welcome back to nhk "newsline." i'm kanako sachno. denmark is the setting of the latest scene of south korea's ongoing political drama. police there have arrested the daughter of choi soon-sil. she's at the center of a scandal that has led to park's impeachment. south korean police say their danish counterparts arrested choi's daughter for allegedly overstaying her visa. she's expected to be extradited

to south korea. an independent prosecutor had asked interpol to put choi's daughter on the wanted list. the prosecutor suspects a university in seoul gave choi's daughter favorable treatment regarding her admission and grades. the scandal has expanded to include a horse bought by the daughter who competes s in equeuestrian events. it's belieieved the money came from the money contributed by samsung elelectronics. to a firm set up in germany by the daughter. the arrest in denmark comes a day after park spoke about the scandal after a month of silence. she apologized but denied any involvement in the alleged corruption. the prosecutor is expected to ask the daughter whether the allegations are true. he also wants to know whether she was involved in the corruption scandal that led to her mother's arrest. turkish security authorities are rushing to identify and track down the istanbul nightclub attacker.

the prime minister says the assailant left a gun inside the venue. the gunman went on a rampage early on new year's day. the attack left t 39 people dea and about 70 others wounded. local media reports say more than half of the dead are foreigners, including saudi arabian and iraqi nationals. he said authorities are investigatining possible involvement of the islamic state group and kurdish militants. local media reports say the gun left by the assailant was an automatic rifle and that the attacker may have used a taxi to arrive at the club. officials suspect the gunman had no accomplices. thousands of people have taken to the streets of hong kong. they're demanding a protection of the territory's high degree of autonomy. in july, hong kong will mark the 20th year since its return to china from british rule. a pro-democracy civic group

organized the demonstration. it says more than 9,000 people turned out for the protest in the city center. the demonstrators criticized what they perceived to be the chinese government's meddling in hong kong's unique judiciary system. >> translator: democracy, freedom and rule of law in hong kong have all been destroyed bit chinese government. >> the demonstration comes in the wake of china's move last year to nullify the qualifications of two newly-elected assembly members. during their swearing-in ceremony, the legislators had displayed a flag that read "hong kong is not china." and now the hong kong government is asking a local court to invalidate the qualifications of another four assembly members. in march, hong kong will have an election to choose its next chief the competition between pro democracy factions is expected executive. to be fear as they vie for votes. investigations are ongoing

after a fire on a ferry off jakarta. the ship was carryrying more th 240 passengers to a resort island of it tidung about 50 kill ometers northwest of jakar. local media reports say the fire started in the engine room shortly after the ferry left port. police suspect a short circuit may have ignited fuel. ferry services are an important means of transport in indonesia, which has more than 13,000 islands. many boat-related accidents have occurred because of lax safety management. in september last year, a tourist ship's engine exploded off the coast of bali, killing two passengers. people have flocked to department stores throughout japan to buy new year bargain packages known as lucky bags.

a store in osaka opened earlier than normal on monday morning, 7,000 people were waiting outside before it opened its doors. staff had prepared 50,000 lucky bags. this department store sells lucky bags with special items for babies. these include clothing worn for the first visit to a shrine. a department store in nagoya is offering a gold statue of a bird and roosters for about $70,000. this is the year of the rooster in the chinese zodiac. ♪ in northeastern japan, which was hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, a makeshift shopping district has been used for more than five years. >> translator: i'm happy to hear that the temporary shops are moving to a new place. >> the shops will be demolished. permanent facilities are

scheduled to be completed in april. japanese car makers are likely to ramp up their development and sales of zero-emission electric vehicles amid worldwide moves to tighten regulations on exhaust fumes. the u.s. state of california requires automakers to sell a certain percentage of eco-friendly vehicles. it plans to remove hybrid models from its incentive program for low-emission vehicles next autumn. hybrids are powered by both gasoline and electricity. u.s. car maker tesla motors is known for its relatively expensive electric vehicles. it's expected to offer new cars at half the price of its main model sometime between the latter part of this yearar and 2018. japanese automaker toyota has an edge in hybrid technology. it plans to begin mass producing electric vehicles around 2020. nissan motor already aggressively promotes electric cars and is now trying to

increase their range. authorities in china and europe are also aiming to toughen regulations on exhaust emissions. japanese business people are setting their sights high this year. several companies plan to enter the fast-growing field of launching mini rockets and micro satellites. the small spacecraft are getting attention as their low cost offers new opportunities. venture company interstellar technologies is developing mini rockets. it plans to launch one to an altitude of more than 100 kilometers in march. it will be the first to be launched solely by a private japanese firm. a small company specializing in micro satellites. they can be as many as ten centimeters long. they will photograph wide areas of the earth. the government agrees that space is the place to be for business people with vision.

>> translator: nurturing the space industry will be an important part of the government policies. >> matsui says c companies arou the world see launching micro satellites as a promising business opportunity, and he thinks japanese firms can play a crucial role in this growing sector. china will reportedly phase-out the commercial processing and sale of ivory by the end of the year. the country is a major consumer of products made from elephant tusks and a prime market for smugglers. the state-run xinhua news agency says the government will order 34 processing firms and stores to stop operating. police customs authorities and other entities will reportedly work together to counter smuggling and illegal ivory sales. ornaments made from the material are popular with newly affluent people in china. the move follows a resolution at the convention on international trade and endangered species in

october. it calls for countries to shut down their domestic ivivory markets. international sales of elephant tusks are already banned. a new kind of celebrity is under the spotlight in china. internet idodols are attracting wide fan base by streaming videos of thememselves online. and as nhk world reports, they're making a lot of money marketing themselves to a population of 800 million internet users. >> reporter: an electric appliance maker is unveiling new products in beijing. >> translator: this is a new ventilation fan. it has remarkable functions. >> reporter: the products are introduced not only through regular media but also through internet idols. the celebrities are streaming the event live over smartphones.

anyone can watch it free of charge. an ad agency employed these idols, because it's a great way to promote the product. >> translator: young consumers access social media services more often than others. ininternet idolsls can just gra them. >> reporter: this is a comic writer in beijing. she has become popular showing and talking live with her followers. she has nearly 6 million fans. >> reporter: fans can send real-time messages to their

idols. they can also buy gifts for celebrities right then who can turn them into cash later. she is selling more high restorations now. and at higher prices. she says her income has shot up 20-fold during the past five years. >> translator: my fans like to hear about what i do and what happens to me every day. so i pick and choose scenes from my daily life for streaming.g. >> reporter: another idol has started a new business. she gives advice to her fans on how to choose a makeup product and use it. >> translator: now i will show you some eye shadow colors. they're not too deep. they're just nice. >> reporter: she has opened an online shopping site to sell

cosmetics she recommends. she plays many roles, taking photos, retouching them and putting them online. she has acquired all these skills on her own. she says she sells more than $70,000 worth of products every month. she quit her job to pursue a career as anan internet celebri. >> translator: if my fans like cosmetics i use, they'll want to buy them through a reliable channel. my online shopping site will take care of their needs, and, as an idol, i can give them a feeling of trust. >> reporter: one of her friends is this woman. she likes to buy cosmetics f fm ding and get advice. ding suggests the best products for her skin type antone. >> translator: i keep buying her products, and i've got plenty of them. they're so good. i'm happy with her recommendations.

>> reporter: internet idols are changing china's consumption habibits and growing on the bac of the laboratory expanding online shopping trends. the islamic fashion industry has taken off in recent years. modest fashion represents a booming market around the world. and designers are looking for new ways to add colors, prints and textures to conservative clothing. nhk world's jenny lee looks at how japanese textiles are gegetting in on the trend. >> reporter: covered up and stylish, this is the first-ever muslim fashion show in japan. the aim is to introduce islamic culture through women's wear. designers from southeast asia are here to showcase their latest looks. they come from countries whose increasingly prosperous muslim women want clothing that blends

religious requirements with cutting edge style. >> translator: it's so chic. >> translator: the designs are very modern. >> reporter: modesty is key in muslim fashion. but as the growing demand for more patterns and designs, some desisigners are turnrning to traditional japanese fabrics for inspiration. this singaporean designer is one of them. the quality and variety of japanese textiles caught her eye. and she has created a collection of turbans using kimono fabric. >> for me, because i like sakura. so i'm looking for something a bit flowery type of fabric and cannot find in singapore. >> reporter: kimono textiles are gaining popularity in southeast asia for their colorful prints, but designers say availability of the fabric outside japan is still limited. she is in japan to show her work and seek out new materials.

at the fashion event, she meets a dressmaker. he creates modern pattern designs printed on traditional kimono fabric. she shows her a portfolio of available patterns. with help from the dressmaker, she hopes to begin experimenting with her own custom-made prints. >> we are creative in our design. and every time i have a new idea, new fashion in the market so that we can go very far. >> reporter: textile makers are also eyeing the islamic fashion markets. this head scarf may look like regular cloth but it's actually innovative material that's perfect for hot and humid regions. japanese washi paper. the paper cloth was developed by a local manufacturer.

it starts out as rolled sheets of fine washi. the paper is then cut into ultra-thin strips. these are twisted thousands of times to make soft but durable thread. thanks to the natural features of washi, the woven fabric has anti-odor, sweat-absorbing and uv-blocking properties. the makers think these are perfect for muslim women in hot regions who cover their heads. they're now collaborating with a clothing brand in malaysia to develop a range of head scarves. they get feedback from local muslim women and link up with the factory to modify the materirial according to their requirements. >> translator: we need to make sure it stretches more. >> translator: we'll try to add some elasticity. >> translalator: there's b been rapid economic growth in southeast asia.

so we see the value of targeting the islamic clothing industry in the region. >> reporter: t the global marke for muslim fashion is expanding rapidly. and japanese textile makers are eager to ride the boom. jenny lin, nhk world, tokyo. e♪ artisans around japan have been working on a project ahead of the 2020 tokyo olympics. they're creating kimono to represent each participating country and rehe john. today we focus on perfeu and yo how two japanese artisans look back thousands of years for modern kimono inspiration.

>> reporter: in july, peruvians marking their national independence day in tokyo had a special addition to their celebrations. a kimono created for their country. >> translator: i'm really happy. it's a thrill to see this wonderful work of art depicting machu picchu, the prid of peru, here in japan. >> all of peru here, it's wonderful to see such a piece of art. inspired by two countries. >> reporter: the work of making this kimono began in january in a city in northern japan. this man specializes in traditional dying and weaving, a craft that it has been practiced in the region for centuries.

it is known for silk fabric known for threads that are dyed before they are woven. >> translator: there are colors that only come out when the warped and wept threads are woven together. my aim is to create colors that are bright. >> reporter: suwa only uses natural dye. to create this peruvian kimono, he is working with a red dye. it's taken from insects ththat live on cacti. peru is the world's largest producer of this dye. it has been used to color traditional fabrics there for over 2,000 years. >> translator: i feel as if i'm borrowing this dye from the people of peru. i must care for it and use it well. >> reporter: before he starts using it, suwa prays for success. even so, the color on the threads isn't deep enough.

suwa tries using different temperatures and acidity levels, but it still doesn't come out right. this is the most difficult process he has faced in his 20-year career. after four days of trial and error, he finally manages to obtain the vivid red color he's aiming for. this woman is in charge of the weaving process. she is an expert at this form of tapestry weave that uses threads of many colors and thicknesses to create intricate patterns. this technique gives the fabric a thready appearance but it's very time-consuming. carefully following the pattern, she weaves the complex design. for one single row, she has to work with as many as 12 threads.

usually this technique is only used for small areas of fabric, but for this project, the area will cover nearly half of the kimono.. however, adding so much intricate pattern to the threads can tighten the warped threads and change the overall tension of the weaving. >> translator: i've been having dreams about the patterns not being aligned and having to redo them over and over and still not being able to fix it. right now that's my greatest worry. >> reporter: the main part of the kimono is finished, and it's time to check whether the overall pattern is aligned. >> reporter: the kimono is

finally complete. seven months after the first threads were d dyed. machu picchu stands out clearly. the delicate rainbow is an auspicious symbol. m motifs glisten against the red. finally the kimono goes display. >> translator: i've taken the words to heart. i feel a sense of accomplishment. doing this has made meme want t create even more complicated designs. >> reporter: two young artisans. one very special kimono. not only have they brought japan and peru closer, they now have the confidence to raise their craftsmanship to new heights. time now for world weather with our meteorologist jonathan oh. jonathan, it looks like the southern united states is going

to have a rocky start to the new year. what's the situation there? >> hello. we're looking out for the possibility of some strong thunderstorms that are going to be rolling through the region as we go throughout monday. it's a bit of a complicated weather pattern because of the way that a low pressure area is moving into the region. let me show you the weather map here. you may notice a cold front attached to this low, but ahead of that is warm moisture moving to the north. when you have that instability, warm air coming into a region and cold air slamming in behind it, that creates a potential for strong to severe thunderstorms. so we do have an enhanced risk for seeing some of these thunderstorms. the greatest threat for this storm are damaging winds. these straight-line winds, about a 30% risk of those in the enhanced regions. those of you located in the eastern portions of louisiana, into mississippi and alabama, you're going to be in the main target area,

but even areas outside of there extending as far north as kentucky and as far east as portions of georgia, into atlanta you do have a marginal risk of severe t thunderstorms, and d we cannot ruleut thehe possility of m maybe a t tornad or hail. so be on theooookout as s we go throughout monday asas this rtrticular s system continueto move to e north anand east.. now i knowow a lot o of people observing new year's day, because new year's day happened to be on a sunday, but nevertheless, this is going to be a bit of a threat as you go forward in time. rain expected from toronto along the eastern seaboard of the united states down to miami, thunderstorms into houston and looking at showers into los angeles with a high of 14. chilly in winnipeg with snow. as we go through monday. meanwhile, we're talking about snowfall in the northern portions of europe as we take a look at a cold front. it will continue to push to the east. but behind it we do have chilly air, and that's going to help drop those temperatures down. one for warsaw, one berlin and

one in moscow. we're looking at showers for monday. rain to rome and paris as we hahave a cououple of areas of f pressure contrtrolling the weatr as we go throughout the first day of the workweek. now down towards australia we are monitoring a tropical low that is coming onshore. it has produced some strong wiwinds and gusts inin the area along with p persistent heavavy rainfall. the concern is that because it is a tropical low it is interacting with a monsoonal pattern n into the n northern territory and the northern c cot of western atrtralia. that is likely to continue as we go through the next few days. some a areas could see 100 to 2 millimeters of rainfall as we go into tuesday, wednesday, and even thursday. be on the lookout for that as we go forward in time. flooding can be a bit of an issue along with these strong winds. as we look at the forecast for asia, we have relatively calm conditions. high pressure is controlling much of east asia, at least the continental areas. we have a low-pressure system that will be departing from japan.

one day, two to thredegrgree above average. we do ha showersrs coming g in from the east sea of japan side. some showers coming in from the sea of japan as a low system so northwesterly winds will bri showers to tohoku. looking at dry conditions along the pacific side of japan. look at this. sendai at 9. 13 into tokyo and osaka under fair conditions. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook.

one more story before we go. bird-watchers have flocked to a small town in northern japan to take pictures of the japanese red-crowned crane. the bird is a symbol of good luck, especially at new year. about 50 people gathered in the village in hokkakao before d da on monday. the temperature was minus 17 degrees celsius. they photographed the cranes as the birds took flight. >> translator: you'll never see this kind of scenery where i come from. i'm enjoying the cold, and i'm glad i came. >> translator: the backdrop is also beautiful, and i shot some really nice pictures. >> that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm kanako sachno in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us.

>> hello and welcome back to the france 24 newsroom. i'm thomas waterhouse. here are the latest headlines from paris. a suicide car bomber rips through the iraqi capital killing at least 24 and injuring dozens more. the visit -- the attack comes as francois hollande visits troops fighting the islamic state group. it wasamic state says responsible for sunday's mass shooting in istanbul the left 39 people dead. local media reports that a people have been detained by police in connection to that gun rampage.