hello there and welcome to "newsline." it's wednesday, april 15th, i'm catherine kobayashi. >> an asean na airlines play has skidded off a runway in western japan. the passengers and crew were evacuated. more than 20 people were injured. investigators in japan and south korea will begin their probe on wednesday. transport officials say the air bus a 320 came to a stop facing the opposite direction on tuesday. they say there was a report that the tail section of the plane touched the runway during landing triggering sparks.

they add the engine on the left side and part of the wing have been damaged. 74 passengers and 8 crew members were on board. 46 are from japan. others are from such countries as china, south korea, the united states, canada and sweden. they say 22 people suffered injuries. mostly minor. >> the plane started rattling. i looked outside and saw the wing was broken. >> translator: i saw fire coming out. and smelled some burning. >> translator: the plane dropped suddenly before it landed. >> asean airlines flight 162 originated from south korea. officials suspect the jet flew at an abnormally low altitude before skidding off the runway. the plane apparently clipped a

communications structure 300 meters from the runway. and they also found a fragment of the structure on the aircraft's left wheel. the facility is about 6 meters high, much lower than the usual flight course of planes. the runway has been closed since tuesday night and don't know when it will be reopened. dozens of flights have already been canceled. airlines fear more cancellations. the international monetary fund has kept is forecast for this year's global economic growth unchanged but updated japan's growth. ai uchida joins us. give us the details. >> they release every few months. the last one was out in january and they lowered the outlook for japan to 0.6%. now it says the economy will grow 1% in 2015. they predict the weaker yen will

push up exports. and the imf produced it's latest outlook on tuesday saying the global economy will increase 2.5% this year. and they project the u.s. economy will grow 3.1% which was described as robust. still down .5% as it expects rapidly rising value of the dollar to reduce exports. for the japanese economy the iff says a boost will come from increase in wage and stock prices as well as the falling price of crude oil. however the imf notes japan has not reached its target of 2%. >> i think it is good news. clearly for the euro zone and japan it is going to help. being more competitive will eventually increase exports. what we've learned is that the process is a f but it typically happens -- >> they said monetary policies

in japan and the euro zone will help improve their competitiveness and eventually increase their exports. u.s. retailers had a strong month in march. sales rose for the first time in 4 months as americans bought more cars and auto parts. the u.s. commerce department says retail sails came in about $440 billion. that is up 0.9% from february. the three months before march saw declines mainly due to plunging gasoline prices and a cold winter. americans spent less at the gas pump last month but that was off set by strong sales of vehicles and auto parts. department furniture and home improvement stores were busier as consumers returned during the winter thaw. still the retaillil sales came in weaker. and the dow jones industrial

average up 1/3 of a percent and the tech heavy nasdaq down .2%. let's go to ramin mellegard. from the tokyo stock exchange. what are you seeing this morning. >> you mentioned retail sales in the u.s. and a little bit less than spectacular, to put it that way. and we did see a slight drop in the dollar as well. let's see how that is effecting the nikkei and topix for wednesday april 15th. both down the negative of a a .25%. and the nikkei ended flat on tuesday, pretty similar to trading monday as well. investors really seem to be reluctant to take that next step after the recent record gains we've seen. exporters also may be in for a little bit of a negative sentiment as we've seen the dollar falling against the yen. it is now at the mid to lower 119 yen levels. retail sales and imf cut in growth forecast for the u.s.

economy that you also mentioned ai, also pushing the dollar lower. the euro edged up against the dollar despite concerns about greece and the yen from two year lows marked yesterday. the singapore dollar interestingly rose against the u.s. dollar as the monetary authority in singapore kept its policy steady yesterday. it also added gdp was on tract to go 2 to 4% this year. >> and looking at bond markets, yields also seem to be effected by the retail sales data. what can you tell us there. >> all the way from the two-year note to the ten-year note bond news slipped on retail sales. and that also saw the differential for bonds tighten a bit in the euro zone. u.s. bonds came a little closer to your zone 10-year bonds.

>> and earns season in the u.s. is coming into the full swing. how will that effect the markets here? >> a lot of corporate news coming out. intel shares higher even though it sees growth as flat for this year. but provided a positive outlook actually for it gains in the data sector of its business. so we'll watch out for other related sectors which dominate in that sector of the business. so we might see some focus there as well. also china gdp, we're going to be covering that in depth this morning. but i'll watch out for action and shares relating directly to china's economy. and some of its indexes tuesday. shanghai composite yet again hitting fresh 7 year highs. resource-led economies such as australia in the mining and metal sectors. china after all is australia's biggest trading partner. that's all for me. >> thank you ramin for that update. we'll talk to him in a few hours

time. ramin mellegard from the tokyo stock exchange. well the popularity of the japanese food has triggered a growing demand for sake. some are eyeing untapped markets such as turkey a country almost entirely muslim. nhk reports. >> reporter: most people in turkey are muslims. but alcohol is widely available. they are trying to impose stricter islamic policies waiting him to step up sales of alcohol. stores are not able to sell alcohol past 10:00 p.m. but in the past decade sales of liquor have nearly doubled. turkey's growing economy has

created a thirst for drinks from overseas. especially among the newly wealthy. japanese sake is proving to be especially popular. at a japanese food event uygur traders stopped at a section showcasing various brews. turkey's government is going to impose a 70% tariff on sake imported directly from japan. combined with sipping costs, prices per bottle can be steep. but people in turkey still go for it. >> translator: i thought it was the best quality sake i've ever tasted. i want to import directly from japan. >> junichi is from a japanese sake brewery. he wants to expand sales of his

drink internationally. he sees great potential in turkey. >> translator: it has an elegant aroma. and it soothes your throat. >> suzuki has marketed actively to importers. many have never even tasted sake. >> translator: it has a perfume like aroma. and it is easy to drink. >> reporter: he visits a high-end japanese restaurant. it carries sake made in the u.s. suzuki hopes to convince the restaurant's manager to sell his brew. >> and this one is last year in

international wine challenge is number one sake. >> we are working with the suppliers, distributors and importers to be able to get some more products in turkey. >> translator: i feel grateful that some said they want to import sake from japan. i hope to steadily spread the sake culture. >> reporter: can japan's sake brewers find new customers in the middle east? suzuki's efforts have just begun. but his already tasting success. hiroshi in nhk world,ist bull. >> that's the latest for this hour. i'll leave you with a check on markets.

white house officials say president obama has given his approval to remove the country from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. obama on tuesday that cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism in over 6 months and also said officials in havana have provided assurances they will not support activities in the future. they said the caribbean nation was supplying the weapons to terrorist groups and believe the country was training u.s. anti

militants in latin america. decision comes after talks on saturday in panama. the meeting marked the first formal discussions from leaders from both countries in more than half century. they will work to reopen embassies on each other's soil. u.s. officials will remove cuba from the list in 45 days. u.s. president obama has invited hadder al-abadi to wush washington and expressed support in iraq to drive out islamic state militants. iraqi forces and a u.s.-led coalition are now fighting the insurgents. >> and we will go after them, wherever they are. >> translator: we have to recapture mosul to get islamic state out of iraq. we would like to cooperate with the u.s. and global society.

>> iraqi forces recaptured the northern city of tikrit earlier this month. obama expressed concern that shia fighters supported by iran have joined the operation. >> any foreign assistance that is helping to defeat isil has to go there the iraqi government. that's how you respect sovereignty. a court in central japan has ordered the operator of the takahama nuclear plant not to restart its reactors. it is the first time for a judge to issue this kind of injunction in the country. the ruling asserts the reactors are not safe in regards to earthquakes. even though regulators said the plant is in compliance with requirements. more from nhk world's norika

cada. >> announcer: news from the case in december. they won a historic victory they said. >> translator: to completely stop reactors three and four at the takahama plant. it is the best decision we could ever imagine. >> reporter: executives at kansa kansai electric they have taken appropriate measures. but investigators say they were too optimistic. they say a quake beyond normal levels would not work. the 2011 fukushima nuclear accident forced the industry to reform its governance. the nuclear recession authority

started reviewing plans two years ago and new stricter rules. so far 24 reactors from 15 plants have applied for reinstatement. last september nra officials approved two reactors at the sendai nuclear power plant. the operator hoperestart later this year after they clear the facilities. in february the takahama reactors met the nra requirements making it the second plant in the country on way to a restart. but the court has cast serious doubts on nra started s standards. nra officials say an accident could occur at the plant even if it meets standards. they maintain a plant is never completely safe. the judge ruled the nra's new requirements are too lax. he added that stricter standards should be introduced to ensure severe accidents never happen

again. a key point of contention is how strong a quake could hit the plant. three faults run nearby. the operator initially submitted 550 as a quake strength figure. nra officials rejected the figure as too optimistic. the utility raised it to 700. it then got the okay by the nra. but residents objected. they point out more than 4,000 came in an earthquake that hit in 2008 in the northeast. they also note the operator had said the facility may be damage bade quake over 970. the residents argue that the takahama plant would likely melt down if it were struck by a big

quake. leaders in tokyo say the governor will closely watch what the operator does. >> the nra is a private organization and it's taken plenty of time to judge if the plant meets what people call the world's toughest safety standards. the government will respect the assessment. the ruling will not effect our position on restarting the plant after it gets approval. >> reporter: the takahama plant cannot go online unless the objection is overturned. executives are considering filing request to suspend the order. nra officials say the inrejection will not effect procedures like screens and inspections. the operator plans to continue steps to restart reactors. but one thing is clear, the court's decision has brought into question the country's safety standards. it may reignite a national

debate about nuclear energy in japan's future. norika cadanhk world. >> a south korean travel ban is now back home. cato was the sole bureau chief for a japan newspaper. they banned him from leaving in august after publish taging an article about the president. >> translator: id could be considered infringement of human rights. i think it is a serious problem. >> he questions where pak was last april on the day of the ferry accident. cato cited a report saying the

president's whereabouts were unknown for seven hours. and suggested she and her former male secretary may have met during that time. he later said he had no intention of the defaming park. the case has attracted global attention. a u.s. state department spokesperson says american leaders support freedom of speech and expression. >> we have outlined in the past about our concerns about the law on the books in south korea. >> prosecutors say they lifted the travel ban because kato promised to attend all remaining court dates. >> translator: the case has nothing to do with relations between south korea and japan. it should not become a diplomatic issue. >> japan's top government spokesperson indicates the decision was expected. >> translator: as the trial has been proceeding the government will call on the south korean government to take proper measures at every opportunity. >> a representative for the

japanese newspaper welcomed the news but he said the indictment against kato violates freedom of speech and should be withdrawn. china's premier has called on japanese prime minister shinzo abe to honor past statements concerning world war ii. lee ku chan made the remark when he met with the house speaker. in the meeting lee said that although the two countries want to improve ties they have been unable to do so over the past several years. he apparently referred to a statement abe plans to issue on the 17th anniversary of the end of the war. the chinese premier said the statement issuesed by kono when he was chief cabinet secretary and former minister represent

the spirit of a correct interpretation of the history. and expressed heartfelt apologies. and lee said china wants the abe administration to keep these statements in mind as they prepare the new statement. the governor of japan's southern most prefecture of okinawa is a member of the delegation visiting beijing. he also met premier lee saying he wants to deepen ties with the chinese regions. >> translator: i say we want to promote economic changeexchanges as a new experimental free trade zone created in the province. >> he said okinawa profited centuries ago with trade. he said people from the chinese coastal confidence emigrated

there and brought technologies and experience. he said he supports deeper ties between local authorities in the two countries. it is time now for a check of the weather. people in tokyo are enjoying sunny blue skies this morning after days of heavy rain. will the nice weather last? mai shoji joins us with that and more in world weather. >> bad news. it is not going to last. we have the similar unstable conditions taking place across much of the japan. and as finish tokyo gorgeous skies right now. but afternoon hours into evening, are likely to see the weather conditions to deteriorate deteriorate. we have images come from the nagasaki, where he saw some hail yesterday. this isn't april snow which is actually not a particular rare sight this season but a hailstorm that struck people i th city of nagasi commuting hrs on 5:30 tuesday. the size hail w not so big,

about 5 centimeters in diameter. and people immediately took out umbrellas and students rushed themselves underneath the buildings which is a good idea. it could actually cause some injuries. but similar conditions. as i mention again unstable weather. when e we talk about the unstable atmosphere we have about minus 25 degrees celsius about 5,000 meters above the ground and the ground level still pretty hot. about 20 degrees. and that difference about 30 to 40 degrees difference clashes and that is why the atmosphere becomes very unstable. so we may even see hailstorm again, lightning, strong gusts and tornadic activity cannot be ruled out. on top that a precipitation like we saw last night in tokyo. not only rainfall but maybe see hail storms across the region in patches today. so if you hear thunder roar do

go indoors. take shelter immediately and shut off electronic fiess. pull out devices from the alsos alsos. also we have patches of the rainfall here across eastern china towards shanghai and behind we have the gusty conditions likely to create sand storms again in northern china on thursday morn. 20 in tokyo, so it is going to be a warm day. but another round of unstable conditions and towards the south, up to 34 degrees on your new year's day. in the americas. gulf states looking for a round of the very heavy rainfall. looking at about 100 millimeters or even more in new orleans. so for the next few days watch out for flooding. in the four corners and the

northern rockies another round of late april snowfall which could be about 7 to 10 cent meters in higher elevations. where we really want the precipitation in drought areas, not a lot. in fact people are looking to mid summer to even higher range at 28 degrees with just sunshine. no precipitation for the foreseeable future. out here a quick look in europe now. rains going to be -- mixed precipitation affecting the scanned nain peninsula and that is going to be pulling into the baltic states and into russia. we still see excessive precipitation and hail and thunderstorms across the peninsula. the central area looking gorgeous and fine summer temperature here in paris at 26 degrees. i'll leave you now for the extended forecast.

and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for staying with us.

>> the bloody rampage through tunis' bardo museum has left tunisia reeling as it comes to terms with an is attack which struck at the heart of both its tourist industry, and its national identity. the country once held up as the arab spring's last beacon of hope is now faced with some tough soul-searching as it moves to tighten its security.

find out more after this quick round up of today's topics, here on "global 3000." terror in tunisia radicalisation brings violence to the state and grief to families. biodiversity's playground: mexican environmentalists keep a close watch on the gulf of california.