glad to have you on this edition of "newsline." it's tuesday may 17th, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant will announce on tuesday a revised plan tcool down the reactors one month after original one. tokyo power electric company says it needs to pour water into the reactors. it had confirmed earlier that the fuel rods had melted and may have burned holes in the number one reactor pressure vessel. radioactive water is likely flowing from the containment vessel into the basement. tepco says it suspects a similar situation is happening in the

number two and three reactors. the firm says it's considering pumping water out of the containment vessels and circulating it back into the reactors after cooling it with heat exchangers. it's also thinking of taking water from the basement of the reactor buildings and putting it back into the reactors after removing the radioactive substances. tepco is expected to keep to its original schedule of stabilizing the reactors within six to nine months. the japanese government will announce a plan on tuesday to help evacuees from around the troubled fukushima daiichi plant. it will have the first official schedule for assisting evacuees. the government is expected to allow them to re-enter the 20-kilometer exclusion zone to get their cars, starting later this month. residents from the extended zone will be asked to complete their evacuation by the oeend of the

month. the government will help with employment and business operations. it will decide when to lift the evacuation orders once the nuclear reactors have been stabilized. tepco hopes to do that within nine months. the government drafted a bill to assist tepco with the compensation package. the utility agreed to make provisional payouts while the bill passes. the operator of the fukushima plant admitted that the reactors' backup cooling systems failed to function after the march 11th earthquake and tsunami struck. tepco revealed the plant's operation records on monday for the period following the disaster. the emergency backup systems were supposed to cool down the reactors when all external power failed. the one at the number one reactor worked for less than ten minutes and did not function for three hours. the utility suspects that workers had man wrually shut do the system as pressure in the

reactor dropped so low they were afraid of damage. another backup system at the number one and two reactors lost power when the tsunami engulfed the batteries. tepco is still analyzing datea o assess the impact of the failure on the fuel rods. japan's nuclear crisis has had a major impact on its people. thousands of residents who live around fukushima daiichi have been forced from their homes. so no surprise, perhaps, a new nhk survey shows the number of people who have negative views about nuclear power plants has grown over the past month. japan has 54 nuclear reactors. this type of energy makes up about 30% of the country's power supply. the survey asked what should be done with nuclear power plants in the future. 32% said they should be maintained. down ten percentage points from

last month. while 43% said they should be reduced, up 11 points. the survey also asked about chubu electric power company's decision to comply with the request from naota kan to shut down the reactors at the hamaoka plant. 71% approve of kan's actions. kan said he won't ask for other nuclear plants to be shut down. 28% approve of his decision. 21% disapprove. and 46% are undecided. the approval rating of prime minister kan's cabinet stood at 28%, up 1 point. earlier we spoke with our political commentator masayo nakajima. >> the japanese opinion of the power plant seems to be divided. what do you think is the reason behind this? >> considering what happened,

many people developed doubts about safety of nuclear power plants. at the same time a lot of people understand the country needs to depend on nuclear power because it has few natural resources. right now the japanese people are trying to save electricity in order to avoid power shortages caused by the disaster at fukushima daiichi and suspension of operations at hamaoka. ahead of expected power shortages in the coming month, the japanese government set its summer energy saving target at 15% for areas supplied by the tohoku power companies. >> is there any other reason the nuclear power plants are supported by a certain number of people? >> yes, in prefectures where people have long lived with nuclear power plants and many work in and around the plants, local economy depends on nuclear power. a city on the japan coast is one

such city. after the fukushima daiichi disaster an incumbent who said the city's nuclear power plant was indispensable won in the mayoral election. >> we'll get back to you in a minute. most of japan's nuclear plants are in remote areas that are not densely populated. central government gives grants and subsidies to the areas that host them. nhk world has more. >> reporter: the crisis at fukushima has worried locals. >> translator: they say the hamaoka plant is stave, but i don't believe it anymore. >> reporter: but the city depends on the plant for more than 40% of its revenue. nuclear money paid for the city's hospital and swimming

pool. >> translator: there's no doubt the plant has helped us. we've benefited in terms of jobs, commerce and industry. >> reporter: a number of nuclear reactors stopped operating following the march 11th quake and tsunami. some others have been shut down for regular checkups. nhk asked local and regional governments that host nuclear plants and their neighbors how they'd feel about the reactors being restarted. nearly 70% of host governments said they'd accept it, but fewer than 40% of neighboring governments said they would. the former governor of fukushima prefecture says it's time for governments to think hard about their processes. >> translator: a nuclear plant

brings people and money into the region. but you can be sure that the benefits will only last one generation. if no accidents happen, and there's plenty of land, more nuclear plants get built. they're like an addictive drug. >> reporter: the central government has promoted nuclear power for decades, but it's now reviewing its energy policy. there could be a huge impact on local governments that depend on nuclear money. junko noda, nhk world, tokyo. >> masoyo, considering the problems with nuclear power, what do you think the future will be like in japan? >> prime minister kan said japan needs to start from scratch on its long-tm energy policy.

he says the government is crafting a plan to generate half of its electricity from nuclear power by 2030. renewable energy such as solar, wind and biomass will be developed as energy pillars. that sounds good as a matter of principle, but this is an area where japan has lacked. you know, developing renewable energy takes time and money. if the prime minister wants his plan to be accepted, he needs to explain the impact this new policy will have on the price of energy for consumers and on the competitiveness of japanese industry. >> thank you, masayo nakajima, nhk world political commentator. prosecutor for international criminal court is seeking an arrest for moammar gadhafi and two others on charges of crime against humanity. >> the prosecution has a plan to

for number one for the issuance of arrest warrants against moammar gadhafi. >> luis moreno-ocampo made the request to the hague-based court monday. he asked that gadhafi, his second son, siaif al islam gadhafi, and the chief of the intelligence service be indicted. they're accused of organized killings of unarmed civilians in libya during the recent uprisings. he told reporters his fice has evidence that gadhafi ordered the attacks against demonstrators. it would be the second such warrant issued against a head of state following the one for sudanese president omar al bashir. the request is likely to further isolate gadhafi from the international community while the stalemate continues between the government and the opposition. the u.s. space shuttle

endeavour has been launched and is on its final mission headed to the international space station. >> three, two, one. zero. and liftoff. for the final launch of endeavour. >> endeavour blasted off from kennedy space center in florida at 8:56 local time monday after undergoing final checkups. it's the second last flight of the space shuttle program. the spacecraft entered earth's orbit after separating from its external fuel tank. the mission commander is mark kelly. he is the husband of arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords who was shot in the head in january in her home state. giffords came to watch the liftoff. the u.s. will close down its 30-year space shuttle program with the final launch of "atlantis" slated for june. russian deputy prime minister says the visit by government ministers to the

northern islands off hokkaido on sunday was not to exert russia's territorial claims. he and four cabinet ministers went to two of the four russian-held islands over which japan claims sovereignty. japanese foreign minister matsamoto launched an official protest against russia monday. speaking to reporters monday, he said it was not intended to anger anyone but to help russians living on the islands to feel they with part of the country even though they live in the russian far east. he also stressed russia will speed up its plan to develop the islands by 2015. time to check on some of the stories we've gathered from broadcasters around asia.

we begin with this item sent by thailand. thai buddhists are celebrating a holiday to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of the buddha. on a monday, thais crowded temples to honor to earn merit by praying and making offerings to monks. different localities observe this holiday in unique ways. residents made rice offerings to their temple and monks. the holiday this year falls on may 17th. many followers use the holiday to strengthen their determination to follow buddhist teachings. veteran politician alita was sworn in as tamil nadu chief minister for a third term on monday. leader of the all india party took the oath of office to mark the beginning of her term. the 34-member cabinet was also sworn in at the hall of the university of madras.

the cabinet is the biggest in the state since independence and contained 24 new faces. sri lanka has launched the latest leg of its air taxi service from the country's largest city, columbo, to the central city, candi. a group of tourists visited by a seaplane on the route's inaugural flight on sunday. the service is reportedly in great demand among foreign travelers. sri lanka is gradually extending its air taxi network throughout the country. malaysia's booming economy is luring many people from the countryside to seek work in urban areas. these migrant workers often find themselves living on the streets. and homelessness is becoming a pressing social issue. nhk world reports. >> reporter: with its skyscrapers and luxury

boutiques, employees among southeast asia's most iconic capitals. the shadow of this economy, the number of homeless is rising. currently estimated at several thousand, many are from the countryside. he leads a volunteer group that provides care to the homeless. every week he roams the street to distribute food. >> we know we have more and more people on the streets to save. >> reporter: last year, justin's group opened a kitchen to provide free food. it's also where justin conducts interviews to identify the reasons why people become

homeless. he says many do have jobs but still can't afford a home. >> i just switched jobs and i couldn'tind one job and stayed on the street for a while. it's pretty common. >> reporter: one reason is an influx of cheap foreign workers who have pushed down wages in the construction industry. makes it more difficult for everyone to earn a living. the case of rice is one example. he earned the equivalent of $250 a month as a toilet cleaner. barely enough to eat. >> translator: i want to find a stable job to get out of this situation. >> reporter: justin's group is

trying to find proper jobs for people. they're able to place better positions. on this day, rais is given the opportunity to apply f a job as a resident cleaner at a hospital. >> translator: i think my life will improve somewhat if i get this job. >> reporter: justin says his priority is to get more people off the streets. his mission to help the homeless continues. nhk world.

the malaysian government began tackling the homeless problem last year by launching a project to help people find jobs. justin and his group are planning to coordinate their efforts with an employment agency to find them better jobs. now let's take a look at the latest in sumo. >> now sumo. attention is focused on the performance of the grand champion, a rookie at the examination tournament being held in tokyo. they are the only two participants to enter the tournament's second week without a defeat. kisa is first senior in 31 years to manage eight victories and no defeats. can he extend his stream to nine against toyohiki? explosive charge from toyohiki and gets a firm right hand grip

in preparation for attack. toyohiki refuses to be taken out. then executes. the brazilian-born is now 9-0. top dog hakuo performed flawlessly in the tournament so far. his opponent is aiming for his first victory over hakuho in seven years. it's not going to happen this time. hakuho smokes him. two others are doing their best to keep their championship hopes alive. baruto has been blowing his opponents away but the es tone yan better bring his a-game here because his opponent has come out on top in the last two confrontations. not this time says baruto. he's able to catch the little

man, forward and win. baruto improves his record to eight wins and one loss. with a win in this bout, wakskoyu. it's a tough match between he and his opponent. tries to finish off with a forceout maneuver. but the georgian hangs on. in the end, the perseverance pays off and he finds a way to get another win to keep his record at a single loss. now here are the current standings. the leaders after nine days haven't budged. hakuho and kaisei have spotless records. baruto and tochinoshin one step behind the tournament leaders and are nipping at their heels.

hakuho might seem invisible. better be focused on day ten as he takes on his nemesis sato, who has beaten hakuho the last two times they met. we'll be here to update you on all the results on tuesday. now let's take a look at the latest market figures.

hello there. welcome to your weather update. we're taking a look at eastern asia first of all. it does remain dry for much of china as well as the korean peninsula, but there is that low pressure system coming in from mongolia. that's going to bring some showers to northeastern china on wednesday. still looking quite unsettled in the southeastern corner as well. some heavy showers associated with this seasonal rain, but that's going to be pushing out today. but it will remain quite unsettled across places like parts of taiwan, especially in south will contend with drenching downpours in the days to come. looking at a scattering of

showers, again, for indochina, more intense as we head into wednesday and for the philippines as well, especially in central and southern portions. you're going to be contending with rain and thunderstorms. taking a look at your temperatures. 36 degrees many manila today. 23 in taipei. it stays hot in beijing, 29 degrees. seoul, 23 with sunny spells. now, across swra p croscross ja unstable conditions today. we have on and off showers in the okinawa island. quite heavy in nature. central portions looking at those showers to blossom later on this afternoon. so look out for some strong gusts, some strong thunderstorms this afternoon. including tokyo. the far north could see some unsettled weather as well later on. tohoku starting off on a cloudy note today. chance of showers as well this morning, but it will be clearing up in the afternoon. temperatures slightly cooler today. 18 degrees in hachinohe.

sendai, too, a couple showers this morning. back in the sunshine this afternoon. warming up to 21 degrees. similar story for soma and onahama. as we head into central portions, quite cloudy for you with showers coming in this afternoon. 20 degrees in mito today. now, let's take a look at europe. we have multiple systems that are going to bring lots of wet conditions to the northern tier of the continent here. we'll start off with some light showers in the northern uk today, with some heavier downpours, strong winds impacting the northwestern corner later on tuesday. the system also will bring some showers to central portions for germany, poland, perhaps the czech republic as well. and for the southern end scandinavia, we're looking at a good deal of cloud cover as well as light showers. the baltic states in finland, too, remaining quite unsettled. the long rain band looks like it's going to be easing but it

will be lingering in the southeastern corner so keeping the weather here quite unsettled for parts of italy, the balkans looking at pockets of heavy showers and thunderstorms once again. not much change in france today. does stay dry for the most part. spain and portugal starting to see the low-pressure system slowly move onshore. it is going to be bringing un t unsettled weather to madrid later on next week. most part will stay dry. 24 in madrid. 18 in london. cloudy skies. cloudy in vienna as well. 20 degrees and looking slightly cooler in rome today. 21 today. all right. here is your extended forecast now.

our lead story this hour. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant will announce on tuesday a revised plan to cool down the

reactors one month after the original one. tokyo power electric company says it needs to pour water into the reactors. it had confirmed earlier that the fuel rods had melted and may have burned holes in the number one reactor pressure vessel. radioactive water is likely flowing from the containment vessel into the basement. tepco says it suspects a similar situation is happening in the number two and three reactors. the firm says it's considering pumping water out of the containment vessels and circulating it back into the reactors after cooling it with heat exchangers. it's also thinking of taking water from the basement of the reactor buildings and putting it back into the reactors after removing the radioactive substances. tepco is expected to keep to its original schedule of stabilizing the reactors within six to nine months. that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.

we'll be back with more of your updates at the top of the next hour. we'll see you then.