hello. you're watching "newsline." the latest vote counting in india has put the largest opposition party on track for a landslide victory and the ruling congress party on course for the worst showing in its history. preliminary result shows that the alliance led by the bharatiya janata party and possibly the party alone is set to win the most seats in bringing the first change of government in ten years. ras sa lin reports from new

delhi. rosalyn? >> reporter: i'm at the headquarters of the bjp in central new delhi. supporters are packing the buildings and loud cheers erupted when they saw the preliminary results on social networking sites and oth other media. indian tv news is reporting the bjp and its allies are set to secure the 272 seats required for majority. it appears likely to be the biggest indian election victory in 30 years. more than 500 million people across the country went to the polls over five weeks. voter turnout was more than 66%, a record high. narendra modi is expected to be the next prime minister. he exercised strong leadership as chief minister of gujarat state to emphasize deregulation and attract foreign investment. the bjp is a hindu nationalist party. the congress party which has been in power for a decade fought the campaign under its

vice president gandhi. he's the youngest generation of the gandhi family. it has been influential on indian politics since independence but the party has failed to improve an image that has been tarnished by a series of corruption scandals. more on the election later. i'm rosalyn in new kelly. deli. investors are reacting to developments in india. they went after stocks aggressively as the election outcome came in. they have high expectations that modi will promote economic reforms. now india's benchmark sensex index and the .9% higher at 24,121, surged more than 6% at one stage, rising above the 25,000 level for the first time ever. the index had already gained over 6% since the beginning of this month. investors think the bjp is key to implement a pro business policies and believe that modi will boost the economy just as

he did as the chief minister of gujarat. the indian rupee got a lift, climbing to a level against the dollar not seen since june last year. the central bank is reported to have begun buying the dollar in an attempt to halt the rupee's excessive advance. vietnam's prime minister has ordered government officials to put a halt to violent protests over a chinese oil rig operating in the south china sea. vietnam state run television reported that prime minister nguyen tan dang gave the order in a speech on thursday. in the speech, dang said it's ill ledge mate to express pate stism but he said that illegal acts of violence in recent days have damaged production facilities owned by foreign investors. he said that harming the country's economy and foreign policy. dang's remarks follow a series

of massive anti-chinese protests in vietnam. several of the demonstrations have turned violent. two chinese workers have been killed. the tv reports said that the prime minister had instructed the relevant authorities to take strict measures to prevent acts of violence. protest leaders are taking to the internet to call for more anti-chinese protests on sunday. hundreds of chinese nationals are reported to be fleeing vietnam. people carrying baggage formed a long line at a checkpoint at cambodia. cambodian police say more than 600 chinese crossed over on wednesday. about 100 people are said to be staying in nearby hotels to see how the situation develops. a number of employees and their families whose work places were attacked by protesters arrived in the southern chinese city of guando. >> translator: many chinese people escaped. i've seen some of them robbed of

their money. nobody came to help us. >> translator: these are photos of the company where i worked. everything was stolen or destroyed. i'm not sure about the future of my company. >> many of the fleeing workers are having difficulty finding seats on direct flights to china and are instead flying to other asian countries. managers of japanese firms with operations in vietnam are taking precautions to protect their employees. executives at olympus and e-mails telling staff not to book business trips to the country. the company makes medical equipment and digital cameras near ho chi minh city. electronics maker hitachi has a presence in vietnam with plants and sales offices. executives also told staff to put off visits for now. now managers at mitsubishi electric have asked employees based in ho chi minh city to take extra care when they go out.

south koreans are looking back on a saidly accident that has left them angry and demanding answers. one month ago, a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers sank off the country's southern coast. now the sewol went down on april 16th. 284 people died, most of them were high school students on a field trip. rescuers are still searching for 20 missing passengers. many people offered prayers at a memorial in the city of ansan, a suburb of seoul. the majority of the victims were from a school there. the accident has affected south koreans across the country and prompted them to demand action. >> translator: the cause of the accident must be clarified so something like this never happens again. >> family members of the missing have been staying at a port on jindo island, the base for

search and rescue operations. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has pinpointed the source of a radioactive water leak. the water has been escaping from a containment vessel at one of the damaged reactors. now this is the first time the exact location of such a leak has been identified. the source is circled in red. the water is dripping from a joint in a pipe coming out of the containment vessel at reactor number 3. tokyo electric power company officials say a remote controlled camera just outside the vessel recorded the video. they say the water is flowing in a continuous stream about the width of 224 pencils. officials believe the water could have become radioactive after being injected into the vessel to cule melted nuclear fuel. tepco is also planning to carry out robotic surveys of the two other reactors. the operator plans to plug the

leaks and fill the vessels with water before removing melted nuclear fuel as part of the decommissioning process. thousands of people in turkey are hitting the streets in anger. they're joining protests against the government after the country's deadliest industrial disaster. more than 280 people were killed in an explosion on tuesday at a coal mine and authorities expect the number of casualties to go up. rescuers believe dozens of miners are still trapped. crews are working around the clock, but some tunnels are still filled with poisonous gas and that's preventing them from getting to some areas. >> translator: i don't expect any more people to be rescued, but i would at least want their bodies recovered. >> translator: if the government had taken proper safety measures, this tragedy would not have happened.

>> demonstrators have staged rallies in a number of cities. they say the government of the prime minister recep tayyip erdogan has neglected safety at coal mines and say government officials have failed to improve working conditions. these photos published in newspapers stoked their angers, shows one of erdogan's aides kicking a protester being held down by police. the head of a european monetary mission to ukraine says he needs more help. observers have been tracking the separatist movement in eastern ukraine, but had he says there aren't enough people to do the job. >> we are expanding, we are nearly approaching 200 now, and within one month's time my expectation is that we will be 300 monitors and we will be moving to 500 in one or two

month's time. >> the observers from the organization for security and cooperation in europe have been gathering information about pro-russian separatists. the separatists have been occupying government buildings for weeks in a number of eastern cities. people across ukraine will vote later this month in a presidential election, but he said his team has not seen any signs that the election will be disrupted. u.s. secretary of state john kerry has a warning for anyone who plans to upset the proces. p >> if russia or its proxies disrupt the elections, stand in the way of the ukrainian people being able to exercise their vote, that is when and if there would be additional sanctions. >> kerry called on russian officials and separatists in ukraine to cooperate. now less than a month before the royal cup opening game, seem in some 50 cities across brazil have taken to the streets in

protests. the rallies blocked major roads in sao paolo with burning tires and garbage. that led to clashes with security personnel. protesters are criticizing the amount of money being spent on the event. they're demanding the government invest instead in education, welfare services, and social infrastructure. some police officers in the northeastern city of recife went on strike from tuesday to thursday. they were demanding better working conditions. the walkout led to a surge in crime. looting, murder and other acts of violence left 27 people dead. the government has sent troops to restore order. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has renewed his commitment to an early conclusion of regional free trade negotiations. he urged his cabinet ministers to go all out to hammer out a

transpacific partnership agreement in upcoming talks while safeguarding national interests. >> translator: next week's ministerial meeting on the tpp in singapore will be extremely important for winding up the talks early. >> abe told the tpp-related ministers that officials from japan and the united states are taking a leadership role in accelerating the multilateral negotiations. economic revitalization minister will attend the singapore meeting that opens on monday. the chief negotiators from the 12 participating countries ended working-level discussions on thursday without making much progress. they're facing difficulties trying to reach agreements on the protection of intellectual property as well as on farm product tariffs and other issues. the tpp is aimed at drawing up new trade rules among the member nations and creating a single economic zone in the asia-pacific region. abe said he agrees with u.s.

president obama that the deal is crucial for the region. the japanese government has worked out a power-saving plans for this summer. it will call on utilities across the country to conserve energy without setting up numerical targets. people in japan have been coping with strained power supplies during peak hours since the 2011 nuclear accident. relevant cabinet ministers decided to ask companies and households to cut back on the use of electricity between july and september. they noted that the country will be able to meet a minimum demand this summer. nevertheless, they said the utilities should be prepared for any potential trouble at thermal power stations. all nuclear power plants in the country will remain off-line today. utilities in some areas may face a possible power shortage since they heavily depended on nuclear power generation.

>> translator: the government will ask people in the central and western regions especially to save energy. considering the current energy situation. >> the government plans to ask these regional utilities to review contracts with businesses and curb consumption during peak hours. ministers said they will consider numerical targets if electricity supply falls short of demand due to unexpected incidents. executives at japanese electronics maker nec are pushing ahead with a plan to expand the supply of renewable energy in europe. now they're carrying out tests in italy to see if they can make the power source more reliable. the executives have supplied an energy storage system to italy's biggest power company. the city acts as a giant battery that holds electricity.

it's one of the most powerful in europe. consumers in europe have been using more and more electricity from wind and solar power systems. but renewable energy sources are still vulnerable to weather conditions. executives at nec and nl say if the trial goes well, they'll introduce the system across italy. those at nec are confident they can use it in other countries as well. companies that make drones in the u.s. are ready and waiting for takeoff. they're hoping government officials will soon relax the rules on the commercial use of these unmanned aircraft. it's potentially a multibillion dollar market, but some americans worry the cost to people's privacy could outweigh the benefits. nhk world has the story. . >> reporter: a recent television commercial for a japanese luxury car brand has made waves around the world. it features swarms of small drones developed by a u.s.

venture firm. drones are unmanned aerial vehicles. some resembling helicopters, others airplanes. one maker is based in san francisco. engineers here are developing drones that can deliver cargo to pre-determined locations, navigating by gps systems. they see great potential in developing countries with few roads and poor infrastructure. last year, the drones were tested in haiti, accurately delivering cargo weighing up to 3 kilograms to destinations as far as 20 kilometersaway. the drones are due to go on sale starting this summer for ngo groups operating in developing nations. >> we want to be the apple of this space. we want to be the company that defines that industry. it's an exciting industry. we believe that it's probably at

the same place that the computer industry was in the '70s. >> reporter: analysts see the market for drones rising to about $80 billion in the u.s. alone. the government has set up six test sites across the country to promote private sector development. the police are also picking up on the technology. more than ten police departments throughout the country are using drones in situations considered unsafe for officers. but there are growing privacy concerns. >> you're live is good. >> reporter: this video depict the a future in which drones are used freely. here drones are flying freely over san francisco with worried citizens fighting back. the director says he is expressing the anxiety that people feel about drones.

>> when you have something that is autonomous, where -- that is -- that you've extrapolated the control from a human to basically a machine, that's obviously something that needs to be handled carefully and delicately and i can very easily understand why people are concerned about that kind of thing. >> reporter: these growing concerns have already affected the police force in oakland, california. a city with a population of 1.5 million. the police department in charge of this area was planning to use drones in its emergency response unit. the department produced a video to show how drones could help in apprehending criminals who have barricaded themselves inside buildings. but after locals expressed their concerns about a potential invasion of privacy, the police department decided against pursuing the drone program at all. >> i think that the

misconception out there that these would be weaponized, that these would be used for indiscriminate mass surveillance somehow -- that is where the opposition starts. >> reporter: as drone technology takes off, debate on how it can be used and restricted will likely continue. kenji mccauley, nhk world, san francisco. people in china province are still struggling to recover following one of the deadliest earthquakes there. six years ago a magnitude 8 quake left 87,000 people dead or missing. many reinforced buildings collapsed in the most devastated area in the province. residents are urging the government to keep its promise and help revive the most damaged areas. nhk reports.

vrp she lives in one of the worst quake hit rejops. he was a sports loving boy who had dreams of joining the military. his hopes were destroyed when he lost his legs in the disaster. he was rescued here at his high school. he was dragged from the debris 76 hours after the quake. he became famous from his hospital bed. one of the first things he said after having both his legs amputated was that he wanted to drink a cold cola. he immediately became known as the cola boy. >> translator: people who survived have gone through so much. for some of uss the challenges can be overwhelming, but we have to find ways to keep going.

>> reporter: the disaster made young rethink his life. he opened a car washing business, calling it cola boy. like his nickname, he became a hit. young gets assistance from the local government. officials send their cars to be washed at cola boy. aged just 24, young now operates two car care businesses. he also runs a souvenir shop. >> translator: i won't let the earthquake discourage me. i have lived with this attitude as much as i can. of course i'm very grateful to the government for supporting me and i've had help from many other kind people. >> reporter: cola boy is located in the town of yongchangchen, about 20 kilometers south of the

most damaged areas. construction of this new town costs some $2 billion. he hopes it will attract sightseers. they build an arch memorial. many tourists came in the beginning, but their numbers have fallen. opened a barbecue restaurant three years ago. business went well for the first year. but now, she struggles to pay her staff. she doesn't qualify for government assistance as her home wasn't badly enough damaged by the quake. >> translator: my sales have been falling for two years. this year has been the slowest. many people here are thought to be well off because of compensation payments, but they've gone to cities to find seasonal work. >> reporter: before chen opened her restaurant, government

officials told her some 200,000 people would live in her town, but the actual population is one-tenth of that. a short stroll from the main street, many shops stand shattered and closed down. >> translator: the government ran a big poster campaign trying to get people to visit, but it didn't help. they also organized events to attract tourists, but those weren't successful either. >> reporter: much of the reconstruction completed, the number of jobs available is shrinking. the prospects for those who aren't getting government assistance look rather grim. nhk world. wildfires are threatening homes in california and mexico. our meteorologist jonathan joins me now. how serious is the situation? >> the situation is pretty

serious because the dry weather combined with high winds have continued to contribute to this dangerous situation. we're talking about points from southern california to los angeles all the way down into baja, california. i have some pictures to show you out of san marcos in san diego county. the fire is just blazing with very thick smoke. when we go down to mexico you can also see that. the fire is really intense. and because of the smoke that's billowing up, you can actually see this from space, this satellite picture from nasa shows us the extensive line of wildfires all the way down into the southern portions of baja, california, into mexico, and so yes, this is a very serious situation. on top of the fact that it is very windy, it is very dry. the entire state of california under a severe drought with some areas particularly near los angeles seeing exceptional drought conditions and not enough rainfall has been falling. on average about 265 millimeters

of rain should have fallen by may 15th in terms of the average, but only half of that has fallen in los angeles. same scenario in san diego. very dry conditions so far. looks like we're going to be looking out for more wildfires possibly. the good news is, though, the ridge of high pressure is shifting toward the east. that's wakening the wind gusts and therefore allowing the firefighters to hopefully get a little edge in to combat those wildfires. meanwhile, on the east side, we are seeing the cold front starting to depart from the united states, but the mid-atlantic states into quebec you're going to be dealing with heavy rainfall building up for your friday. so look out for possibly some flooding from d.c. into new york and even parts of quebec. meanwhile, back over on the west coast, still seeing dry conditions. los angeles, you will see a high of 34 degrees. we are talking about some very heavy rainfall also into the balkan peninsula. you can see the low pressure system swirling right over near parts of ukraine, also into

belarus and romania. i have some video to show you coming out of serbia where a state of emergency has been declared and, you know, the situation on thursday was it was hit very hard with the heaviest flooding in 120 years. at least four people have been killed and hundreds have been forced to flee. several rivers have overflowed leaving hundreds of acres of land under water. you're seeing video from croatia. a highway has been shut down and ferry service canceled. stormy weather is likely to continue on friday. let's take a look at the map here with areas we're going to look out for severe weather. mainly in ukraine and belarus, that's really the heart of this area when it comes to the possibility of heavy rainfall and hail and also some damaging winds. even in the areas shaded in orange you need to look out for the possibility of some severe weather and as we look at the precipitation in terms of the accumulation, areas as far north as poland need to look out for lots of rain as we go through the next few days. let's take a quick look over at

asia. we have this front that is part of the rainy season, starting to depart from southern china, looking at the possibility of some rain. we may see a little bit of a break. meanwhile into the korean peninsula and japan you're going to be seeing drier conditions. highs will be in the mid 20s. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook.

and that's all for me today. gene otani will be here at the top of the hour with more updates. thank you for watching. gg99ññwñ

>> welcome to the "france 24" newsroom. the headlines this hour. isia's opposition bjp party on track for a major win in the general election. for the first time in nearly 30 years a single party will rule the world's largest democracy. the operator of a collapsed deniesmine responsibility. death toll stands at284 as anger rises over the government's response to the country's worst ever mining disaster. a new u.s. report says human rights are under attack in eastern ukraine. russia slams the