five years on a moment of silence to remember the japanese earthquake and tsunami that killed over 18,000 people. hello. welcome. i'm peter dobbie. you're watching al jazeera. also ahead on this program, donald trump is asked to address comments he made claiming islam hates the u.s. fall from grace, brazilian prosecutors call for the arrest of the former president after he is charged with money

laureneding. new claims of sex claims angers china against japan. japan is marking the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people. they're being remembered at ceremonies across the country. in tokyo a minute's silence was held starting the moment the disaster hit. it also caused the worst nuclear accident when it took on the out the nuclear plant at fukushima. >> translation: japan would like to continue informing people around the world about

the lesson we learned from the disaster. we would like to bolster international cooperation by sharing our researches and technology what happened on this day five years ago. the magnitude 9 earthquake struck at 6.42 in the afternoon after the coast of japan. it lasted six minutes and set-off a tsunami that crested as high as 40 metres. almost 18,500 died two and a half thousand of them haven't been found. 166,000 tons of radio active debris was produced. 700,000 tons of radio water, 3400 tons of newly contaminated water is added every single day as a consequence of the clean up operation. overall, the disaster produced 20 million tons of debris.

five years on, what do people feel the legacy of fukushima is today? >> reporter: for many people it's a legacy of grief, of absence in the lives of their loved ones which they feel very much strongly today as they did in the days after the disaster. that's something that you hear going up and down this coast and so when at 2.46 a little over an hour ago people gathered here on this mound and heard that tsunami siren blaring, it really was a stark reminder trant porting people back to the moments after the earthquake before they knew what was going to be coming in the next few minutes in terms of a giant wave that swammed this place. this is a flat area of japan.

we are here on i man-made mound which they used to lookout to sea. the densely-packed housing what simply swept aside. 950 people died you just here in this area. it is here where you will remember those aerial images that came out, broadcast live as the wave was first coming in and people understood about what was unfolding here given the time between then and now, do people, do the voters trust the politicians, do they trust the energy companies to get it right if there's something similar in the future? >> reporter: if you go by the surveys, if you go by what has happened in the last couple of days, the answer in the majority would be no. most japanese people, 50 to 60%, according to most recent surveys

they are against the policy to restart plants around japan. one of the two power plants which it has been able to open under more strict safety standards since the disaster was told by a district court in western japan to shut down and that was because locals were not convinced by the sorts of safety measure $that were put in place. they lodged this legal action against the power company and the court ruled in their favor, which was an unexpected decision and one which makes the whole process of starting the system, which it is said the economy needs fuel to power the economy. the situation in fukushima continues. there has been problems in terms of the build-up of radio active water. the fact that 100,000 people still can't return to their

homes because many of those homes are inside the exclusion zones which still obtain around fukushima power station. the situation five years on is serious for tens of thousands of people around this region as it was in the early days of the disaster thanks very much. prosecutors in brazil have called for arrest of the former president. charges include money laundering and identity fraud over concealing ownership of the beach front apartment. our correspondent with more. >> reporter: he was known as the politician with the teflon shield, a shield that for years prevented scores of corruption charges from sticking. that is, until now. >> translation: money

laundering, identity fraud in the crime of money laundering, participation in money laundering. >> reporter: with that, the state prosecutor charged brazil's powerful former president and his wife and son, and called for him to be put into preventive custody while the case moves forward. until recently brazil's former leftist president was one of the most respected politicians, credited with taking 30 million brazilians out of poverty. that was before his successor oversaw the collapse of the economy and the rise of a substantive stream of corruption scandals with billions of dollars that go back to his administration. he is accused of having received

a large apartment from a construction company in exchange for political favours. >> translation: whilst millions of families were left without their apartments, whilst millions were prevented of owning their own houses, one has received such a large apartment. this has been presented to the tribunal. >> reporter: he denies the charges which may be just the tip of the iceberg. >> he is under indictment for corruption, money laundering in this state of st paolo. he remains under investigation on the much larger federal case that has already cost sentences to about 80 people. >> reporter: whether a judge issues an arrest warrant or not, his teflon shield has been

damaged as he fights for his political future the european union hopes to begin locating thousands of refugees from greece. the european commission has come up with a scheme to resettle 6,000 refugees a month to greece to other-- from greece to other member states. the mission will focus on port augusta-- people must go listening. >> we have increased the area of operation. we have moved into greek and turkish territorial waters. we have started to focus on the area around the greek island of lesbos. we are planning to move further south in the coming days and weeks the german chancellor says the crisis is showing signs of improving. there has been an increase in

the number of refugees returning home. >> translation: at the moment 3,000 are returning to iraq every month. it is an upward trend after the cities are liberated from i.s.i.l. they say we with live with our families in peace. some go back to their families who did not arrive here. that means it is not the case that all refugees must stay. we must also prepare them for a life back in their countries plenty more coming up >> some things we will never agree on, whose beer is better, who is better at hockey the warming of relations between the u.s. and canada. >> reporter: i'm in pakistan and we will tell you why the city's

most famous blue glass maker is thrilled sanctions have been lifted.

>> the only live national news show at 11:00 eastern. >> we start with breaking news. >> let's take a closer look. welcome back. the top stories from al jazeera. japan marking the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people. e.u. leaders have been meeting to discuss a land to relocate at least 6,000 refugees per month from greece. nato is sending five warships to the aegean to clamp down on people smuggling. prosecutors are calling for the arrest of the former president

for money laundering there were no insults and generally everyone behaved themselves at the latest republican debate in the u.s. donald trump left the stage undamaged, despite the fact that marco rubio was seen as having the home advantage. mr trump was pressed on his rhetoric on islam. >> reporter: previous republican debates have been nasty and loud. perhaps at candidates are aaware of the damage that is causing to themselves and their party. this was much more measured and calm. that's not to say there were not attacks. ted cruz went after donald trump on the fact that he doesn't give details of some of the things he says. he insists it is time to get beyond the sound bites an give details on how to solve problems rather than saying you have to prove china. marco rubio had a goodnight. he was playing in his home state. he took donald trump to school

on the issue of america opening up relations with kooub. he pointed out the weaknesses he seas. you don't tend to shine as once when everyone is being calm. his home state ohio is one of those that will vote on tuesday. this was a very interesting debate. donald trump didn't do badly but he didn't do brilliantly either. his supporters tend not to care what he says in the debates rather than how he says it and that he says it with force and with passion. they respond to that and they have responded to that. so the fact that ted cruz and marco rubio had good nights and john kasich not so much it only makes tuesday that much more interesting going back to our top story now, marking five years since the earth quake and tsunami in japan. we have the deputy project

director from japan. this will take 40 years to get rid of all the toxic waste. it was a game changer. is there anything positive at all out of the events of five years ago. >> yes. today i just join the come memorandum registration-- comemoration service. to join the people. many sad news and then the sad news continues. there are some parts of the fukushima people, creating new life by themselves. also renewable energy in replacement of nuclear energy is booming in japan there were claims not so very long after the tsunami him of corporate indifference, the

finer-tuned points of why it happened pointed a finger at corporate indifference. has that now improved for the better. the situation not so much changed, but the one thing is that is to remember is what started as a natural disaster turned into the one of the worst industrial accident in human history. that is the fukushima disaster which is still ongoing. the situation now is still the same. the company and the national japanese government hasn't taken full responsibility of what they proposal owed and what they caused for there were also-- proppeded and what they caused for the uranium business, has it altered its practices. people said there should be a stricter system of checks and

balances in place. >> it is about each country. it needs to think about how to support their energy system. in japan that one thing is so clear five years from the disaster, it is the nuclear energy, the nuclear doesn't have any place in japan to play on. right now and in the future as well there is a little bit of a contradiction here. if we look at the broader picture and the questions asked about nuclear power five years on, in the aftermath of fukushima, the german government said they will put the plug on nuclear power and yet u.k. is moving ahead for more nuclear power, the french and spanish they also like nuclear power, having cheap electricity. how is that conundrum to be squared? >> reporter: if you look at what

is the sequence, the disaster, it is one thing so sure, nuclear is not cheap at all because still five years after can 100,000 people still cannot go back to home that once it is rich culture and then industry rich place for agriculture and tourism, it is nobody as land. the government wants to promote the nuclear energy and then there's a name of cheap electricity, i think it's that there are dreaming thank you very much. the canadian prime minister and president have been demonstrating the warming of relations between their two countries in a state dinner in washington mutual concerns of trade and environment dominated

their discussions. >> reporter: it has been nearly 20 years since the leader of america's northern neighbor last received the red treatment at the white house. justin trudeaux lent a bit of ghanner as he bsh bsh glam mer at the crowd at the white house. they had banter over the relationsh country's relationship. >> there are things we will never agree on, probably, whose better beer is better, who is better at hockey. >> reporter: relations between the neighbors have many ups and you down. justin's father visited the white house in the 70s and 80s.

richard nixon once belittlingd him describing him as a pompous egg head. can danned the u.s. have agreed to work together in implementing the paris agreement to kerb greenhouse gasses. >> we will take ambitious action to reduce methane emissions by hassle from the oil and gas sector, reduce emissions, and align emissions standards for heavy vehicles. >> reporter: it is not often a canadian prime minister gets this much attention in the u.s. shirtless pictures have helped win over followers, but this offers a role model for international leadership >> his offers to the syrian

refugees, it is nice and inspiring especially since everything that is happening here and politicians not wanting to let in the refugees. >> reporter: with obama due to leave the white house in just ten months, trudeaux can only holds up with the next president, whoever that might be, when the question of a possible donald trump is president came up at a news conference, the canadian prime minister showed a diplomatic dodge to the middle east, tens of thousands of palestinian teachers have been on strike for a month. they're pushing for better conditions that they were promised years ago they say >> reporter: this is a father of seven. for at least 20 years he has been a taxi driver. but it's not his chosen profession. he is actually a physical education teacher in the palestinian state education system. he says the days when he could get by on his salary alone are long gone. >> translation: prices keep

rising, but my salary stayed the same. i've been teaching for 31 years now and my basic salary is still just $600. i've put all my children through university but with tuition, transport, books and other expenses, it has been very, very hard. >> reporter: right now like thousands of others across the occupied west bank, he is at strike, turning up at school but not teaching. they say it's their only way of receiving a pay rise, structured promotions and new elections for a teachers union. >> reporter: having to do two jobs is far from unusual. many teachers complain they're treated worse than other employees of the palestinian authority. they have mounted a challenge to the government that few people saw coming. protests have gone ahead despite security forces trying to stop teachers reaching the rallies. the government threatened pun pif methods because the walk out is not organized by the official

union. campaigners have written to the president warning of unrest if he doesn't intervene to help the teachers. >> the methods that the teachers resored to are totally legal, civilised, peaceful, just asking for a response to their demands. while the government in every single step they were behaving in violation of our basic law, our constitution >> reporter: he says the government has forced him and his colleagues to go on strike. a large majority back them. what happens next could have repercussions for the whole of the palestinian authority businesses and shop keepers across afghanistan are welcoming the lifting of sanctions. one city can expand the economic influence in the region.

>> reporter: a molten blob of glass, a few puffs of air and sculpting. this is how he crafts this famous blue glass. he has done it for 50 years, but rarely has he been more optimistic about his business thanks to the recent lifting of economic sanctions against neighbors iran. >> we were very happy. we are always happy when things improve in iran. he is among traders here who say sanctions against iran damage the economy in the area. afghanistan's western trade hub that has long held cultural links to its neighbor and

heavily dependent on products, either imported through or made in iran. it is amazing when you walk around here how many products you find that are made in iran. look at this. laundry detergent, dish washing liquid, hand soap, glass keener, candy, chocolate, all of it made in iraq. even iranian music fills the streets here. >> translation: it was heart, importing goods were hard. many were smuggled. now it is easier to get products. >> translation: when iran was under sanction, it affected economy in a negative way >> reporter: from the chamber of commerce, this member says the lifting of sanctions means more legal products bought, using money safely transferred through banks. >> translation: when merchants can use the service of banks, the price for the product goes

down. it means consumer pay less for the products with higher quality. >> reporter: traders here are also eager to use iran as a transit point to export this city's products, it's famous marble, dried fruit, spices, and this man's blue glass, potentially a badly-needed boost for this struggling economy a controversial korean movie some years in the making has hit the screen in the u.s., it's called spirits home coming. it deals with the issue of comfort women. it has reignited anger against japan. >> reporter: spirits home coming is inspired by the true story of one surviving comfort woman forced into sexual slavery when she was 16 years old. the movie's preview in seoul was

attended by some of the few comfort women still alive. the box office success is all the more remarkable because of the long struggle to complete the film. 14 years in the making, the director managed to raise the remaining budget through online crowd funding of thousands of individual donations. >> translation: i think the movie was made thanks to the will of the people to get the plot of the movie which is important. it was directly funded and produced by the people themselves. >> reporter: outside the japanese embassy a protest by supporters of korean comfort women is a weekly event. >> reporter: possibly the movie's success should not have come as a surprise where the issue of comfort women is felt so deeply. there was a deal that was meant

to resolve the matter for once and for all last year. under the deal japan apologised and set up a fund of almost $10 million dollars to help the surviving women. that has left many protesters even more enraged. >> translation: japan did not admit war crimes and says that the offer of compensation is not legal reparation. it means that japan doesn't represent legal responsibility. we demand the agreement be nullified. >> reporter: it is estimated as many as 200,000 korean women may have been forced to work in japan's war time brothels. mr people are angry at japan's response to not accept responsibility >> translation: i want god to make them pay for their atrocities. i feel the suffering of the victims. >> translation: i hope many

people watch this move because they will then understand >> reporter: clearly a painful experience, but the box office figures show how millions of koreans feel the need to go through it lots more news, of course, whenever you want it on our website. aljazeera.com. [ ♪ ] thank you for joining us on "america tonight", i'm joie chen. this is a time of year we are supposed to commemorate the achievements of women. international women's day, over 100 years old, and black history month. and while the achievements of