tsunami. scientists from japan, the u.s. and eight other countries worked only the study. they drilled a hole in the ocean floor of the japan trench. tectonic plates shifted fr triggering the disaster. the bedrock is made up of 70% clay, ub able to absorb as much water as other bedrock. friction from the quake generated heat reaching hundreds of degrees of celsius. water in the bedrock swelled and caused the bedrock to slide further increasing the size of the tsunami. the head of the company in charge of the crippled plant plans to make improvements to prevent human error. recent mistakes at fukushima daiichi led to the leak of radioactive rain water and brief suspension of damaged reactor's cooling system. the president of tokyo electric power company told lawmakers that workers at the plant are overstretched.

>> translator: we need to increase the work norforcworkfo. we also believe it's important to improve their working environment. >> earlier on monday, human error caused a partial power failure at the plant. tepco officials say a worker mistakenly pushed the stop button of a switchboard during an inspection. that cut power to a pump that injects water to cool nuclear fuel inside reactor one. a backup pump quickly kicked in. officials say the reactor's temperature didn't change. the chairman of the nuclear regulation authority says the situation at fukushima daiichi could have an impact on tepco's bid to restart its largest nuclear plant, one on the sea of japan coast. >> translator: the situation at fukushima daiichi has not been sufficiently stabilized to reassure the public about safety. we will proceed very carefully with our safety inspections.

>> he says he ordered tepco to submit a report on safety management by the end of this week. after the fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, dairy farmers over a wide area had to suspend operations or even shut them down. their pastureland had been contaminated by radioactive fallout. in this report, we meet a farmer who is determined to reclaim what the disaster took way. nhk world reports. >> reporter: decontamination of this farm began last month. it is less than 90 kilometers from fukushima daiichi power plant. masahiro yamakawa owns the farm. >> translator: the work has finally started, though, we've run up against so many difficulties. >> reporter: before the disaster, yamakawa let his 30 cows graze freely.

they ate grass in the woods. milk from this diet has a different taste and composition every season. this milk made yamakawa proud. >> translator: i love this landscape. the cows in the forest. not only the cows, but also the natural surroundings. it's precious to me. >> but after the nuclear disaster, radiation contaminated the foliage and soil at high levels than the government limit. yamakawa stopped the grazing. then weeds overran the forest. he didn't know when the grazing could restart. so he had to let his employees go. he hasn't used his milking equipment in more than two years.

yamakawa almost gave up farming, but other farmers talked him out of it. a local farmer took care of his cows. he also milked them after making sure the feed was not contaminated. >> translator: i'm not helping him, per se. we're trying to survive together, looking for ways to go on together. >> reporter: yamakawa avoided closing his farm by selling the milk and selling a creamy dessert at his farm cafe. gradually customers have come back. his sales are 80% of what they were before the earthquake. >> translator: nice. >> reporter: first, he had to decontaminate his land. he thought he might be able to leave the trees and remove only the soil and ground vegetation. but small equipment needed for the job would cost over

$200,000. so yamakawa had to cut down his cherished woods. it was a bitter decision. the top soil held radioactive substances that contaminated the grass. he and sakama removed it. the underlying earth became the new surface. they treated it with potassium to absorb radioactivity. yamakawa wants 40% of the forest cleaned up for now and his cows grazing in the spring. >> translator: you really should not give up. there were many times when i was about to. the most important thing was that i didn't. now i'm determined to bring my cows out here and let them graze again. what i really want to do is regrow the forest and make

another outstanding farm. >> reporter: yamakawa yearns to bring back the good old days when his cows were free to roam and their milk was his pride and joy. kayako tamaki, nhk world, nasu. thousands of residents are still waiting to go home. vast tracts of land are still waiting to be restored. and more than half of fishing ports on the pacific coast must be rebuilt. people in northeastern japan still face challenges following the 2011 disaster, but step by step, they're moving forward. see their stories every wednesday on "the road ahead" right here on "newsline."

sbr national inspectors started process of destroying bashar al assad's most feared weapon, syria's arsenal of chemical arms. experts for the organization of prohibition of chemical weapons have given credit to syrian authorities. they say authorities have been cooperating with the program. >> the opcw, organization of the prohibition of chemical weapons, where satisfied with the cooperation that they've received. >> the u.n. security council adopted a resolution last month demanding the destruction of the chemical arsenal. an advance team from the opcw oversaw syrian forces destroying warheads and bombs. u.n. officials set a deadline of november 1st for eliminating facilities that produce chemical weapons. the opcw team experts syrian forces to complete destroying all the weapons by the middle of next year. u.n. officials say the work is progressing quickly. but analysts say the civil war might make it difficult for inspectors to meet their goal.

they say some weapons are located in areas where government forces are battling opposition fighters. congressional leaders in the u.s. are trading barbs over a bitter political stalemate. they're growing increasingly frustrated as the government's partial shutdown entered its second week. democrat and republican lawmakers are refusing to compromise on provisions in budget bill. some government operations remain closed due to the impasse. republicans say they'll approve the bill but only if it includes a provision to delay major health care reform. democrats won't give any ground. president barack obama made a visit to the federal emergency management agency. he said many workers remained furloughed and unable to respond to disasters. obama urged republicans to pass the budget bill and raise the government's debt ceiling to avert a default. >> i am eager and ready to sit down and negotiate with republicans on a whole range of issues. >> the senate and house of

representatives have resumed deliberations on the spending bill but lawmakers appear no closer to a breakthrough. french magistrates have dismissed charges of illegal fund-raising against former president nicolas sarkozy. their decision could boost his chances for a political comeback. judicial authorities accused sarkozy's camp of receiving funds exceeding the legal limit during the 2007 presidential campaign in 2007. they alleged he accepted the money from liliane bettencourt. bettencourt is 90 years old. sarkozy faced allegations he took advantage of her frail mental state. two magistrates investigating the case say they don't have enough evidence and won't press criminal charges against him. a former minister and nine other involved in the campaign will face trial on fraud and other charges. sarkozy released a statement

thanking his supporters. he withdrew from the political limelight after losing the presidential election last year, but some members of his party are eager for him to run in the next election. that's in 2017. japanese government officials are stepping up efforts to sell their country's shinkansen bullet train to india, join hands with indonesian counterparts to conduct feasibility studies. the emerging economy is planning a high speed railway and considering using the japanese technology for it. the railway will run from the commercial hub, mumbai, to the western industrial city. the route is around 500 kilometers and will likely cost some $10 billion. officials from the two countries signed a mem rorandum for the joint investigation. over the next year and a half they'll study the provability of building tracks for the shinkansen and research ways for funds of the project.

the indian government will make a decision. japan is the first nation to conduct research with the indian government and puts it a step ahead with competitors including france. exports of trains and other infrastructure are a key pillar of japan's growth strategy. many chinese are having trouble finding a place to bury the remains of family members. sprawling mountains, deserts, only 10% of the land suitable for burials. and building projects and population growth are making the cost of that land soar. now many can't afford to buy a burial plot. nhk world has more. >> reporter: the average cost of a grave site in shanghai is about $8,000. that's about twice what the average city residente earns ina

year. in beijing, some grave sites now cost as much as $300,000. >> translator: available land is limited. cemetery prices are way beyond my reach. >> translator: home is expens e expensive. graves are even more expensive. >> reporter: concern has spread among cemetery operators. members of a countrywide association controlled by the state. >> translator: 9 million people die in china every year. preparing graves for each of them is quite a challenge. >> reporter: he lives in shanghai. he buried the remains of his father-in-law last year.

>> reporter: he bought burial rights here for $150. far cheaper than an ordinary grave. he was allocated a plot measuring 30 square centimeters under this flower bed. his father-in-law died five years ago. he couldn't afford a grave so he -- remains at the crematorium. >> translator: before he died, he told me to throw away his bones, but who can do that? >> reporter: the remains of six other families are buried under the same flower bed, but after ten years, the ashes of other people will also be placed here. the central government takes

burial issues seriously. it's been calling on people to place the ashes of their loved ones in the sea. this is a ceremony and ocean burial of china's northeastern city. the event drew nearly 100 people. >> translator: it's time to bid fa f farewell to your loved ones. >> reporter: a water container holds the ashes. this kind of burial costs around $190. the local government pays for it. to promote the burials, authorities build a facility in shanghai two years ago.

it chose how and where the burials are conducted. some exhibit highlights, sea barriers of former government leaders including the late premier. >> translator: the ashes of former leads were scattered on the sea, so i'll do what the government says. >> reporter: even though many chinese must find untraditional ways to bury loved ones, one tradition stays the same. nhk world, shanghai. populous. prosperous. pushing ahead. china's rise brought it wealth. power. and problems. an income gap divides its people. pollution threatens their health. and disputes at sea strain relations with i neighbors. find out about the challenges

china faces, on "newsline." an animal on list of critically endangered species has been caught on camera. the rhinoceros was thought to become distinct in the 1990s but conservationists recorded one there for the first time in two decades. the rhinos are native to the islands of borneo and sumatra. locals cut away at the forests in which they lived and poachers harvested horns for use in chinese medicine. so their population declined. specialists with the world wildlife fund and local officials installed cameras at 16 locations to try to catch one on camera. they were delighted with their success. a wwf official says they hope to work with authorities to ensure that measures are in place to protect the animal. three scientists who study how cells move molecules around and how that relates to our health won the nobel prize for physiology or medicine.

>> 2013 nobel prize in physiology or medicine jointly to james rothman, randy schekman and suedhof. >> americans james rothman and randy schekman share the prize with german thomas suedhof. all work with leading american universities. schekman discovered genes, movement of hormones and enzymes in cells. in his research, rothman identified a group of proteins that help in the transfer of molecules. suedhof's work, nerve cells direct precision delivery. their discoveries will throw light on the way transport malfunctions contribute to conditions such as neurological diseases and diabetes. a white diamond the size of a small egg has sold for a record price at an auction in hong kong. the bidder paid the most ever paid for such a jewel, more than $30 million. two people spent about six

minutes vying for the 118 carat gem. the auctioneer says the winner wishes to remain anonymous. miners unearthed the diamond two years ago in south africa. price tag of $30.6 million is the most ever paid for a white diamond but well short of the $46 million paid in 2010 for a pink diamond. hong kong is joining geneva in new york as a leading auction center. its jewel auction are popular with wealthy asian clients. time now to check on the weather. meteorologist sayaka mori joins us now with the latest on the typhoon near kishu, western japan. >> it's getting stormy across the western part of kishu and south of south korea due to a strong typhoon. the name is dennis. we have video from miazaki, eastern part of kishu. so far we've got report of 150 millimeters of rain in just 24

hour hours in some parts. more than 10,000 households are without power. thousands of people have been evacuated and schools are closed. ferry services and more than 100 flights have been canceled. and more stormy conditions are likely to occur in kishu as we go into this evening. here's the projerkted path. the center could get close to northern kishu this evening and move over the sea of japan. it could move through the tohoku region or hokkaido thursday morning local time as a high pressure system. most of japan will miss the worst of it but there's a problem. the windiest part usually found in the eastern hemisphere of the storm will be traveling over much of the country, so windy conditions will prolong into the next couple of days across most of japan. waves are going to be very high. about 9 meters. and it's the period of the spring tide, so the sea surface, the water levels are much higher than usual. coastal flooding is going to be a high risk in many places. and as for rainfall, more than

200 millimeters of rain is likely for southern parts of south korea and 250 millimeters for shikuku. enough to trigger further flooding and landslides. as for tokyo, staying dry, but windy conditions are expected to occur from wednesday evening. now, across china, the remnants of tropical storm is now located here producing lots of rain. more than 200 or even 300 millimeters of rain have been reported in provinces in the shanghai area. normal rain is welcome, but heavy rain will remain throughout the day. heavy rain is also coming down in central and southern parts of thailand once again. and across the americas, dry weather for many parts, but an active weather is still going on across the east. we have a long cloud band stretching up toward the north. thundershowers there, but on tuesday, things will be clearing up. however, two areas such as the northern parts of quebec and the

southern parts of the u.s. will remain on the wet side. some snow showers are possible in the north. now, back behind it, spotty showers for british columbia and parts of washington as well as oregon. the rain will also spread to the south as we go into tuesday. and some snow showers are also possible in the mountains such as the sierras and the cascades. about 50 centimeters of snow in just 24 hour-period. temperatures are going to cool down to 23 in los angeles and it's going to cool down even further as we go into the next couple of days. only 17 degrees for you in los angeles on your wednesday. so what a change in store for you across the southwestern u.s. now, across europe, lots of clouds to the north. we and windy conditions are still remaining in the north. and a risk of severe weather is still hanging on over italy and the western balkan peninsula. mild temperatures in the central parts of europe, but it could cool down. look at this. only 9 degrees for you on

thursday across stockholm and 12 degrees in zurich on thursday. here's the extended forecast.

and that's all for now on disedition of "newsline." i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. thank you very much for joining us. tavis: good evening.

from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. with luis gutierrez. he has just published a candid new memoir called "still dreaming." then jeanne tripplehorn. she is currently starring in "criminal minds."

we are glad you joined us. those conversations are coming up now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

>> he is the son of were to reagan parents. rican written -- puerto parents. he has written a memoir called "still dreaming." good to have you on this program. what do you make of what is happening a few miles down the road in d.c.? >> i went to congress to expand .pportunities

our goal is to make sure everyone has access to wha everything. i'm not going to let them use the budget to stop people in my community from having what they have in congress. tavis: it appears john weiner has done his heels in even more adamantly. how much worse is it going to get? >> i think it's going to get worse before it gets better. of the most bitter .gliness in the united states if you see us in the gym getting ready to go to work in the morning, if you see us at lunch together, it is night and day. so many people want to put this

behind us. let's hope the leadership can take us there. the battle,in for and i think i'm in for a battle a right.e as democrats, one republican for the affordable care act, and we didn't take them out. they took them out. they have never wanted to expand health care for americans. this fight is about making sure government is on your side, and i think it is important we keep this fight. party thatt this the always talks about respect for the law? it is law of the land. the supreme court has upheld it. what happened to the notion of at least respect and the rule of law in america? they have a new philosophy, and that is that the small group of people can impose their ideological