerage is also consulting police about a similar attack. china's foreign trade data in june showing a bit of a mixed

picture. while exports grew from a year ago, domestic demand in the world's second-largest economy remains weak. customs authorities said the value of june exports was more than $190 billion, up 2.8% from a year earlier. and the first rise in four months. the increase was driven by greater shipments of goods like shoes and toys mainly to the u.s. and australia. but exports to the eu and japan are still falling. chinese imports fell by more than 6% to about $145 billion, dropping eight months in a row. they blamed the fall in imports on sluggish domestic demand for machinery and personal computers. leading japanese video gamemaker nintendo says its president has died after an illness. satoro ewata was 55. ewata joined the kyoto-based company in 2000. he was named president two years later at age 42.

the maker developed the nintendo ds and wii game console under his leadership. the devices became worldwide hits. eiwata spent his final years trying to revive the company's finances. nintendo posted operating losses for three straight years through fiscal 2013 amid the growing popularity of smartphone games. but iwata stepped back into the spotlight in march this year. he announced plans for a tie-up with japanese i.t. firm dna to develop games for smartphone users. nintendo said he died on saturday due to a growth in his bile duct. business leaders from around asia gathered in tokyo to discuss regional economic ties. representatives from ten countries and one territory took part. officials of business associations at the summit have their eye on the future following the conclusion of free trade deals. these include ongoing negotiations for a transpacific partnership and a separate free trade agreement encompassing

japan, china, and south korea. the chairman of the japan business federation said asian businesses need to collaborate across borders to strengthen regional growth. the participants discussed how they should proceed with infrastructure development in asia. now change is coming to japan's board rooms. company bosses are promiseing to improve corporate governance and profits aren't the only motive. a new code of conduct is in effect and it comes from the very top. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe wants to change the way his country does business. too many companies are poorly managed and unprofitable and that's holding down growth. one way to measure a company's profitable is r.o.e. or return on equity. the average for japanese company is stands at 6% or 7%.

that's less than half the figure for the u.s., 16%. in order to boost japan's earning power, the abe administration is urging corporate reform. a key plank of this reform program is a code of corporate governance. the code took effect in june. one key target is the boardroom. the code calls on companies to appoint at least two independent directors. this acts as a check against management abuse and gives investors a greater say in decision-making. the code also urges companies to disclose their policy on cross-share holdings to investors. japanese companies own large stakes in subsidiaries, clients and banks. this means managers don't have to worry about hostile takeovers or demanding investors. this practice ties up billions of dollars, and often for poor returns. abe hopes the governance code

will nudge companies to cut their cozy equity ties altogether. one company benefitting from stronger corporate governance is omron. a leading electronicsmakers. four years ago, omron's investor relations team started releasing financial goals and strategies that includes a mid-term target for r.o.e. set at more than 10%. it also ensured that a top management change in 2011 was fully explained in the annual report, including the reasons for choosing the new president. last year, omron held nearly 1,000 meetings with investors. that kind of communication is attracting more individual shareholders and using the company's share price. it more than doubled over the last two years. >> translator: communication with investors became very smooth.

investors started to understand what omron is thinking and what we're aiming that and that has widened our investor base. >> reporter: the abe administration is calling for shareholders to change their attitude as well. it's urging them to monitor business performance and engage with the companies they have invested in. misaki investment is one institutional investor listening. the group's analysts keep a close eye on the companies in their portfolio. if they spot issues, they come up with a business plan to improve it. they visit companies and present their plans. they call themselves working investors. >> translator: we work together because if the management improves, there's surely a return. we're not typical investors that only buy and sell stocks. we work together for the company's benefit.

>> reporter: one company that took advantage of misaki's oversight is a maker of baby and child care products. it has posted record profits for six straight years. japan's falling birthrate was a challenge for pigeon's business. misaki suggested that the company strengthen its overseas operation. the investor group also suggested managers work on improving r.o.e. today, 60% of pigeon's sales are made overseas. the china market is especially strong. the company's stock price has jumped more than seven times over the last five years. >> translator: japan's economy is mature. so it needs to improve competitiveness and productivity. we as an institutional investor hope to support companies by boosting earning power. >> reporter: a change is in the air.

company bosses and investors are starting to see the benefits of stronger corporate governance. but there's still a long way to go before this translates into a stronger economy. nahoka yamada, nhk world. >> and that's all for business news for this hour. i'll leave youith a check on the markets.

u.s. state department officials are calling on china to release a group of human rights lawyers detained last week. department spokesperson john kirby says chinese public security forces have systematically detained individuals who are trying to defend the rights of others. the group includes lawyers who have spoken out against official policies. in a statement issued on sunday, kirby urged chinese officials to respect the rights of all citizens. authorities in beijing have reportedly taken in or questioned dozens of human rights lawyers and legal staff in a nationwide crackdown that began last thursday.

prominent beijing-based lawyer wan yu is among those being held. sources say more than 100 people were taken into custody and questioned. it's believed around 20 are still being held. top diplomats from iran and six world powers are expected to decide on monday whether to strike a final deal on tehran's nuclear program. talks between wraun iran and the five permanent members of the u.n. security council plus germany are under way in vienna. russian foreign minister sergey lavrov returned to the city to work on the deal. >> translator: i hope we are at the last phase of these marathon negotiations. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry said that he's hopeful. the head of iran's atomic energy organization ali akbar salahi said technical discussions are almost over. but observers believe differences remain over issues that include whether to lift a u.n. arms embargo on iran. fighting in syria's civil

war is taking an increasing toll on the country's cultural assets. members of a group monitoring the war say an ancient fortress is the latest casualty. the citadel is in the city of aleppo. an explosion damaged parts of the walls. there are conflicting reports on who is responsible for the blast. the monitoring group says syrian government forces set off a bomb in a tunnel dug beneath the citadel by opposition fighters. but syria's state-run news agency blamed terrorists for the bombing. the citadel is located in aleppo's old cit o oy,nef several unesco world heritage sites in syria. the fortified structure is said to have withstood attacks by christian crusaders in the middle ages. experts warn that syria's cultural assets are under increasing threat as the civil war drags on. earlier this month islamic state militants

reportedly destroyed a historic statue in palmyra. the ruins there date back to ancient roman times. nobel peace price laureate malala yousafzai has taken another step to advocate for girls' rights to education. she opened a school in lebanon for syrian refugees. a ceremony was held in eastern lebanon. supporters of malala set up a fund and paid for the school. it is for girls aged 14 to 18. malala was attacked three years ago in pakistan by members of the taliban for defying threats about takening school. >> i remind our leaders we must invest in books instead of bullets.attending school. >> i remind our leaders we must invest in books instead of bullets. books, not bullets will pave the path towards peace and prosperity. >> the girls celebrated her 18th birthday with a school-shaped cake. malala said she chose lebanon because she believes the voices of syrian refugees need to be heard.

she called on world leaders to support the children of syria. japanese lawmakers are discussing proposed security legislation at a diet committee. they're hearing opinions from experts on bills that would expand the role of the self-defense forces and allow the country to exercise its right to collective self-defense. governing parties recommended ukile yakamoto. he says the cabinet legislation bureau has long been saying that all action other than directly defending the land of japan is unconstitutional. but he says now is the time to re-examine whether this is appropriate. >> translator: japan has been relying on other countries' good will ask sacrifices to protect the lives and assets of its people. it's now at a critical turning point. >> opposition parties

recommendedrecommend recommended professor ozawa. he says conditions for the use of force lack clearness and limitation. >> translator: the legislation violates article 9 of the constitution as it may lead to unlimited use of the right to collective self-defense. the bills include many constitutional problems and should be scrapped. >> article 9 renounces the use of force as a means of settling international disputes. the governing coalition wants to have the committee hold a vote on the bills as early as wednesday. but the opposition parties say they cannot accept a vote this week. officials in two prefectures are turning to technology to help better preserve one of japan's most iconic sites. they're examining trails to determine when and where congestion occurs on mt. fuji and they're studying everything from human waste management to climber safety. officials with the prefectures began handing out gps devices to

hikers at the starting points of four trails. they say the data collected will show the routes climbers took and how long they stayed at certain points. they say it will make it easier to determine when routes are congested and likely to become overcrowded. the study's being conducted at the request of a u.n. advisory panel that granted mt. fuji world heritage status two years ago. the organization called for proper management of the mountain in terms of safety and environmental protection. leaders in tokyo are required to submit a conservation plan to unesco by next february. about 300,000 climbers visit japan's highest peak during the summer months. he's tall dark, and handsome and he's winning the hearts of many here in japan. crowds of women are flocking to catch a glimpse of him. but the newest star is not a model or an actor. in fact, he lives in a zoo.

>> reporter: giraffes. and lions. these have long been the most popular animals at this zoo in central japan. but now all eyes are on the new star. >> translator: where's the gorilla? >> reporter: they've all come to see shebang, a low land gorilla. and recently he's risen to fame because of what his fans call his rugged good looks. >> translator: he's so handsome! >> translator: really hot. >> translator: he looks so powerful. i wish i had a boyfriend like him. >> reporter: shebang lives at a zoo in the city of nagoya. he is 18 years old and he's been

at the zoo for eight years. his popularity only started rising this spring after a visitor posted a photo of him online. the zookeepers were taken by surprise by the sudden surge of visitors. >> translator: we are very happy that people think he is handsome. but it's amazing to hear so many young women shrieking like that. >> reporter: many visitors are instantly captivated by shebanu when they see him. >> translator: his muscles are amazing. he's showing them off, too. >> translator: it's amazing to think that he's herbivore russ. >> translator: i guess women like muscular men. i need to start working out.

>> reporter: shebani is not the first animal japan has fallen in love with if not quite so passionately. tama the cat was appointed station master in the western part of the country after being credited with saving a railroad. and when she passed away last month, she was honored with a funeral. but sheban ini has two children whom he treated very gently. zookeepers say this is unusual behavior for adult gorilla males either at zoos or in the wild. this is having an impact on many of the men who come to watch shebanni. >> translator: i don't play very

much with my kid. seeing him play with his children made me feel a bit bad. >> translator: you should learn from him. >> translator: i will. >> reporter: but shebanni probably isn't giving the smoldering looks to the cameras. he is just keeping a close eye on the visitors and watching out for his troop. >> i can almost feel his testosterone, if that's even possible. it's time now for world weather. the storm system that was typhoon chanhom has dumped rain in many parts of east asia. sayaka mori has the detail details. >> chanhom caused flooding injuring 27 people and it also dumped 1,500 millimeters of rain in over jeju island in two days and floods occurred over eastern

parts of china. we have video. torrential rain caused severe floods, inundating homes and left villagers stranded. a landslide occurred on saturday in mimbo city. the road at the foot of the mountain became completely blocked. many homes power line and telecommunications facilities were damaged. the storm made landfall on saturday and then made the second landfall in north korea early this morning. it's now a tropical depression, so winds are dying down. however, an additional 60 millimeters of rain could fall over north korea. it could become a low pressure system move into northern portions of japan into the next couple of days. meanwhile chanhom is dragging moisture and warmth from the south so heavy rain is falling across the west and sunny skies and record high temperatures are occurring over many portions of eastern japan. take a look at these numbers. about 39 degrees in joetsu. this place is known for a ski

resort in winter. about 10 degrees higher than normal. now, hot conditions will continue for the next couple of days. but sharply drop to 20s as we go into thursday because nanka is approaching, a strong typhoon that is expected to intensify to a very strong typhoon and probably make land mall over western japan probably thursday or friday local time as a very strong typhoon. so heavy rain and strong winds are expected to occur. and this is a large typhoon. that means it could cause lots of damage across many portions of japan as well as the korean peninsula. now, let's go to india. flooding is taking place over northern portions of the country. take a look at this footage coming out of several places in northern india. in jammu and katamir, a temporary concrete bridge collapsed into the rushing waters. the bridge was built after the regional one was destroyed during flash flood in september

2014. heavy rain caused multiple trees to topple over, collapsing on top of buildings. some fell on power lines, causing many to lose electricity. it's the monsoon season. more rain is anticipated the next couple of months. the worst will continue over northeastern portions of india for the next several days. let's go to north america. lots of heavy rain is falling across the south of mexico due to a tropical system. tropical system dolores is located to the south of mexico. it could intensify to hurricane but move away from land masses. however, because it's close enough to cause -- it's very close so more heavy rainfall as well as life-threatening owe currence will be taking place. severe weather is happening over the eastern portion of the united states. we have four reports of tornados over minnesota. more tornados could happen. south of the severe weather area temperatures are quite high. take a look at these numbers. near 40 in many places.

that's it from me now. here's your extended forecast.

and that wraps it up for us here on "newsline." stay tuned for "news room tokyo" live at the top of the hour. i'm james tengan in tokyo. bye for now.

after record-breaking talks late into the night, eu leaders came up with a unanimous agreement on a new deal. but in that deal, eurozone leaders have made greece surrender much sovereignty to outside supervision in return for a green -- for agreeing to talk on a 36-year-old bailout to keep the near bankruptcy greece in the euro.