mad cow concern. u.s. authorities find their first case of bse since 2006. and try to reassure consumers in key markets about the safety of american beef. welcome to nhk world "newsline." experts in the united states have identified bse in a dairy cow in california. the announcement is parking worries among people who eat american beef. but u.s. officials insist the meat and dairy that comes from their country's cows poses no health risk. experts with the department of agriculture identified the disease during routine testing. they assured consumers and global importers that the cows' meat never made it onto the market. >> we will complete an investigation into this

particular case, and -- but there should be no concern as indicated about the safety of our food supply. and so the finding of this case should not affect our international trade. >> u.s. officials say their beef complies with international safety standards. clifford said his department has begun notifying the world organization for animal health as well as u.s. trading partners. the latest discovery of bse in the u.s. is creating rip pps in south korea. nhk world anna jung reports on the reaction. >> reporter: this case has been getting wide coverage in south korea. some leading supermarkets have bowed to public concerns by removing u.s. beef from their shelves. >> translator: i'm worried about bse as i have kids. i wish the bse problem will be resolved soon. >> translator: i thought u.s. beef sales would grow after the fda agreement.

but now i'm concerned they won't. i'm anxious because the economy is not good right now. >> reporter: south korea's food and agriculture ministry announced on wednesday that the latest bse case is not directly linked to any imported beef. they say the onl brings in meat from u.s. cattle younger than 30 months of age. scientists found the latest bse case in an older dairy cow whose beef wasn'tut on the market. the announcement said bse pathogens are known to accumulate are removed from the first shipment. the government said it will check the details of the latest discovery and step up checks on u.s. beef imports. president myung bak decided to resume u.s. beef imports, and many people argued the beef was not safe.

and the government faced massive protests when south korea decided to hold a free trade agreement with the u.s. south korea imported some 107,000 tons of u.s. beef last year. but the amount of beef might grow if south korea lifts a tariff on u.s. beef following the free trade pact. south korea will continue to carefully watch the situation in the u.s. >> anna jung in new york. a reporter told us how the bse case might play out in japan. >> members of the government food safety panel are considering changing the age limit on cattle that provide beef for imports. right now it's set at 20 months, but health ministry officials are considering raising that age limit to 30 months which is in line with international standards. but that process could be affected by this bse development. and also, the discovery could have an impact on international

trade talks, free trade talks, that is. japan is looking into joining the transpacific partnership, also known as tpp, which is a stusmt-led trade framer. japan has had import restrictions in place on american beef since the first u.s. mad cow case in 2003. but american officials are pushing for those restrictions to be lifted, and they've even flagged them as a possible issue for tpp negotiations. however, japan's top government spokesperson said the mad cow case won't affect tpp talks. >> translator: mad cow disease is being examined based on the scientific knowledge. we shouldn't mix up the bse problem and the tpp discussions. we need to understand that they are totally different issues. >> so what are the next steps to the key events in the tpp process? >> well, prime minister yoshihiko noda meets with

president barack obama in washington. two weeks later they get together in dallas, texas, to hold another round of negotiations. they want to have an agreement in place by the end of in this year. but the pace of the talks has been slower than expected. south korean government officials say eight north koreans who escaped a work site in russia are starting new lives. the refugees arrived this month in south korea. 32 others are expected to follow. the officials say authorities in north korea sent the group to the rirn region of siberia. they confirmed the north koreans fled and gained refugee status from a u.n. agency. human rights activists in south korea have been hold i rallies urging chinese leaders not to send people who leave the north back. the activists say they'll keep

watching the chinese and russian governments and pressure them to act humanely on this issue. tokyo police have begun investigating alleged losses of over $1.2 billion by aij investment advisers. they're interviewing clients of the pension fund's aij managed. police started the probe on tuesday to find out what the firm said to win contracts. investigators suspect aij committed fraud by falsifying investment statements and hiding losses while soliciting new clients. they also expect violations in the exchange law. the president gave sworn testimony before the upper house financial affairs committee on tuesday. he admitted to fabricating stories about the firm's success while insisting he didn't intend to deceive clients. the police plan to coordinate with the securities and exchange commission which is also investigating aij.

engineers in finland are engaged in a groundbreaking project. they're building the world's first permanent site for disposing of nuclear fuel. the facility will need to contain the hazardous waste for up to 100,000 years. that's how long it takes for radiation to decrease to a level at which it's safe. the accident at fukushima forced government officials around the world to rethink their approach to nuclear power. france is a global leader in nuclear energy. authorities there have selected a potential disposal site. they say that the facility will be operational by 2025. german officials have decided on a location, but they put those plans on hold after fukushima. officials in the united states were considering a facility in nevada. but those plans are also on hold, having been blocked by the obama administration. authorities in japan intend to build a disposal facility, but have yet to decide on a location.

the counterparts in finland are well on their way. engineers have already started excavating on underground facility. >> reporter: the final solution, deep below ground in finland, workers are digging a permanent disposal site for spent nuclear fuel. the work is taking place near a small town about 200 kilometers from the capital helsinkhelsink. the government chose the site in 2000, after surveying about 100 locations around the country. the construction work is being done by a company set up by two finnish power companies. the company is digging into hard bedrock 420 meters down. it states this is deep enough to protect the waste, even from another ice age. when they heat the bottom, they

will take horizontal tunnels to store the waste. the government plans to start burying nuclear waste in 2020. and continue for 100 years. the spent fuel will be taken from seven reactors around the country. these canisters made of cast iron and copper will hold up to 12,000 pounds of waste, and are designed to resist corrosion. in 2120, the holes will be filled in, and the land restored to forest. then the wait begins for the radioactivity to decay, 100,000 years. >> we are considering the next coming 100,000 years. >> reporter: the government chose the site because of the hard bedrock. they examined the ground's structure. the survey found that this area has not experienced volcanic

activity or a large earthquake for over 1 billion years. the finnish government has taken a clear stand on nuclear waste. countries that generate it should be responsible for its disposal. this is a small town of just 6,000. the taxes paid by the nuclear industry account for 30% of its revenue. >> translator: if we have the disposal facility, we will be able to provide better services, compared to other towns of our size. that includes health care, social security, education, and housing. >> reporter: this family lives about 20 kilometers from the plant's site. like many people in the area, they agree with the policy of being responsible for disposing of nuclear waste. >> translator: finland has built nuclear power plants and are using them so we need to build

final disposal sites as well. >> reporter: but how can the site's safety be assured so far into the future. some people have doubts. michael is the director of company that raises hard question about the project. one is communication. how do we warn people of the danger under their feet 100,000 years into the future. >> and obviously you see when you go 100,000 years back in the past, we come to all ancestors in africa, and we also cover as we go along all answers in europe, in the form of the neanderthal man. it is difficult to explain to these people something with nuclear waste. >> it is the first time in human history that we are producing

something that has consequences for at least 3,000 generations into the future. you can say that nuclear energy is the technological achievement, it stands on all our knowledge. at the same time you have this kind of, you can say darkness concerning this time span that you don't know how to deal with really. >> reporter: finland is entering uncharted territory. human technology has never been tested on such a time scale. and only time will tell if they have solved the problem of nuclear waste, or simply covered it up. nhk world. a japanese government panel has drawn up a plan for power firms to buy electricity

generated from the renewable energy sources. purchase prices have also been proposed. the panel of experts under the ministry of economy trade and industry presented the plan on tariffs, and said the price for one kilowatt hour of solar powered electricity will be about 52 cents. this applies to solar powered electricity generated at all types of facilities, including those at homes. the price level is about the same as power companies requested. the price for wind-powered electricity generated at large-scale facilities will be about 28 cents per kilowatt hour. geothermal powered will be about 34 cents. the panel is to hold another meeting on friday to compile the formal plan. accusing the south korean steel maker of improperly acquiring the japanese firm's technology. nippon steel is seeking around $1.2 billion in damages, mainly from posco in a lawsuit filed with the tokyo district court.

the japanese firm says it has been asking posco to stop making steel products that are used in transformers. nippon steel believes posco has been producing them using the japanese firm's technology which was illicitly obtained through a former engineer at the japanese steelmaker. nippon steel says it took the legal action as it saw no other way to resolve the dispute. it's also demanding that posco stop production and sales of the product in question. posco says it's looking into nippon steel's claims. thousands of people from japan's farming sector rallied in tokyo. they're urging the government not to take part in the talks under the free trade deal. the main organizer says more than 3,000 people gathered at the rally. >> translator: the tpp requires the abolition of tariffs on all trade items and a change in the

domestic laws for the worse. it would be a big blow to farmers in the country. that's obvious. >> the resolution was adopted to de mapped information disclosure on the tpp. the statement says if the government decides to join the trade discussions without a national debate, it would constitute an act of public betrayal. japan has been in talks with nine countries involved in the u.s.-led tpp negotiations. the issue is expect to be discussed at the japan-u.s. summit meeting in washington scheduled for monday. nissan will resume production of a luxury sedan. competition from foreign carmakers escalates. nissan unveiled a new sima. it used to be sold under the infinity brand in the sufficient. cima was originally launched in 1988 during japan's asset bubble. annual sales had topped 36 units at one point, but sales have

since declined, and this forced nissan to stop production in august of 2010. but the automaker decided to resurrect the model to boost its luxury lineup. the new cima is a hybrid model. to achieve its dplolsy surface, a special hand-polishing process was adopted. the model can travel at least 16 kilometers on a liter of gasoline. its price is about $90,000, which is the highest among nissan's luxury sedans. the automaker took the move as upscale imports are becoming more popular in japan. >> translator: with this new model, we want to increase the number of people who drive our cars. we aim to raise our domestic market share of new car sales to over 14% this fiscal year. people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of the 2011 disaster,

but it won't be easy. they have to rebuild homes, businesses, entire communities. we'll show you their struggles, and their successes on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." the people who run a denim factory in northeastern japan are proving just as durable as the product they produce. last year's tsunami also put them out of business. but they made a comeback, and on today's "road ahead" they show us how they're giving back to the friends who helped them get back on their feet, and to their hometown. nhk world has the story. >> reporter: it doesn't look like much. just a small building overlooking the pacific ocean. but inside, a team of workers is busy making some of the best

quality denim in the world. this factory produces jeans for big name companies, levi, wrangler, edwin. this worker and her three sons are passionate about their work. even more so since they rebuilt their company following japan's 2011 disaster. >> translator: we're doing our best to pay back the world and our country by producing high-quality made-in-japan products. >> reporter: the march 11th, 2011, tsunami washed away their warehouse. 10,000 denim products gone. she also lost her home. only the factory remained. but it had no electricity, and no water.

so she turned the building into a temporary evacuation site right away. then in early april she restarted her factory. some fishermen who were staying with her brought two generators, enough power to get sewing machines sewing again. >> translator: when the light was lit, everybody shed tears of joy. we all patted each other's shoulders, hugged each other and said, we are on our way to reconstruction. >> reporter: local fishermen gave her even more encouragement. they found some jeans the tsunami washed away up in the mountains. aside from a little dirt, they were ready to wear. no holes, no rips, not even a stitch had come undone.

so now she and her team are hard at work on their latest projects. paying back the fishermen who helped her start up again. they are creating a new brand using materials strongly connected with the fishery. a fisherman is helping out. she stayed at her factory when it was an evacuation center. he donated something he calls special, a banner from his boat that's meant to help bring in a good catch. it's giving a new life to the banner, and to other fishing products the tsunami damaged.

she's combining them with her company's signature denim fabric. >> translator: we can't just stop here. during the first year of reconstruction, i hope to have created work which will last for two, five, or ten years, or even through the next generation. >> reporter: oikawa survived the tsunami and is trying to thrive again. she knows the power of the ocean. it can take away precious things, she says, but it also gives blessings. nhk world, kesanuma. here are the latest market figures.

cloudy skies in tokyo, and possibly rain in the forecast. robert speta with more. robert? >> yes, we are seeing cloudy skies across eastern japan today. it looks like rain is pushing in from the west. already in the korean peninsula, you have been seeing rain showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. and down in the west, 132 millimeters was recorded in the past 24 hours. but look at this, there is a frontal position moving off towards the east. this is bringing squally weather with thunderstorms, and even a

threat of tornadoes across the southern japanese island. so that cannot be ruled out into the overnight hours before this continues to push off towards the east. bringing rain showers throughout the day on thursday across tokyo. so be sure to have your umbrella handy as these rains will continue to pick up into the evening hours. behind this high pressure is ridging in, bringing fair weather out towards the korean peninsula and western japan by thursday night. now, down towards the south, we are seeing dry weather. a few pop-up thundershowers, but for the most part it is dry with temperatures soaring all the way up to 39 there in bangkok. manila at 36. shanghai at 24. into the americas, off to the west, we're actually talking about several low pressure systems. this one off to the northwest. this is moving onshore bringing snowfall there actually towards the sierra nevada mountains.

and rainfall in some portions of the rockies here. and this is combining with the snow melt, bringing the risk of flash floods there in western washington and northern portions of idaho. while we also are seeing moisture surging out of the tropics down towards the south in southern california, you could be seeing rain showers throughout your wednesday. so be sure to slow down on some of the roads here as it could get rather slick. into the east, we continue to watch this low pressure system moving off towards the northeast, bringing rain to quebec. behind it, cold air is spilling in out of canada. we've been talking about this warm air down towards the south throughout this week, surging in from the south. and these two will be colliding here in the ohio river valley, and also much of the midwest creating a battlefield of severe weather. i'm talking about large hail, windy conditions, wind gusts topping up in storm force. and also the threat of tornadoes cannot be ruled out here, anywhere in the red out across much of the midwest. temperatures are shaping up like this.

in los angeles at -- ---denver at 28. north of that jet stream in winnipeg, 18-degree drop there. in the east in atlanta at 28, and in washington at 21. now into europe, we're also talking about the jet stream. several systems are running across it here. we have the one across eastern europe. that's bringing rain showers, and actually across much of the balkans, you're seeing a few flareups of thunderstorms. this should dissipate by thursday morning. the big topic is this one right here, this large storm system bringing heavy rains out there towards the british isles and also windy conditions. 72-kilometer-per hour winds. and four to five meter waves across northern spain. so a very foul weather condition setting up here. now, east of this jet stream, warmer weather, though. look at these. moscow and also kiev, 23 degrees there. very warm out there.

about 7 to 8 degrees above your normal average temperature. into the east in london and paris at 13 and 17. here's a look at your extended outlook.

we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo. thank you for joining us on nhk world.