nhk world, jakarta. >>> that will wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. >>> mitt romney has claimed another victory in the republican primary race. the former massachusetts governor won convincingly in florida. it's a major step in his bid to challenge president barack obama. >> to the people in this room and the people all over florida, thank you tonight for this great victory. my leadership will end the obama era and begin a new era of american prosperity. >> romney took 46% of the vote. former house of representatives speaker newt gingrich came in second with 32%. further back in the field were senator rick santorum and congressman ron paul. romney took advantage of his huge cash reserves to run negative ads against gingrich in florida. he had lost to gingrich in south carolina, a largely conservative state. florida sends 50 delegates to the republican national convention, a major bloc of voters. romney's victory in state gives him strong momentum ahead of the so-called super tuesday contest on march 6th. >>> japan ha

nhk world, washington. >> xi met with his counterpart, u.s. vice president joe biden, at a luncheon held by secretary of state hillary clinton in xi's honor in washington on tuesday. the two vice presidents got into a debate over the human rights situation in china. biden criticized china's human rights policies while xi defended his government. >> we see our advocacy for human rights as a fundamental aspect of our foreign policy and we believe a key to the prosperity and stability of all societies. >> biden said he believes the situation in china is worsening. in response, xi stressed china has made tremendous progress over the past 30 years. >> translator: we will, in light of china's national conditions, continue to take concrete measures and craft effective policies to promote social fairness, justice, and harmony and push forward china's cause of human rights. >> xi said that when it comes to human rights, there is never a best scenario, only a better one with room for improvement. he added china has a huge population and the different re

nhk world has more from tehran. this came in increasing defiance. here is the report from tehran. >> reporter: iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad announced the new centrifuges at a speech at the country's atomic energy agency on wednesday. he said the new centrifuges at the uranium enrichment facilities in natanz have three times the production capacity compared to the older centrifuges. earlier, the president attended a ceremony where he loaded the country's first-ever domestically made nuclear fuel rod into a reactor near tehran. iran says the fuel rods and the reactor will be used to produce radio isotopes to treat cancer patients and for other peaceful research. western countries are calling on iran to stop the enrichment, which they say could be used for military purposes, or face more economic sanctions. ahmadinejad's announcement is expected to spark a strong reaction from the west and israel. mojtaba sanati, reporting for nhk world, tehran. >>> on its nuclear program, the eu is considering the offer. iranian media says the secretary of th

nhk world, juba. >> that was a report from juba. now we are joined by masaki. he just got back from south sudan. what is the mood on the ground? >> i was in juba last month. so were countless others for investors, workers. this influx of people has led to accommodati accommodations. still the mood among most people i met was buoyant. they seem to have high expectations for the future of this young country. >> how about the security situation? >> the security in juba appeared to be relatively stable. children seemed to walk around without many problems. still, these appearances may deceive. many people still carry guns and robberies are commonplace. south sudan is still locked in a territorial dispute with sudan and armed insurgents are active in some areas outside the capital. in the eastern state of jangali, there have been heavy casualties that is affecting the daily lives of the 120,000 people who live there. >> what challenges do the leaders face as they put together the pieces to build a nation. >> even now, drawing up a national budget is impossible. they

bye-bye. >>> hello, this is nhk world tv. our first choice of the week looks at how china's rising divorce rate has created a new business opportunity. among some of china's newly rich, a mistress has become a symbol of financial success. now around 2.5 million marriages end in divorce annually. "china wow" looks at a profession that's tackling this problem. >>> next, a program that focuses on women in broadcasting. in the past, broadcasting had a reputation for being a boys club. now many of television programs are created by women. we follow a director working at the forefront as she balances work with the procedures upon marriage and childbirth. >>> and last, the latest edition introducing new technology that might change the world of medical care. bioimaging allows doctors to observe cells in real time. join us as we explore how it exciting technology could help detect early cancer or metastas metastasis. stay tuned.

nhk asked what's needed besides stress tests to restart the reactors. nearly half suggested a satisfactory investigation into the accident at the fukushima-daiichi plant and the understanding of local residents. a third cited new government safety regulations. local leaders said they are concerned about safety and demanded more government accountability. tokyo electric power company says it has successfully lowered the temperature inside the number two reactor at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. tepco had been struggling to deal with rising temperatures inside the reactor. a thermometer at the bottom of the reactor read 35 degrees celcius on january 27th, but rose to over 70 degrees on sunday. the cause is unknown, and two other thermometers inside the reactor registered little change. it began pumping more water into the plant on tuesday. it boosted the rate of injection to 13.5 tons per hour. the company says that the internal temperature at 5:00 a.m. wednesday had dropped 5.5 degrees from a day earlier. the current rate of injection is the highes

nhk obtained details in advance. the document stays the chief of fukushima daiichi informed the government three days after the accident that cooling system failures could cause a meltdown of nuclear fuel rods. the information was reportedly sent to cabinet members and atomic energy experts. the economy minister was chief cabinet secretary at the time. he also served as the government's spokesperson. he said in the report that authorities were on stand by to act if the fuel rods continued to be exposed to the air. that would have released a large amount of radioactive material and prevented workers from entering reactor buildings. he said he also feared problems could occur at another nuclear plant in fukushima and that tokyo might have to be evacuated. he added the cabinet was told of this scenario, but that the government chose not to make it public. the independent report stresses the need for discussions on information disclosure by the government during emergencies. >>> that's all for this edition of "newsline."

. >> nhk world joins us with his view of the talks. hiroki, what do you think will be the focus of the discussions at the meeting? >> i don't think there will be a major breakthrough. that's because north korea and the united states have domestic concerns they need to address. north korea has a new leader in kim jong un whose skills are still developing. on the other hand, president barack obama is facing an election campaign. this meeting is the first since the death of kim jong-il so it will likely reaffirm its position on its nuclear program, i think. >> what is its basic stance? >> kim jong-il never halted the nuclear development program. it's trying to bolster public support for the new leader. kim jong-un is being credited with leading the nuclear testing and firing of long-range ballistic missiles. the government is also claiming that the nuclear and missile development promoted by kim jong-il is among his greatest achievements. but north korea is facing -- so the country may show a more flexible attitude in order to secure reli

jean baptiste, nhk world, dakar. >>> i felt i should have worn my lighter coat today. things are warming up here in tokyo. we're joined now with the world weather forecast. will this pleasant weather continue? >> i want to say yes, but, no, chilly and wet weather is expected from tomorrow. but for today, dry conditions will continue as we've got a high pressure system moving in to our area bringing sunny and warm conditions. the expected high here in tokyo is 14 degrees. so feel like spring today. but showers in the southern islands will expand much of the nation tomorrow and will start to see cold precipitation in tokyo on saturday. as for the korean peninsula, staying dry at this moment but a wintry mix will develop from tonight. and as for china, showers along the southern coast are gradually diminishing, but another round of rainy weather is headed your way. down towards the philippines, thundershowers in mendenao will be moving towards the weekend. looking at 21 degrees in hong kong with some light showers. 25 in taipei. seoul, still warmer than average with 9 deg

reporting for nhk world. back to you. >> that wraps up our bulletin from bangkok. >>> many are commuting in cold weather this morning. we have rachel ferguson with the weather picture here and elsewhere. >> we are certainly going to be feeling the effects of winter here in japan. not one, but three low pressure systems are effecting the country right now. it will result in a lot of precipitation and as you guess, most of it will be snow. an icy arctic blast coming in. we could see snowshowers making the way to the pacific edge. what we can expect is heavy snow accompanied by strong winds. that means low visibility where the snow is blown about. also at the northwestern coast, the waves could get high. rough seas here. in terms of the snowfall and what you can expect, anywhere you see in the red could potentially see another 90 centimeters of fresh snow in the next 24 hours. that is very significant. we already had record-breaking snowfall totals across much of the country this season. this is going to be anot

nhk world followed the noble laureate as she appealed for support. opposition leader has began campaigning. she visited the consistency on saturday. her first official campaign appearance in the district she hopes to represent. >> the most important thing is to create new jobs for people who are unemployed. if you believe in us, i promise to implement this without fail. >> she'll definitely win. >> we believe that she will improve our living standards. >> the district is home to about 80,000 vetters. farming is the area's biggest industry and most residents are from low-income households. it is also from a ethnic minority. instead of somewhere closer to her home. one reason to emphasize ethnic minorities. the five members of this household are ethnics. after declaring her candidacy, she transferred her certificate to their home. >> we are very fortunate to be able to welcome such a famous leader. everyone in our district is rooting for her. >> two of the candidates are contesting the candidacy. so many are learning from the union solidarity party. wi

nhk asked officials in 44 prefectures and municipalities how they felt about the issue. local governments got $2.1 billion from 12 nuclear plant operators and two related agencies since the construction of nuclear plants began in the late 1960s. local authorities can decide highway to spend donated funds. they have invested the money into public works projects and events to promote local economies. in some cases, local governments actively solicited donations from operators of nuclear plants in their areas. in 2009, a prefecture asked for money to build a road in a city that hosts a nuclear plant. >> something about nuclear power plants makes people think not in my backyard. so municipalities hosting plants should be rewarded in ways that are institutionalized. shuz u observing a never let rewards affect its safety standards. >> a specialist in corpo finance told nhk that including donations and utility charges is undesirable. >> translator: the cost should not have been passed on to electricity users in the first place. the central government must make the firms disclos

nhk asked officials in 44 prefectures and municipalities how they felt about the issue. local governments got $2.1 billion from 12 nuclear plant operators and two related agencies since the construction of nuclear plants began in the late 1960s. local authorities can decide highway to spend donated funds. they have invested the money into public works projects and events to promote local economies. in some cases, local governments actively solicited donations from operators of nuclear plants in their areas. in 2009, a prefecture asked for money to build a road in a city that hosts a nuclear plant. >> something about nuclear power plants makes people think not in my backyard. so municipalities hosting plants should be rewarded in ways that are institutionalized. shuz u observing a never let rewards affect its safety standards. >> a specialist in corporate finance told nhk that including donations and utility charges is undesirabl >> translator: the cost should not have been passed on to electricity users in the first place. the central government must make the firms discl

nhk world reports from london. >> reporter: 60 years on the throne. the date of her accession is also the anniversary of the death of her father, king george vi. so there were no major celebrations. instead, she visited a local school. queen elizabeth ii came to the throne in 1952. only one previous british monarch has reigned longer than her, queen victoria, whose name is synonymous with the heyday of the british empire. at 85, queen elizabeth is the oldest ruler in british history. with her health still strong, there has been no let-up in her busy schedule of royal duties. there's a growing mood of jubilation in britain. ahead of festivities in june. many mementos are already on sale including photo books of the queen and newly minted medallions. >> proud that she's lived that long. i'm quite happy about it. >> i like the queen. i think she does a lot for the country. i like our monarchy as well. yeah, i support it, definitely. >> hello. >> reporter: terry hut is a major fan of the royal family. he lives outside cambridge. in the east of england. he

nhk world niha gupta has this report. >> reporter: schools of kites fly in the sky. this is a festival to celebrate the arrival of spring. kite flying is a long-loved tradition but also a competive game. they try to cut the kite strings of their opponents. the pink kite battles against the blue one, but the string is severed and it falls towards the ground. one family has prepared 400 kites for the festival. relatives gather for the event every year. >> this is the importance of the -- we get together and fly kites and loud music and we all party together. this would obviously get the family together. >> reporter: special strings are used in competitive kite fighting. this white powder is finally crushed glass. it is dissolved into liquid and applied to the strings. when it dries, they become sharp enough to cut opponent's strings. strings produced through this procedure are called manga. there's a higher demand for stronger and sharper manga for this kite fighting competitors. this is a glass coated thread in my hand. this could easily cut thread. but this can cause

nhk obtained the details of the report in advance. the panel interviewed 300 people including japanese and u.s. government officials. the document says the director of fukushima daiichi informed the government three days after the accident that cooling system failures could cause a meltdown of nuclear fuel rods. the information was reportedly sent to cabinet members and atomic energy experts. then-economy minister yukio edano was also chief cabinet secretary. he says in the report that authorities were on stand-by to act if the fuel rods continued to be exposed to the air. that would have released a large amount of radioactive material and prevented workers from entering reactor buildings. edano also says he feared problems could occur at another plant in fukushima and that tokyo might have to be evacuated. he says the cabinet was told of this scenario but na the government chose not to make it public. the independent report stresses the need for discussions on how the government disclosing information during emergencies. >>> russia's

nhk world, indonesia. >> and that wraps up our bulletin. i'm raksawong in bangkok. >>> pushing with russia until it returns four islands claimed by japan. >> translator: russian president dimitry medvedev and i recall the need to restore the issue last year. we also agreed to continue discussions while respecting each other. >> noda spoke at an annual rally that calls for the island's return. a new government will take place in moscow in may. the strategic environment in the asian pacific region is changing too. february 7th is northern territories day in japan. japan and russia signed a treaty on the day in 1885 that recognizes the islands as japanese territory. >>> vladimir putin served as president for eight years then prime minister for the last four 37 political analysts say they expect putin to win, but nationwide protests over suspected corruption underscore some deep dissatisfaction. >> reporter: during a recent rally, temperatures hovered at minus 20 degrees celsius in central moscow during the day. people braved the cold. white ba

nhk asked what is needed besides stress tests to restart the nuclear reactors. nearly half stressed a satisfactory investigation into the accident at the fukushima daiichi plant and the understanding of local residents. more than a third of municipalities cited new government safety regulations. local leaders said they're concerned about safety, and demanded more government accountability. >>> tokyo electric power company says it has successfully lowered the temperature inside the number 2 reactor at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. tepco had been struggling to deal with rising temperatures inside the reactor. a thermometer on the bottom of the reactor read 45 degrees celsius on january 27th, but rose to over 70 degrees on sunday. the cause is unknown, and two other thermometers inside the reactor registered little change. tepco said it began pumping more water into the plant on tuesday. it boosted the rate of injection to 13.5 tons per hour. the company says that the internal temperature at 5:00 a.m. wednesday had dropped 5.5 degrees from a day earlier. the

nhk conducted a nationwide survey last week of the host communities. we received replies from 29 municipalities, excluding those in fukushima prefecture. the main question was do you support the restarting of nuclear reactors? in today's "nuclear watch" we asked about the results of the survey. we started asking why local governments play such key roles in restarting reactors. >> translator: in japan, the approval of the local government is needed to resume the operation of the nuclear power plants. right now, the electric power companies are conducting stress tests, which is the new government safety standard. and the nuclear industrial and safety agency is insisting until the resumption of the operation, and the government will make the final decision of the resumption, and it is the local governments that hold the key to the final decision. we asked about resumption of power plants in their communities. five local governments or 17% of the total responded they want to either approve resumption soon or approve resumption sometime in the future. one o

nhk world has this report. >> reporter: schools of kites fly in the sky. this is a festival to celebrate the end of spring. kite flying is a long-loved tradition been but also a competitive game. they try to cut the kite strings of their opponents. the pink kite battles against the blue one but the string is severed and it falls towards the ground. one family has prepared 400 kites for the festival. relatives gather for the event every year. >> this is the importance of the -- we get together and fly kites and loud music and we all party together. it gets the family together. >> reporter: special strings are used in competitive kite flying. this white powder is finely crushed glass. it is dissolved into liquid and applied to the strings. when it dries, they become sharp enough to cut opponent's strings. strings produced through this procedure are called manga and there's a higher demand for this from kite-flying competitors. this is a glass coated thread in my hand. this could easily cut the thread. but abandoned, this can cause serious damage to wildlife.

nhk has the story. >> stop the abductions now! >> reporter: at the end of last year, there were 193 unresolved cases of children reportedly abducted to japan. the united states, britain, canada, are among the countries launching the complaints. those countries have urged japan to ratify the convention. a court concluded in 1980 that bans parents from taking children across borders when international marriages break up. 87 countries have signed the convention. the u.s. has taken a particularly hard-lined stance. >> we are actively engaging foreign governments to go ahead and -- go ahead and join the conventions. >> japan announced last may that it would join the treaty. it's the only country yet to sign. late last month, a government panel drafted legislation to implement the convention. >> an earlier details on that proposed legislation and explained why japan has stood apart from other countries on the convention. >> one of the reasons is a gap in the family law system between japan and other countries. like in the u.s., parents

edition of "nhk newsline." thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

nhk conducted a nationwide survey last week of these host communities. we received replies from 29 municipalities excluding those in fukushima prefecture. the main question was do you support the restarting of nuclear reactors? in today's nuclear watch, our reporter is going to explain the results of the survey. our conversation will be conducted in japanese with simultaneous interpreters. >> translator: nuclear safety has become a hot issue since the fukushima daiichi accident not just in japan, some countries have decided to abolish or phase out nuclear energy. why is it important to hear what local governments in japan think? >> translator: in japan the approval of the local government is needed to resume the operation of the nuclear power plants. right now the electric power companies are conducting stress tests which is the new government safety standard. and the nuclear industrial and safety agency is assisting the resource towards the resumption of the operation. and the government will make the final decision of the resumption and it is the local

but nhk obtained in advance details. the document says the chief of fukushima daiichi informed the government three days after the accident the cooling system failures could cause a melt youb of nuclear fuel rods. the information was reportedly sent to cabinet members and atomic energy experts. the economy minister also served as the government's spokesperson. he said in the report authorities were on standby to act if the fuel rods continue to be exposed to the air. that would release a large amount of radioactive material and prevented workers from entering reactor buildings. he feared problems could occur at another plant in fukushima and tokyo might have to be evacuated. he added his cabinet was told of this scenario but the government chose not to make it public. the independent report stresses the need for discussions for information diskilo slur by the government during emergencies. a separate investigation into the fukushima meltdown has heard from a former u.s. nuclear regulatory chief. he told a parliamentary p

i hate it. >> earlier, we spoke with nhk world's reporter covering the compensation issue. we provided simultaneous interpretation. >> translator: tepco said it will review the evacuation areas one year after the accident. they are planning to regroup the areas according to the levels of radiation in three categories. residents could return to one area and where they cannot return for a long time. tepco is waiting for the outcome of the government review and says it will come up with a specific standardin april at the earliest. the evacuees need a sizable sum of money to rebuild their lives among uncertainty. it is quite natural they demand early compensation for lost housing and land. to meet their needs, the government has set up a new organization, the center for settling disputes for nuclear accidents. the lawyers and judges listen to the claims of both victims and tepco and show a settlement plan to both parties from the parties in review to get compensation quickly. the center has received 800 applications for review. the number is increasing. such mediation has no pr

new nhk video suggests that mining of gas fields in the sea. both countries agreed to talk about the field's development before moving forward. camera operators captured images last thursday of the drilling rig in the kashi gas field. the countries agreed in 2008 to begin discussions on jointly developing the area. but negotiations stalled in 2010 after a chinese fishing boat rammed into the japan coast guard patrol vessels off the senkaku islands. we asked the oil and gas engineer to give us his take on the video. >> translator: the flames and smoke indicate they may be boring natural gas. that means china could be continuing development on its own. >> chief cabinet secretary says the unilateral development is unacceptab unacceptable. if the chinese government is moving ahead, they have no choice but to launch a protest. >> translator: japan and china have been trying to cooperate to make the east china sea an area of peace and friendship. it is regrettable if there is a need to file a protest. >> some japan analysts say china may be trying to

nhk world reports. >> reporter: one of the most important cities in central vietnam. many foreign companies have their eyes on this old port town. the row of foreign capital is mainly directed at the tourism sector. tourists are lured by the beautiful beaches. the city's landscape is changing rapidly. this hotel opened last october. >> it's like the new hot destination. most of them enjoy staying here for a long holiday very much. >> translator: the vietnamese government is not going to miss the opportunity. i am at the international airport. it features the latest facilities. the government abandoned the old terminal, which was built before the vietnam war. it replaced it with a brand new building that is the gateway to central vietnam. two direct flights here from seoul every week. on this saturday night, the airport was crowded with tourists. >> i am interested in some historical things, so i chose this country to visit. >> reporter: south korea's investment isn't limited to tourism. a fast-growing firm is actively investing in urban development projects. the devel

prime minister kubilias talked about the country's situation in an interview with nhk in tokyo. >> we are coming to the final concession agreement, which will give license to hitachi company to build the nuclear power station. >> he voiced his hope to reach a basic agreement with hitachi in the first half of this year and get approval of lithuanian parliament. touching on the fukushima daiichi accident last year, he says he's certainly that nuclear technology will become safer as people learn. after the european union had pointed to possible danger. lithuania now plans to build a new nuclear power plant over the next eight years near the old facility. >>> "newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on japan post-march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> it is a level we haven't seen since th

nhk world, tokyo. >> okay. i'll give it a try. this barefoot concept has been inspiring shoe companies in their designs. in recent years, five fingered shoes have become popular in many parts of the world. >>> i had to grab my umbrella before heading out this morning. the rain is intensifying in tokyo. sayaka mori joins us with the weather forecast. so will it clear up? >> well, it will further intensify and thunderstorms and gusty winds could accompany the heavy rain. because we've got a very active low pressure system in front here. that will continuously bring in stormy conditions particularly along the pacific side. over the next 24 hours, much of northern japan will be effected as well. most of the precipitation will move out quite quickly. meanwhile the same system is causing near southern china and taiwan. those rainy conditions will continue into your weekend. down towards southeast asia, we are looking at some showers popping up. today's highs are looking like this. getting up to 21 degrees in hong kong with some light sh

one activist told nhk that stocks of medicines and medical supplies have run out, and doctors are unable to treat the seriously wounded. >> the activist said that many of the victims are women and children. >> six gulf arab nations are withdrawing their ambassadors from syria and expelling syrian envoys. they said it is necessary to prevent bloodshed of the syrian people. saudi arabia, united arab i am rats and four others have decided to withdraw. they're also demanding that syrian envoy leave immediately. the gulf countries joined six european nations, including britain, france and italy to recall their ambassadors for consultations. the united states has closed its embassy in damascus. russian foreign minister sergei lavrof is in syria for a meeting with the president. he's believed to have called on assad to hold a dialogue with antigovernment protesters. they arrived in damascus on tuesday. a crowd of people waving russian and syrian flags gathered to welcome them. lavrov brought assad a letter from president medvedev. it's likely to have urged him to hold dialogue and promote polit

nhk asked what is needed besides stress tests to restart the reactors. nearly half decided a satisfactory investigation into the accident at the fukushima daiichi power plant and the understanding of the local residents. more than 1/3 of municipalities cited new government safety regulations. local leaders said they're concerned about safety and demanded more government accountability. some of those leaders say the government failed to provide enough information in the hours and days after the accident. they say the media failed them, too. communication experts gathered last week in nagoya japan. a government spokesperson sat among the panelists. we spoke with him about how the government can communicate better. >> translator: we didn't do enough and that led to mistrust in neighboring countries such as south korea and china. >> reporter: participantsed a the symposium discussed the issue of what information the public should have been given after the march 11th disaster and the way it should have been communicated. the earthquake and tsunami triggered a

nhk world, japan. >>> "newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on japan post-march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on newsline. >>> mill producers have announcethat screening tests for radiation will soon begin at about 180 dairy factories. this is in response to growing concerns among consumers. municipalities have been conducting radiation checks before raw milk goes on dairies and only a few will be checking the milk afterward, ever since the welfare ministry have decided to reduce safety standards there has been a call from consumers for more screening. >> under the tougher standards milk will be allowed to contain 50 becquerels per kilogram. the japan dairy industry association says the screening will be conducted in tokyo and 16 prefectures in eastern japan. it will announce the r

the syrian national council spoke to nhk from london. he insists the ruling administration is losing support, he added the government is being propped up by people who have benefitted from 40 years of asad family rule. >> we can talk with some officials inside the regime in order to sort out the ere a after. >> he criticized russia for standing in the way of a security council resolution. japan will soon begin test drilling for me teen hydrate off the pacific coast. this will be the first offshore attempt to extract the substance. it's formed deem underground. when methane gas is trapped in water chris centrals, the ice like material can be extracted and burned like natural gas. japan oil gas and metal national corporation says drilling will begin in mid february about 07 kilometers in central japan. the organization will try to extract the methane hydrate next january to see if stable and long-term drilling is possible. >> translator: extracting the methane hydrate effectively is a really big challenge. if we can start commercial produc

kan told nhk in september that his government made a simulation, based on the worst case scenario, but the report was not treated as an official document until it was discovered in the commission's office at the end of last year. now, a japanese civic group investigating the accident is looking into the reasons why the document was not made public. >>> japan's atomic watchdog endorsed the results of stress tests on two reactors at the ohi plant in central japan. the nuclear and industrial safety agency says the tests on the number three and four reactors were conducted appropriately. it says there are adequate measures in place to deal with earthquakes and tsunamis. the report is the first by the agency about stress tests on japan's suspended reactors. 51 of the country's 54 reactors are now off line. the agency plans to submit a report to japan's nuclear safety commission as early as monday, after briefing industry minister. the commission will review the report and consult with nuclear experts. the government will then make the final decision on whether to approve restarting the reac

nhk shot footage about four kilometers from the plant on sunday. the land ministry decided to scale back the no-fly zone from the original 20-kilometer radius after aerial radioactive readings dropped to a safe level. the three-kilometer radius took effect on saturday. the aerial footage shows that the number three reactor building has an exposed steel structure distorted by a hydrogen explosion. the yellow cover for the nuclear containment vessel is visible in the number four reactor building where a hydrogen explosion ripped out the walls. a person in a yellow work suit can be seen walking on what was the fifth floor. ten workers wearing white protective suits are using a crane to cover the seabed near the plant with cement to stop radioactive substances from spreading offshore. the government declared last december the fukushima plant had been stabilized but water leaks have been reported this month. contaminated water is being stored in about 1,000 steel tanks in the western part of the plant compound. >>> volunteers trimmed cherry trees in the

. >> reporter: according to an nhk survey, 90% of leading companies are actively hiring foreigners. of those more than 40% say they are considering taking on more foreign employees in the future. food manufacturer sells products in 130 countries. throwing out the old rule book it has started grooming foreign staff to become executives. the company holds an executive trainee conference once a year. on this day, employees gathered from 13 different countries including thailand, vietnam and indonesia. most are in their 30s and 40s. in the past these foreign staff would have no chance of being promoted to executive positions. but four years ago the company removed the glass ceiling. ability and work performance were declared as the sole benchmarks for career advancement. the company says the change has been stimulating for both japanese and foreign employees. >> in doing a good job gets me to become a manager, i would be very happy. day-by-day i think it's more possible. >> translator: we want to compete in the global market. so we need the best team in the world. i think it is necessar

but nhk obtained in advance details. the document says the chief of fukushima daiichi informed the government three days after the accident the cooling system failures could cause a melt youb of nuclear fuel rods. the information was reportedly sent to cabinet members and atomic energy experts. the economy minister also served as the government's spokesperson. he said in the report authorities were on standby to act if the fuel rods continue to be exposed to the air. that would release a large amount of radioactive material and prevented workers from entering reactor buildings. he feared problems could occur at another plant in fukushima and tokyo might have to be evacuated. he added his cabinet was told of this scenario but the government chose not to make it public. the independent report stresses the need for discussions for infoation diskilo slur by the gornment during emergencs. a separate investigation into the fukushima meltdown has heard from a former u.s. nuclear regulatory chief. he told a parliamentary panel t

obaida fares spoke to nhk world in london. he added that the government is still being propped up by the people who benefitted from 40 years of al-assad family rule. >> we can speak with officials in the regime. >> fares is criticized russia for standing in the way of the security council resolution on syria. he is urging other countries to push russia to put the peace plan to a vote. >>> people in egypt are taking to the streets in protest. this time they are angry of the deadly conclusion to a soccer match. some blame the government for failing to prevent violence from breaking out between fans of rival teams. here is how it unfolded on wednesday in the northern city of port said. home team supporters ran on the pitch and chasing and attacking players and fans of the visiting team. police officers appeared to be overwhelmed and did not intervene. panicked crowds left the stadium. the stampede left a number of people injured. the health ministries of egypt said more than 70 people died and hundreds were hurt. some blame the m

he tells nhk his grip may be slipping. his group is in contact with government insiders that turned against us. the syrian national council spoke from london. insists the ruling administration is losing support, but he added the government is still being propped up by people who have benefitted from 40 years of assad family rule. >> we can talk with some officials inside the regime to sort out the after. >> he criticized russia for standing in the way of a security council resolution on syria. he is urging other countries to push russia into agreeing to put the peace plan to a vote. >>> concerns are rising over unrest in egypt after scores of people died in clashes between supporters of rival soccer teams. after the match ended on wednesday night in the northern city of port said, home team supporters ran onto the pitch and began chasing and attacking players and fans of the visiting team. police officers appeared to be overwhelmed and did not intervene. local media say many people were injured in a stampede as panicked cr

. >> reporter: according to an nhk survey, 90% of leading companies are actively hiring foreigners. of those more than 40% say they are considering taking on more foreign employees in the future. food manufacturer sells products in 130 countries. throwing out the old rule book it has started grooming foreign staff to become executives. the company holds an executive trainee conference once a year. on this day, employees gathered from 13 different countries including thailand, vietnam and indonesia. most are in their 30s and 40s. in the past these foreign staff would have no chance of being promoted to executive positions. but four years ago the company removed the glass ceiling. ability and work performance were declared as the sole benchmarks for career advancement. the company says the change has been stimulating for both japanese and foreign employees. >> in doing a good job gets me to become a manager, i would be very happy. day-by-day i think it's more possible. >> translator: we want to compete in the global market. so we need the best team in the world. i think it is necessar

she talked in an nhk interview on tuesday about what she had discussed with the minister. >> we confirmed both of us that we have an interest that it is the scoping exercise before going into the free trade agreement negotiations will be finalized. >> she said the eu estimates that its exports to japan will increase by 29 billion euros if the pact is concluded. a court in southern china has ruled that the trade mark for apple's ipad tablet blnging to a chinese firm and banned regional sales of apple's device. a major local paper reports that the court last fri upheld a claim by the company that it has rights to the ipad trademark in china. the court also ordered electronic appliance stores to stop selling apple's tablet computer. the company registered the ipad trademark word wide in 2000 before the tablet went on sale. apple said it bought the global trademark rights from the group several years ago and accuses the group of violating the agreement made at the time. local media report that proview secondnology is saddled with huge debt and that the company may have teamed up with banks to

alex kerst, nhk world. >>> 8 gunman stopped a bus, they checked names and shot male passengers. police say all casualties were shiite muslims, a minority sect. they are on high alert for sectarian violence. tensions have been rising since last month with a sunni muslim was killed. >>> japan plans to resume development aid to myanmar as they take steps towards democracy. the yen loans have been suspended since the 1980s. >> translator: building infrastructure is essential to accelerate myanmar's democratic reform. resuming yen loans will help the move. >> japanese foreign minister koichiro gemba says adjustments are being made to restart yen loans in april. when myanmar's president thein sein visits. he added the government will grant 5 billion yen or $62 million in march. the humanitarian aid is intended to help myanmar's recovery from floods last year and provide food to ethnic minorities. gemba says he believes myanmar's efforts toward democratization and national reconciliation are real. >>> a japanese equipment maker plans to test cell sheets to restore weakened heart muscle

. >> a specialist in corporate finance told nhk that including donations in utility charges is undesirable. >> translator: the cost should not have been passed on to electricity users in the first place. the central government must make the firms disclose the flow of money. >> an expert panel of the ministry of economy trade ministry and tourism has been reviewed the way power companies charge consumers. the panel said that donations should not be included in user fees. the ministry hopes to decide on the report by the end of march. >>> south korea and turkey have agreed to resume negotiations on stalled projects to rebuild nuclear reactors on turkey's black seacoast. there was a talk on sunday. turkey plans to build a facility in the area along the black seacoast. the country has a growing economy and is faced with increasing demand with electricity. the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in june 2010 to prepare for the construction project. however, talks broke down in november of the same year after the two sides failed to resolve key differences. japan then tried to rep

nhk has found that eight flu patients in their 80s and 90s at extended care homes and hospitals suffered complications and died. health officials warn that the fatalities among elderly tend to die when it spreads widely. >> translator: elderly people are more prone to catch the flu. sometimes their health will worsen. eventually a few may not ro recover and die. we urge staff working at extended care homes to try hard to prevent group infections. >> the institute forecast the number of flu patients will increase before the winter is over. rachel ferguson is up next with weather. >>> let's take a look and see what the weekend has in store in terms of weather. if we flick forward to japan, things are look better across the country. we're back to our usual wintry pattern which means the snow will be found along the northwestern coast. the pacific edge and also the west now looking dry and we'll be getting warmer, too. so high pressure is moving in to help to push out all the arctic air. very, very cold today across much of the country. as we head into the weekend temperatures will be recove

nhk has found that eight flu patients in their 80s and 90s at six hospitals and extended care homes suffered complications and died. health officials warned that fatalities among elderly tend to rise when seasonal type a flu spreads widely like this winter. >> translator: elderly people are more prone to catch the flu. sometimes their health will then worsen and they will develop knpneumoni pneumonia. a few may not ror and die. we urge staff at group care homes to try hard to prevent infections. >> the institute forecasts the number of flu patients will increase further before the winter is over. >>> rachel ferguson is up next with weather. >>> let's take a look and see what the weekend has in store in terms of weather. if we flick forward to japan things are looking a little better now across much of the country. we're back to our usual wintry pattern which means the snow's going to be found along the northwestern coast. the pacific edge and also the west now looking dry and will be getting a little bit warmer, too. so high pressure is moving in to help to push out all that arctic air. very

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