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tv   Newsline  KCSMMHZ  June 10, 2013 5:30pm-6:01pm PDT

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welcome to "newsline." it's a tuesday, june 11th, i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. japanese engineers may be able to start removing fuel from the reactors at the fukushima daiichi plant earlier than previously expected. officials of the government and the plant's operator say they want to speed up the process. they've drafted a new road map for getting the work done. the officials jointly released a
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revised timetable for decommissioning the four reactors damaged in the earthquake and tsunami two years ago. the plan covers various scenarios for removing the melted nuclear fuel from three of them. it calls for work to begin on separate dates for each of the reactors. engineers will start with the number one and two reactors in the year 2020 at the earliest. that's 18 months sooner than the previous plan. but work on reactor number two could be delayed until 2024. it will depend on how quickly engineers can decontaminate the reactor building. radiation levels remain high at the plant. engineers now depend on remote-controlled robots to work inside the reactors. the timetable is subject to change depending on whether they can develop new technology. officials have been facing very challenging situations. in september, a crane operator accidentally knocked a steel beam into a spent fuel pool in the building of reactor three.
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the worker was removing debris at the time. a power blackout in march caused the suspension of cooling systems for spent fuel over the course of nearly 30 hours. officials believe a rat caused a short circuit in an electric switchboard. contaminated water leaks are another problem. utility officials say groundwater is seeping into the buildings at a rate of 400 tons per day. >> translator: the more time it takes to decommission the reactors, the more risks engineers will be exposed to. they need to revise the roadmap as they go to deal with the specific difficulties they encounter and prepare backup plans. >> the biggest challenge will be to remove melted fuel from the crippled reactors. a meltdown occurred in 1979 at the three mile island nuclear plant in the united states, but the melted fuel remained within the reactor's core. the meltdowns at fukushima daiichi caused the fuel to eat through the core of the
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reactors. engineers still don't know the exact location of the melted fuel. regulators have been checking into the safety of the only operating nuclear plant in japan. they've endorsed a risk assessment by the operator of the ohi complex before stricter guidelines come into effect in july. the regulators asked the people at kansai electric to study what might happen if three active faults near the plant move simultaneously. executives from the utility initially argued that such a scenario is unlikely, but they later agreed to assess the risks. engineers calculated how much the reactor buildings would shake and what kind of tsunami they could expect. they said the reactors are almost six meters higher than any waves would be. regulators have endorsed most of kansai electric's assessments. they plan to carry out onsite inspections before deciding whether the plant can stay online.
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rescuers in mumbai, india, are searching for people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building. at least one person was killed and three others jufred. local reporters said part of a five-story residential building caved in on monday evening. fire officials rushed to the scene. now they're working with heavy machinery to pick through the debris. investigators don't yet know why it happened, but reporters said waterlogged ground could have triggered the collapse. mumbai residents have been experiencing heavy rainfall for the start of monsoon season. more than 70 people were killed in april in the nearby city of thein when nearby construction collapsed. chinese leaders say they plan to build a space station by 2020. they'll take another step in that direction this week. officials say they'll send three astronauts into orbit on tuesday.
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the shenzhou-10 spacecraft will blast off from the jiuquan satellite launch center in western china at 7:38 local time. the craft is expected to dock with the space laboratory teen gong-1. two men and one woman will take part in the 15-day mission, the longest ever by chinese astronauts. mission commander nye heche e e has been in space before. he's looking forward to going back though the mission won't be easy. abe intends to announce his
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decision at next week's g-8 summit in northern ireland. he promised to send vex and power generators. syria's civil war is expected to be one of the major issues on the g-8 agenda. the japanese government recognizes the opposition about as the legitimate representatives of they've never offer nid concrete support. abe plans to express support for lebanon and jordan. syrian refugees are straining the finances of both countries. taliban fighters have attacked the international airport in afghanistan's capital kabul. security officials say the group was targeting nato-led troops stationed nearby. the officials say seven militants staged the attack from a building about two kilometers from the airport. they fired rockets at international troops based next to the facility. security forces battled the attackers for nearly four hours. authorities say all of the taliban died in the assault. no casualties were reported.
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the taliban leader issued a statement acknowledging the attack. authorities say the outcome shows that afghan security troopses are improving their capabilities. militants have stepped up their attacks on international forces and organizations ahead of the withdrawal of most coalition troops next year. the violence has killed at least 16 people in the past month. thai police confiscated hundreds of rare and protected animals on monday. officials say it is one of the largest seizures in recent years in thailand. the country is known as a major international hub in the illegal wildlife trade. authorities found around 400 caged animals from 40 rare species during a raid on a house in eastern bangkok. among those found were white lions, indian peacocks, and reptiles. >> translator: we found out that a rare bird was going to be handed over to a buyer this morning. we blocked the sale. it is obvious this is part of
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a trafficking operation. >> according to police, the owner of the building claims the animals were being rated there before being sent on to a nearby private zoo. later, the animals would be sold to buyers in other countries. police are investigating whether international trafficking rings are involved. southeast asia is known for its rich wildlife. thailand is at the center of the region and is surrounded by some of its poorest countries. experts say that is why smugglers see thailand as the ideal hub for bringing animals to wealthy buyers. financial observers in the u.s. have cause for some optimism. analysts at rating agency standard & poor's have upgraded the country's credit outlook based on the strengthening of the economy. s&p analysts say they revised their medium term outlook for u.s. government bonds from negative to stable. they said fiscal risks have receded.
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they also cited the federal reserve's willingness to support sustainable growth. the analysts kept the u.s. debt at aa plus, the second highest rating. two years ago they downgraded it from the top level aaa rating. they said the chances of further downgrading have receded to less than one in three. u.s. president barack obama has nominated one of his longtime aides to be his chief adviser on the economy. jason fuhrman has worked alongside the president since obama first made a bid for the white house. obama appointed him as chairman of the council's economic advisers. they analyze the financial climate and advise the president on what to do. >> i'm relying on them to provide analysis and recommendations with just one thing in mind, what's going to do the most good for the most people in this country. >> he will replace alan kruger. he's served obama as his
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assistant for economic policy and he was a key figure in drafting the house reforms known as obamacare. the president said he's one of the most brilliant economic minds of his generation. fuhrman will have to go through a confirmation hearing in the senate before he can take up his post. japanese government officials had positive news on their economy. first, they said economic growth in the beginning of the year was better than initially reported. officials at the cabinet office raised their estimate of gross domestic product for january through march. the new figures suggest gdp rose by 1% compared with the final three months of last year. that's an improvement of 0.1 percentage point from the preliminary estimate. the japanese economy has grown for two quarters in a row. in annual terms, the economy expanded by 4.1%, up from the preliminary estimate of 3.5%. capital spending declined by a smaller amount than initially
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calculated. the new figures show that investments declined by 0.3% compared to the drop of 0.7% earlier reported. officials say higher stock prices and a weaker yen are benefiting the economy. but they say the government of prime minister shinzo abe must carry through with the recently announced growth strategy. they say that's necessary to encourage business leaders to increase capital spending. japanese consumers are feeling good about the economy. their confidence improved for the fifth straight month in may, reaching a six-year high. the latest data show that consumer confidence stood at 45.7. it went up 1.2 points from april. the rise is attributed to growing expectations that the government's economic poll sis and the weak yen will help improve corporate earnings. on the basis of the latest numbers the cabinet office upgraded its assessment of consumer confidence and said it's improving. officials remain cautious about the future, though. they say they'll closely monitor
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stock in currency market developments and see how they will affect consumer confidence. now, let's take a look at the market figures. people in south africa have been following the trial of the paralympic gold medalist oscar pistorius who is accused of
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shooting and killing his girlfriend. the case has highlighted the problem of gun violence. the country has one of the highest gun crime rates in world. we report from johannesburg. >> reporter: 18 people in south africa are shot to death on average every day. a u.n. survey shows the rate to be among the ten worst in the world and five times higher than in the u.s. this johannesburg resident lost her brother and a relative to shooting deaths. nine years ago her son daniel also died in a gun incident. his firearm discharged by accident. he was 16. she believes that civilians
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should not be allowed to own guns. >> i would like to see a complete ban of civilian gun ownership in this country. the less guns out there, the less gun crime there will be. >> reporter: south africa is not out of the ordinary. classes are offered which teach citizens how to use firearms. at this school, more than 300 people receive lessons every week. >> go. too slow. >> in south africa there's a lot of criminal elements. you know if you have a firearm, you could protect yourself. >> reporter: guns are a part of south africa's history. during the 19th century gold rush, white europeans poured into the region. many armed themselves for protection against majority blacks seen as a potential threat.
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when apartheid ended in 1994, authorities allowed black people to own guns. this prompted some whites to buy firearms to protect themselves. and in response, some black south africans did the same. >> the only way that our society currently knows how to deal with violence is with violence, so we have the cycle of violence. >> reporter: government authorities decided to step in. a new law came into effect in 2004. it stipulated that people meet certain requirements like attending lectures before being allowed to own a gun. this led to a decrease of more than 50% in the number of gun owners, but the number of firearms owned illegally has increased. the rate of gun-related crimes remains high. a man who spursues guns agreed o
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an interview. it isn't difficult to get a firearm without a license, once you know how. >> you need connections to get a gun. you need connections. with the right connection, you can get a gun. >> reporter: he refused to divulge how he obtains guns for selling, and he wouldn't comment on gun crimes. some south africans continue to get hold of guns through legal channels. this leaves others to acquire firearms to protect themselves from unlawful gun owners. like so many vicious cycles, once it's put into motion, it's very difficult to stop. at u toshi nishikawa, johannesburg, south african. in the final stages of world
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war ii, fierce fighting broke out in the okinawa islands in the far south of japan. later this month, events will be held to commemorate the end of the battle and to remember those who died. young okinawans are taught little about what happened in their homeland after the war, but one young teacher has been trying to find out with the help of his students. we have the story. >> reporter: this man has been teaching at this elementary school in the south okinawa main island for five years. although he was born and raised in okinawa, he studies u.s. history where they still have military base. but a recent event made him re-examine what happened in his homeland. on april 28th, the central
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government held a ceremony to commemorate the end of the u.s.-led occupation. it was on that date in 1952, seven years after the end of the war, that japan began its sovereignty. however, the u.s. continued to administer okinawa for another 20 years until 1972. many okinawans have protested on april 28th calling it a date of humiliati humiliation. >> translator: my generation doesn't feel like it's anything to do with that. but this is our home and it's part of the history, so i think we must be aware of it. >> reporter: he needed to educate himself about what happened in okinawa. he visited an exhibition which showed how, after the war, the
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u.s. military bases were enlarged and ordinary okinawans were not protected by japanese law. he also spoke with a former teacher about what things were like working under u.s. rule. he has used this research in his classroom. on this day, the topic in his class is okinawa, caught between the u.s. and the japan. >> translator: may 15th, 1972, this was the day that okinawa was returned to japan. what would have happened if they hadn't been returned? yes, still part of the u.s. >> reporter: to illustrate the way people felt when okinawa was returned to japan, he shows the students three photos taken in
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foreign places on the same day. in tokyo, people are cheering banzai, in syria's capital naha, people are also cheering, but in a nearby park people have their fists raised in anger. >> translator: some people were happy that okinawa had returned to japan, but others protested because they realized the u.s. military bases would remain, that their voices were not being heard, and that new problems would arise in the future. >> translator: i think they were happy to be part of japan but opposed to the military bases. >> translator: they were shouting banzai, but inside i think they must have felt betrayed. >> translator: once you know the facts, you can start to see for
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yourself, are things really good? what changes should we make? i want each of you to make up your own mind. >> reporter: a generation has grown up in okinawa unaware of its post war history. now they are beginning to look back as they search for solutions to present day problems. marico nakamura, nhk world, okinawa. railway officials in tokyo have launched a new safety campaign. they want travelers to watch their surroundings instead of their smartphones. commuters at tokyo's busiest station shinjuku saw posters warning them to keep their cell phones in their pockets. a primary schoolboy recently fell off the platform while
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looking at his device. he suffered minor injuries. transport ministry officials say at least 18 people had similar experiences in fiscal 2011. >> translator: as i'm with my child, i wait for people checking their phones to walk past me first. >> one researcher said that more than 60% of respondents said people using smartphones had bumped into them. inventors in japan have developed a vehicle that's giving new opportunities to people with disabilities. they've created a wheelchair that can travel on sand, gravel and other uneven terrain. engineers from a snowmobile company came up with the design. they made the tires five times wider than those of conventional wheelchairs, and they added a handlebar so that caregivers can pull as well as push. elderly people from a facility in central japan put the new chairs to the test.
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they toured the the highland in japan's northern alps. >> translator: it's such a wonderful invention. now i can take my husband anywhere. >> reporter: the inventors say they hope their wheelchairs will give elderly people and people with disabilities the chance to see more nature. a check on world weather. it seems there's a storm heading towards japan. what's the latest? >> good morning, catherine. yes, there's a tropical storm over water already now directing affecting japan. heading toward the pacific coast of this country, it has now picked up its pace at 25 kilometers per hour. the bad news is that it's going to decrease its speed, which means that the stormy weather will be lingering here and it will be a prolonged event. already the gusts are up to 126 kilometers. that's kicking up the waves of the coastal regions, already at
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4 meters high. due to this stationary boundary moved to the north from this system. so this is quite active now. it finally looks like the typical rainy season and kyushu has been battered with heavy rainfall. 240 millimeters in the past 48 hours. any additional rain could cause flooding as well as mud slides across the region. pacific coast will start to see the heavy rain along wednesday or tuesday. and that includes contour region which includes tokyo as well. they'll start to see the moderate rain starting this afternoon. the northern half of the country is dominated with the high pressure ahead which is making things very dry and hot. now seoul was really hot for the past six days with 30 degrees or even more continuing for the whole week. finally this rain will come in and ease those temperatures down to about 26 degrees. towards the south, heavier rain is here at guangdong province
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will see the are then shall rainfall. talking about the rain, flooding is still really not alleviated yet here in thailand. i want to show you video coming up from this district. locals and holidaymakers in phuket have had flash floods to deal with. torrential rains triggered by a strong southwest monsoon. drivers found many roads completely under water. emergency services are on stand by to help anyone in trouble. it looks like a devastating situation, but it is going to continue, unfortunately, with these heavy rain hovering these regions. bangkok at 35 degrees and chances of scattered thunderstorms as well. seoul at 26, as i mentioned down from the 30s, finally a relief there. 32 in hokkaido. well above the range.
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moving over to the north american continent, the western half is still dealing with really hot fire weather and towards the east, we're seeing severe weather. in manitoba, we do have severe weather warnings still posted. that's going to shift towards the east to the upper midwest on tuesday. but already seeing the severe weather active across the eastern half. and that includes the new england states with heavy rain, sudden bursts of showers, thundershowers that are capable of unleashing tornadoes. we have six reports of tornado touchdowns in the mid-atlantic and new england states. towards the eastern half, you can see the temperatures rise in phoenix at 46 degrees. really stay indoors, stay hydrated and do not leave your children or pets inside the car. it only takes ten minutes for the inside of the car to heat ten degrees. i'll leave you now for the extended forecast.
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and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.
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