tv Newsline PBS June 12, 2015 7:00pm-7:31pm PDT
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welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. the u.s. defense secretary has called on a top chinese military official to halt the country's land reclamation in the south china sea. ash carter met in washington with the jen, the highest level military official to visit the u.s. in six years. he's the vice chairman of the military commission. pentagon officials say the united states extended an invitation to him earlier this year in view of rising tensions over china's expanding maritime activities in the south china sea. defense department officials say
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carter called on fan about the spratly islands and cease further militarization. carter also expressed hope that the united states and china will reach consensus by autumn on rules to reduce the risk of accidents when the two countries' aircraft operate close to each other. a court in china has handed down a life sentence to a former member of the nation's top decision-making body for accepting bribes. the ruling comes as president xi jinping aims to show he's committed to taking action against widespread corruption. zhou yongkang was the ninth highest-ranking member of the communist party's politburo standing committee until november 2012. state run xinhua news agency says a court in tianjin near beijing sentenced him for accepting bribes, abuse of power and deliberately disclosing state secrets. he and his family allegedly took more than $20 million.
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>> prosecutors indicted zhou in april. he was tried behind closed doors. xinhua says the trial was not open to the public because it involved state secrets. our reporter explains how people are reacting to this news. >> the chinese communist party newspaper, the "people's daily" says zhou's sentence shows that anyone who breaks the law will be punished regardless of rank. the paper said it demonstrates president xi jinping's commitment to fighting corruption. many citizens are also expressing support for xi's efforts. >> translator: big political figures like zhou must be punished severely.
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i strongly support the government's anti-corruption campaign. >> translator: i think his sentence is a bit too light. corruption on this scale deserves harsher punishment. >> zhou yongkang was the head of china's internal security apparatus. he is said to have had strong influence over the oil industry. zhou is also seen as a close ally of former chongqing party chief bo xilai. some sources say that bo and zhou were plotting against xi, and some believe that he regarded zhou as a threat to his power, which led to bo's arrest and harsh sentence. as the xi administration's anti-corruption campaign, authorities have been going after former high-ranking members of the people's liberation army and senior government officials.
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i think that putting a former politburo member behind bars shows just how strong xi jinping's power base has become. >> that was our report from beijing. china's vice president is promoting the country's initiative in creating an infrastructure development bank. they say it will help forge stronger economic ties among asian countries. li spoke at the china south asia expo in the southwestern province of hunan. the event has brought together more than 3,000 exhibiters from about 70 countries and territories. >> translator: china is investigating $40 billion in the silk road fund and asian infrastructure investment bank. they'll play an important role in creating a network for development. >> chinese officials are planning to develop land and sea belts that link the economies of asia and europe.
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hunan province is considered to be a key base for the project. it borders vietnam, myanmar and laos. road and railway construction is already under way in the province. allies are being urged to stand together including the united states and japan. they need to stand up to china. admiral harry harris has the u.s. pacific command. he spoke in tokyo about regional challenges. he touched on the chinese government's construction of land masses on disputed reefs in the south china sea. he said sovereignty must be based on international law. and he called on japan's maritime self-defense force to step up surveillance. harris also touched on north korea's nuclear development. he said the country's weapons pose a direct threat to south korea, japan and the u.s. harris also spoke with prime minister shinzo abe. they affirmed their countries will keep working together to achieve peace and stability in
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the asia-pacific region. south korean authorities are reporting two more deaths from middle east respiratory syndrome. they say the mers outbreak in their country has now killed 13 people. they confirm 126 infections. the latest case is a high schoolteacher. a world health organization team is helping the south korean government contain the outbreak. >> i think one of the important actions to take will be to invest more in the strengthening of the public health situation in the country. >> w.h.o. team members visited hospitals and studied mers symptoms. they're trying to understand the virus, and how the outbreak began. they plan to announce their findings later saturday.
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u.n. officials say peacekeepers on deployment commonly barter cash and goods for sex with local women. they made the accusation in a draft report seen by the reuters news agency. the authors work for the u.n. office of internal oversight services. they say peacekeepers often get local women to have sex with them in return for cash, clothes, and jewelry. they report 480 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation from 2008 and 2013. they say women in countries including liberia and haiti couldn't refuse because they were hungry and poor. the united nations banned transactional sex among peacekeepers in 2003. officials said it undermined missions. u.n. spokesperson stefan dujjariy says he hopes violators will be punished.
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>> any allegations of sexual violence, sexual abuse by peacekeepers is to be condemned and is not to be tolerated and we would hope that anyone who is involved in this type of activity be fully prosecuted and investigated by the countries that have the authority over them. >> dujarric says exchanging food, money, or any other item for sex goes against all u.n. rules. nhk has obtained a report by the international atomic energy agency on the nuclear accident on fukushima daiichi. three of the plant's six reactors melted down following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. the report says japanese officials didn't do enough to prevent the disaster. the summary report was prepared by 180 scientists from more than 40 countries. the iaea board examined it this week before a final version is issued in september. the report says there were
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projections that a magnitude 8.3 quake would lead to tsunami measuring up to 15 meters high. it says officials at tokyo electric power company didn't take necessary precautions. the report also points out measures to prevent the flooding of emergency diesel generators were inadequate. the experts have proposed a periodic review of safety requirements. they also recommend assuming scenarios in which multiple natural disasters occur simultaneously. the decommissioning team is facing another setback. they've revealed a new road map for scrapping the plant and there is a delay in a key initial step. officials from the government and tepco approved the revised plan. it refers to two important tasks -- the removal of spent fuel rods and cooling ponds, and cleaning up melted nuclear fuel. officials pushed back the schedule to remove the rods by three years. they say they first need to remove debris and decontaminate
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the buildings. experts still need to locate and study the melted fuel inside the reactors and they need to consider new removal methods that don't use water. the initial approach involved filling the reactor containment vessels with water before removing the melted fuel, but officials couldn't guarantee the vessels would stand up to earthquakes and wouldn't leak. the new road map keeps the initial target of beginning the fuel-removal process within six years. there is no change to the overall goal to complete the decommissioning work in 30 to 40 years. members of japan's imperial family are getting ready to join a royal celebration. officials say they'll visit tonga next month for the coronation of king tupol vi. the crown prince and princess will arrive in tonga on july 3rd. they will attend a coronation ceremony at a church, then a
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luncheon at the palace. prince naruhito will also attend three other parties. the princess is taking on more official duties as she recovers from an illness brought on by stress. the japanese government is offering yen loans to help thailand build an overhead railway in bangkok. representatives from the two countries met friday to sign an agreement. patchari raksawong in bangkok is following the story. serious traffic congestion is a chronic problem in bangkok. the capital needs to improve its transportation infrastructure. people in bangkok have high hopes for an elevated railway the city is planning to build with japanese help. and for japan, the project is just the start of bigger things to come. we have these details of the project. >> reporter: the japanese government has decided to offer
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yen loans worth about $307 million to help thailand build an elevated railway in bangkok. on friday, japanese ambassador to thailand and the thai finance minister sealed the deal. >> translator: many japanese industries have operations in thailand, so with this country enjoying healthy economic growth, that will affect japan in a good way directly. we hope to cooperate more in the railway network field. >> reporter: construction of bangkok's central station is under way on the site behind me. the station will serve as a hub for major lines. thailand's government believes that improving railway infrastructure is a key component of its modernization effort. thai officials plan to launch the new rail link in 2019. the 26-kilometer rail link between bangkok suburbs and the
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city center will cost about $3 billion. a japanese consultant is hoping to win contracts for the project, including those for rail track construction, carriages and signals. and japan is eyeing even more ambitious projects. thailand also plans to construct a high-speed railway that would link bangkok and shanghai, a tourist destination. thai and japanese officials are studying the possibilities of using japan's shinkansen bullet train technology for the 700-kilometer-long rail link. the japanese government aims to offer wide ranging support for thailand's rail projects and promote japanese technology at the same time. as a key strategy for its own economic growth, japan eventually hopes to export its shinkansen technology to thailand. nhk world, bangkok.
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once played mostly in china, japan and south korea, the game of go is spreading, especially in thailand, which hosted the prestigious world amateur go championships earlier this week. nhk world investigates how an ancient board game is thriving in the 21st century. >> reporter: the world major go championship took place for the first time in thailand. players from 57 countries and regions participated to become the world's number one. in go, players compete with black and white pieces called stones. they try to grab territory on the board without letting their stones become surrounded. the championships were always held in an east asian country until this year's event in thailand.
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>> translator: hosting the world championships here has really encouraged players of go in thailand. it's been wonderful. >> reporter: thailand was chosen because playing go has recently become trendy here. the trigger was a japanese manga comic, about a boy who becomes a professional go player. it was a hit among young thais who love manga. the go association of thailand says there are about 1 million amateur players in the country. including many young people. this elementary school in bangkok added go as an activity eight years ago. about 140 students, or more than 10% of the school, are learning to play. >> translator: go helps nurture children's abilities to think and plan.
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>> reporter: but go is more than just a school craze. at tournaments across thailand, players of all ages compete for trophies. >> translator: i'm so happy that i got this trophy. >> reporter: these 12-year-old twins took up playing go in kindergarten. their lunch breaks are spent playing it with friends. >> translator: i like it when i imagine what moves can lead me to victory. learning how to play go helps you look ahead and think efficiently. >> reporter: world championship go games were broadcast online. the twins were glued to their screens.
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>> translator: i want to participate in the tournament some day. >> reporter: in the championship, the thai representative won five games and lost three. he finished 12th out of 57. >> translator: the last ten years, thailand was in the middle range, around 16 to 32nd. but we're now at the range of 1 to 16. we're in the upper level. i hope my level gets better as time goes by. >> reporter: thailand is emerging as a new power in the world of go. players from other countries need to watch out before their lead in the game is gone. nhk world, bangkok. that wraps up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. emerging economic powers
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still struggling with poverty. emboldened citizens still demanding democracy. the threat of violence the push for peace, the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on south and southeast asia every week day, live from bangkok, only on nhk world "newsline." the number of foreign visitors to japan is growing day by day, but most travelers follow the well-beaten paths that lead straight to the more famous destinations of tokyo, kyoto and osaka. now officials at the japan tourism agency are hoping to entice visitors to explore some of the country's less-traveled regions. nhk has this report. >> reporter: tourism agency officials have picked several routes proposed by local governments. they say each route will take visitors about one week to cover. one route leads to a world heritage site in the remote part of northern japan.
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it cuts through eastern hokkaido into the marshlands and the mountains in the area. another follows a historical route around islands featuring some of japan's most stunning scenery. >> translator: it's important to have foreign travelers visit regions across japan by improving the local tourism resources. >> reporter: cycling through seven prefectures hugging the coast is geared for active travelers. >> translator: i want every tourist to see this beautiful scenery. >> reporter: the nature of kyushu offers famous hot springs resorts. for several hundred years, the city of nagasaki was the only port in japan open to foreign
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ships and traders. their influence can still be seen in the local culture. >> translator: the sales point of kyushu are there are a lot of hot springs. i will promote them to foreign tourists. >> reporter: japan had a record of more than 30 million foreign visitors last year. their tourism agency plans to help provide better internet services along the new route and subsidized half of the promotional costs overseas. the overall aim is to attract 20 million foreign visitors each year by the tokyo olympics in 2020. officials at shinginko tokyo bank say they have reached a
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basic agreement to enter merger talks with a regional financial group. shinginko is owned by the tokyo metropolitan government but mismanagement plunged it into crisis. the shinginko officials say they aim to clinch a deal with tokyo ty financial group by september. they hope the integration takes place in april 2016. the plan is to turn shinginko into a subdiary o theroup ter the two sides exchange sh.too gornnt launched shinginko in 2005 to help out small businesses amid a credit crunch. it owns 80% of the bank's voting shares. if the deal is struck, the metropolitan government would effectively pull out of the bank's management. japan's rising stock prices have been a benefit not just to institutions, but individuals as well. the balance of investment trusts or mutual funds sold in japan has topped 100 trillion yen, or $810 billion for the first time. the figures from the investment trust association are dated to the end of may. it says the total net assets of
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investment trust in stocks and bonds hit a new high of about $830 billion. association officials attribute the growth to how the nikkei shot index shot up more than 1,000 points last month. new sales of investment trusts were also brisk. that's mainly due to tax-free accounts for individuals known as nisa introduced in january 2014. tadao ando is a japanese architect known for challenging assumptions with his unique constructions all over the world. the pritzker prize winner is now facing a challenge of a different sort. ando has undergone major surgeries for cancer.
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but as our nhk world reporter tells us he refuses to let that stop him from going forward with his work. >> reporter: tadao ando was at a construction site in northern japan. he designed this tunnel for a buddha statue. >> reporter: it's the first time he's come here since he had a major operation last summer. ando was diagnosed with cancer and first had his gallbladder and duodenum removed. then more cancer turned up and his pancreas and spleen were taken out. he still goes in for regular checkups and takes medication. >> translator: i asked the doctor if anyone's ever maintained his strength after losing the pancreas and spleen. he said patients have stayed alive, but no one's kept the strength he had before. so he told me to become a model for recovery.
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>> translator: you knew you might not get better when you had to decide whether to go through with the surgery. >> translator: people live on while they're meant to, so we might as well make every effort we can until we die. >> reporter: one of the efforts that ando is devoted to is revitalizing old construction. this 100-year-old traditional wooden house is one example. many structures of this type line the narrow streets, standing as evidence of the country's architectural history. parts of the roof and pillars had grown old, but ando preserved as much as he could. he added concrete walls and modern designs inside. the house now should be good for another 100 years. >> translator: valuing and preserving old buildings and creating architecture that is
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unique to the place. this leads to the creation of an environment that can only be experienced in a particular locale. >> reporter: another effort ando is now making is educating young people. ando travels across the country to speak to students on a volunteer basis. hundreds from japan and abroad gathered at this event to hear what he had to say. >> translator: young people must think globally as you pursue your careers. japanese students like to play it safe. you have to face the future and not be at ease. uncertainty will be your biggest strength. >> the inspiration i got from mr. ando will help me to conduct my research better and i hope my research will be useful for my
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country. >> translator: his message made me realize that if you tackle something head-on, you can move others. >> reporter: ando is maintaining his own forward motion as he encourages the next generation to do the same. >> translator: just being alive isn't sufficient. you have to enjoy it. young people need to find the desire to do things that are exciting and new and they must consider whether society will be inspired by what they do. here is the weekend weather forecast.
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anchor: hello and welcome to global3000. can aid workers trying to help those worse off in far-away countries actually become part of the problem? that's just one of the questions we'll be exploring on today's programme. here's what we have coming up -- slum tours, is it all right to make money with trips into urban ghettos? shifting hardware, we look at how dubai has become a hub for global aid. and how taking local fisherman on board could help biodiversity in mexico.
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