a senior tepco official warns the situation at the fukushima daiichi is not under control. >>> attempting diplomacy, u.s. and russian officials agree to discuss ways to get syria's warring parties to talk. >>> and a japanese opera singer uses her voice to give tribute to victims of two tragedies. >>> a top official from tokyo electric power company says he does not think the situation at fukushima daiichi is under control. his statement comes amid new concerns that radioactive water at the stricken nuclear plant may have reached the ocean. leaders of japan's main opposition are now demanding answers from the government, particularly the prime minister. nhk world reports. >> reporter: japanese prime minister shinzo abe spoke with confidence before the international olympic committee. >> let me assure you that the situation is under control. >> reporter: but a top tepco official appears to have contradicted his words. at a meeting overnight by the opposition democratic party, kazuhiko yamashita said he does not think the company is on top of the problems at the crippled nuclear plant. he sa

fukushima daiichi has more than. 300 tanks all holding radioactive water. but they say they can't check or re-enforce them or replace them all at the same sometime. the governor of to goy is not so sure everything is under control. >> translator: prime minister abe said that the this situation is under control but that's not necessarily the case. the important thing is that the prime minister expressed his determination to deal with the problems. >> governor says the prime minister's assessment helped allay concerns about the leaks and he said he expects the abe administration to do all it can to solve the problem. >>> government officials have highlighted yet another concern about fukushima daiichi and other nuclear facilities nearby. they analyzed the results of health checks and workers and say they've seen an increase in abnormalities. most reportedly work at the power plan. minister officials say 4% of those workers have health problems like high white blood cell counts, four times the proportion that had health issues in 2010 before the accident at fu

government takes a concrete step to deal with the radioactive water that has leaked at fukushima daiichi. >>> u.s. president barack obama is preparing a direct appeal to the american people. he's scheduled to lay out his case for a military strike on syria in a nationwide televised address on tuesday night. obama is expected to clarify his position that the action would be limited and the u.s. would not go to war. but russian proposal might help stop the u.s. from using any force at all. russia's foreign minister has urged the syrian government to put its chemical weapons stockpile under international control. he said syria could avoid u.s. military strikes if it does so. syria's foreign minister walid al mousalem said his government welcome the proposal but they're concerned about the security of the syrian people. obama said he considers this modestly positive development and sees potential in the russian plan. >> i want to make sure that norm against use of chemical weapons is maintained. that is overwhelmingly my preference. >> obama said the u.s. will remain ready to take military a

nuclear expert has visited the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. lake barrett spent four years directing cleanup operations after the nuclear disaster on three mile island in 1979. he said the problems at fukushima daiichi are far more complex. barrett was invited by tokyo electric power company to tour the stricken plant. he inspected the storage tank from which about 300 tons of contaminated water leaked last month. he was also shown a construction site for barriers to prevent radioactive water from seeping into the ocean. barrett said tepco's risk management of the radioactive water was lax and it should have designed higher barriers around the storage tanks to contain any leaks. barrett also met tepco's president. he says the problems at fukushima daiichi are further complicated because of the involvement of groundwater. >> the challenge is huge. it makes three mile island look very simple. what you have is much more complex, much more challenging. >> on friday, barrett is expected to meet tepco officials at the company's headquarters to give a

japanese leaders have said they'll take charge of leaks of radioactive water from fukushima daiichi plant. 75% of respondents said they supported the effort. 18% said they were against it. >>> people in japan are expecting the olympic games in 2020 to provide an economic boost. we talked to our rather, we have this report. >> reporter: the market in tokyo started the week with strong gains following japan's win. investors here in tokyo's financial district are celebrating and they hope the country's olympic 3wid will help share prices. >> translator: i expected to add to economics. >> translator: we're hoping that heading to 2020, the olympics will have a positive effect on the economy. >> reporter: after prime minister abe took office last year, tokyo stocks started to rebound hitting the 15,000 level. but share prices dropped in may over concerns of a possible winddown of u.s. monetary easing. stocks have since been sluggish and traded in relatively low volumes. investors believe that the olympics will help. >> translator: i predict share prices will pick up as the successful olympic bi

. >>> the company in charge at fukushima daiichi says it's safely disposed of rainwater that built up at the nuclear plant during the severe tropical storm. >>> and as tensions between their governments persist, many japanese are staying away from china, but more chinese are choosing to come to japan. >>> diplomatic sources have told nhk that north korea has tested an engine for a new intercontinental ballistic missile. they say the test happened last month at a launch site in the country's northwest. the sources say the engine tested could be used in this type of missile, which was recently on display at a military parade. similar tests were carried out at the same launch site in february. this comes amid suspicion that pyongyang has restarted a nuclear reactor capable of making weapons grade plutonium. north korean leaders in the meantime have been calling for international dialogue. officials are expected to attend the symposium on their nuclear program in china on wednesday. analysts said they're using the tests to pressure the u.s. into negotiating. north korea has been under int

japan's leaders pledge $470 million to manage the latest crisis at fukushima daiichi. >>> securing support, u.s. president barack obama gets the backing of an old adversary for a strike on syria. >>> and traditional lake farmers of central myanmar float ideas for protecting their way of life as the country rides away towards economic development. >>> japan's leaders have approved a $470 million plan to deal with hundreds of tons of contaminated water accumulating at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. right now about 400 tons of groundwater is leaking into basements of the damaged reactor every day and is being tainted with radioactive substances. the water is being pumped out and stored in tanks. the government plans to use the funds to decontaminate that water and freeze the soil around the buildings to prevent groundwater from seeping into the basements. translator: we've drawn up a basic plan to achieve a fundamental solution to the problem of radioactive water instead of reacting to each new problem as it comes up. >> prime minister shinzo abe has pledged his administration will make

crews have to fish at least 50 kilometers from fukushima daiichi and more than 150 meters deep. and they can only catch 16 kinds of seafood including squid. those species have significantly lower levels of radiation than government standards. >>> japanese prime minister shinzo abe has reassured world leaders the leaks of contamin e contaminated water from fukushima daiichi are under control, but marine scientists from japan and abroad say there are much more they must do to get things better. nhk has more on the nuclear watch. >> reporter: last week's ming, the society of japan, experts offer a range of views on the impact the fukushima accident will have on the ocean. but they're uncertain about how exactly the impact of radiation on the ocean. >> translator: tepco's collected data, but it's difficult to understand. it's hard to find out what data tepco actually has and what we have found isn't helping us much with our research. >> reporter: this professor has been studying the impact of what's happening at the plant. he thinks those in charge need to take a different approach.

the fukushima daiichi disaster has put tepco deeply in the red. the utility has learned it will have to find another $10 billion to deal with contaminated water and decommission the plant's reactors. tepco currently has to rely on thermal plants, which means big outlays in fuel costs. it hopes getting the reactors back online at kashiwazaki kariwa will give it some breathing space. >>> fishermen from fukushima have unloaded five tons of marine life they hauled in after resuming test catches. they suspended offshore trial fishing at the beginning of the month following revelations that highly radioactive water was leaking at the damaged nuclear plant. crews of 21 trawlers returned to a port in soma city in north fukushima. fishermen can only go after 16 types of seafood found to have either no contamination or levels of radiation well within safely limits. and they must drop their nets, traps or lines at least 50 kilometers from the plant, at a depth of at least 150 meters. the crews unloaded 5.2 tons including giant octopus, spear squid and hairy

. >>> the people in charge of the fukushima daiichi plant are dismantling a storage tank that leaked hundreds of tons of radioactive water. >>> and a 78-year-old athlete is aiming for a fourth trophy in one of the world's toughest races, the iron man triathlon. >>> north korea's chief nuclear negotiator says his country is ready to resume six-party talks on its nuclear program. first vice foreign minister, kim kye gwan is calling for a restart of negotiations without any preconditions. kim was speaking at the symposium on north korea's nuclear program in beijing. it's being attended by some 50 officials and researchers from the six countries involved in the talks. >> translator: we support the talks and are willing to resume dialogue, including small-scale discussions within that framework. >> the talks were suspended nearly five years ago. kim criticized the united states for saying it wants north korea to take steps towards denuclearization before it's willing to resume dialogue. on wednesday, chief cabinet secretary reiterated japan's position on the issue. >> translator: we will

the same kind that experience meltdowns at the fukushima daiichi plant. the reactors are part of the nuclear power plant in niigata in central japan. tepco officials submitted an application. rules that went into effect in july require that boiling water reactors like those at the plant have filtered vents. such vents are designed to release pressure in reactor containment vessels during emergencies while limiting the emission of radioactive substances. tepco's managing executive officer said niigata's governor has asked that the use of such vents be approved by the prefecture. he said he will relay that request to raegulatory agency officials. a team of 80 experts at the regulatory agency is screening application for six other plants with pressurized water reactors. this is the first time applications for boiling water reactors have been subject to such review. >>> the head of the u.n.'s nuclear watch dog is telling japan to follow international standards tass monitors levels of radiation in sea water off the damaged nuclear plant. yumio amano spoke abou

the company in charge at fukushima daiichi says it will deal with all radioactive water by march 2015. >>> what to do with the waste. japan's industry ministry proposes a way to handle tiely dangerous substances from all the country's nuclear plants. >>> and catering this country's curvier consumers. japanese fashion executives see a promising niche. >>> tokyo electric power company set a tentative deadline to have the process complete by march 2015. engineers at the troubled facility will face major hurdles trying to meet that goal. nhk world reports. >> reporter: abe on thursday took his second look at the fukushima daiichi plant. the visit was apparently in response to international concerns of whether the situation at the site is really under control. >> translator: tepco's president said they'll complete the decontamination of radioactive water in fiscal 2014. >> reporter: tepco officials say some 440,000 tons of wastewater are present in the building's basement. 15,000 tons or more has accumulated in underground tunnels. workers store 400 more tons of radioactive water every day

workers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant say they may have figured out what is behind the leak of ton of contaminated water. foreign ministers from five major powers are finding themselves divide over how to eliminate syria's chemical weapons. and trying to keep their traditions alive. >>> the people in charge fukushima daiichi plant say they may have found the source of a problem that's been plaguing them. they have found a gap at the bottom of steel plates in the tank. the workers put foam on the joints between the plates. they managed to suck it through to the other side. is a managers say the weight of the water may have widened the gap allowing the water to leak out. about 300 similar tanks sit on the site. managers say they will check them to try to avoid any other problems. every day, more and more waste water accumulates at the plant, but the people in charge say they'll soon begin testing a system that could filter out most radioactive substances. tepco officials want to decontaminate thousands of tons of waste water by march 2015. they say the advanced liquid processi

iaea director has discussed leakage of water at the fukushima daiichi power plant. he was interviewed ahead of his scheduled visit to japan in october. >> translator: it is not sufficient even if japan says we have been monitoring levels of activity and we will release the data to the world. it's crucial for japan to conform to international standards and cooperate with bodies from the planning stage. >> the agency is considering specialists on the mission. crews at the plant are facing yet another challenge. they say an underwater barrier designed to prevent the spread of radio active materials has developed a tear. nhk world's kunihiro yamamoto takes a closer look at the damage. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe visited fukushima daiichi last week. an official with operator tokyo electric power company offered assurances. >> translator: the orange barrier over there is called a silt fence. we think it's effective in containing radioactive water. >> reporter: this is what tepco says now. >> translator: damage was found in the silt fence near reactors five and

the big step of restarting two idle reactors, the same type as those that melted down at fukushima daiichi. >>> and a bank loaned $2 million to organized crime groups and took steps to rectify the situation for more than two years. >>> a major breek-through has been made on the sidelines of the u.n. general assembly. the five permanent members have agreed ton a draft resolution through a compromise. since the conflict began, three security council draft resolutions on syria have been voted down. nhk world has the details. >> reporter: the draft was presented to the security council in a closed-door meeting on thursday night. it could be voted on as soon as friday. >> it is something which is working very pragmatically and strongly for this effort of the elimination of chemical weapons in syria. >> reporter: the draft stipul ls for the disarming of chemical weapons. it also calls for an international conference to bring together the syrian government and opposition groups. the aim would be to establish an interim government that both sides agree on. the u.s. and european countries were push

they say an underwater barrier to prevent the spread of radioactive materials from fukushima daiichi has developed a tear. nhk world's kunihiro yamamoto takes a closer look at the damage. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe visited fukushima daiichi last week. an official with operator tokyo electric power company offered assurances. >> translator: the orange barrier over there is called a silt fence. we think it's effective in containing radioactive water. >> reporter: this is what tepco says now. >> translator: damage was found in the silt fence near reactors five and six. >> reporter: the silt fences are made of polyester. they are installed near intake canals and other areas in the plant's port. they're suspended like curtains and held down with weights at the bottom of the sea. tepco officials say the barriers are effective to a certain extent in preventing radioactive water from escaping the port. the fences also keep silt from clogging water intake systems. in all, crews have installed seven of them. >> translator: the silt fence has torn, but we don't think the situation w

chiaki ishikawa, nhk world. >>> now fixes fukushima daiichi is the most urgent task at hand, but that's riddled with challenges. tepco president naomi hirose says his company delayed the construction of underground walls around damaged reactors because other work was given priority. the walls are designed to block any leakage of contaminated water. hirose testified on friday at a lower house committee meeting ld to discuss the problem of massive groundwater contamination at the facility. he admitted tepco was aware at an early stage that radioactive water was leaking into the sea. three months after the nuclear accident, the utility decided to build underground walls around the reactor buildings. when asked why tepco officials did not pursue the plan, hirose said they had to deal with many hot spots of radiation as well as contaminated debris. hirose said the government and tepco initially decided to build underground walls near the sea instead of around the reactor buildings. the seaside walls were built by solidifying an embankment with chemicals. the current plan calls for building w

. ♪ >>> the people in charge of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have yet another problem on theirands. they say they've found cracks in the brace supporting an exhaust pipe. authorities are concerned the pipe could collapse in another earthquake. the 120 meter tall pipe stands between two reactor buildings. workers used it to release radioactive vapors and prevent an explosion after the disaster at the plant. officials with tokyo electric power company say they spotted cracks in eight places that hold the pipe upright. they expect the earthquake two years ago caused the problem. they say there's no evidence of any damage to the pipe itself. overseers are demanding that company officials investigate immediately. they want to know whether the structure can with stand another earthquake. tepco officials say they're dismantling a tank at fuch neema daiichi that's caused them a number of problems. last month more than 300 tons of highly radioactive water leaked out. some of it may have flowed into the pacific ocean. >>> official with ptepco say they began taking apart on tuesday. >>> a

to fish at least 50 kilometers from fukushima daiichi and more than 150 meters deep. they can only catch of course poe pus and squid. those species have lower levels of radiation than government standards. >>> three japanese fishing vessels were captured off brazil in july and august. two were released one is still being held in the country. brazilian authorities have released the number 58 and number 7. there's still holding the number 108. officials at the brazilian institute of environment and natural resources said the three ships had violated the country's regulations for protecting sea birds. one captain was briefly arrested for not complying with the regulations, his ship and tuna catch were confiscated. officials at the japanese embassy in brazil said the three vessels followed international rules. the court gave two ships permission to leave brazil while ruling against the third vessel. it's been held in a southern brazilian port for nearly two months. >>> you can find satellite positioning systems in planes, cars and even phones. they've beco an essential to

press criminal charges for their handling of the 2011 nuclear crisis at the fukushima daiichi plant. fukushima residents had filed criminal complaints against tepco and government officials. they include then-prime minister kahn. prosecutors have been investigating whether they were able to predict in advance such a massive earthquake and tsunami. they concluded that the former prime minister and top management at tepco were not able to foresee the effects of such massive twin disasters. the prosecutors concluded that they'll not press criminal charges for the actions of the utility and the government in the aftermath of the nuclear crisis. >>> 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." >>> the final match of last month's little league baseball world

two and a half years later, much of the regionll the country. >> 40 kilometers from fukushima daiichi, houses the largest number of displaced residents. how have people adjusted to living there? >> reporter: it's hard to imagine what people here are exen designated as a new entry zone. authorities have reachedpericin. much of life on the surface appears to be normal. but take this town hall behind me, for instance, it's actually the municipal office for the displaced people of a town in the no entry zone. nhk got permission to go into the town in july. reporters found desserted homes and buildings, residents have only been allowed back on special occasions with escorts and protected gear. and only for a couple hours. this is the original town hall. you can see there are still papers and files scattered everywhere. the calendar still shows the date as march 11th. it hadn't been touched since then, so it really shows how time essentially stopped after the disaster. the town hall, authorities moved to iwaki. they moved four times since the disaster. they moved here and constructed this b

. >>> japan's leaders have drawn up a plan to address the crisis at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. they've watched as workers have tried to deal with the buildup of radioactive water. they're earmarking about 21 billion yen, $210 million to try to solve the problem. they'll use the money to decontaminate the water and to try to contain leaks. they plan to do that by freezing soil around the damaged reactors. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga will lead a panel overseeing work at the plant. the panel will take charge of decommissioning the reactors. the members have promised to improve communications with workers and officials from plant operator tokyo electric power company. prime minister shinzo abe is scheduled to meet with his cabinet on tuesday to authorize the plan. >>> now the head of japan's nuclear regulation authority says it will legally oblige tepco to address the leaks. he criticized people at the utility for continuing to make quick fixes. shunichi tanaka addressed the concerns about leak of water from a dank last month. he said reports on what caused it, how it h

japanese leaders have said they'll take charge of leaks of radioactive water from the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. 75% of respondents said they supported that effort. 18% said they were against it. >>> the disaster in fukushima forced almost 150,000 people from their homes. more than two years later, certain areas, the ones shown in red on this map, remain in the new entry zone. government officials say people won't be allowed to return for a long time but exactly how long no one knows. people from the town of futaba are scattered throughout japan. nhk world's jun yotsumoto has their story. >> reporter: he is 65 years old and he's lived in this former school building for more than two years. >> reporter: this former high school in kazo city near tokyo is the last evacuation center still housing disaster survivors. about 100 people from futaba live here. their average age is 70. ikuta is the community's leader. he has no income apart from his pension. the operator of the fukushima plant gave him just nine months worth of compensation. only part of the two and a half years worth he's

the fukushima daiichi disaster has put tepco deeply in the red. the utility has learned it will have to find another $10 billion to deal with contaminated water and decommission the plant's daichi plant's reactors. tepco currently has to rely on thermal plants, which means big outlays in fuel costs. it hopes getting the reactors back online at kashiwazaki kariwa will give it some breathing space. >>> members of the u.n. security council are struggling to find common ground on syria. foreign ministers from the five permanent members are trying to agree on a resolution demanding that syria eliminate its chemical weapons. the top diplomats from the u.s., britain, france, russia and china met in new york with u.n. secretary-gen wral ban ki-moon. they discussed how monitors from the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons would inspect and verify syria's stockpile. delegates from the u.s., britain and france want a resolution allowing for military action if the syrians fail to comply with the security council's demands. over the past week,

the disaster triggered the crisis the fukushima daiichi plant.bout 290,000 people are still living in temporary housing. many survivors stopped on wednesday to pay tribute to those they lost. they observed a minute of silence at 2:46 p.m., the moment the earthquake struck. people in the city of natori gathered in front of a monument for those who died. the tsunami washed away many houses in their community. construction workers in the city also offered prayers. they are preparing land on higher ground for about 350 new homes. the first batch of land will be ready for construction at the end of the year. >>> survivors are reflecting on what happened and what's changed. some have performed the rituals they've been practicing every month since the disaster. people living in temporary housing in the coastal city of ofunato held a memorial service for those who died. more than 150 people live in this complex. some gathered to pray for family members who died. >> translator: i saw houses and people washed away in a whirling tsunami right in front of me

nhk world reports. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe inspected fukushima daiichi on thursday and afterwards told reporters about his request to tepco executives. >> translator: i urge tepco executives to dismantle the number 5 and 6 reactors, to concentrate their work on dealing with the series of problems including leaking radioactive water. >> four reactors are already set to be scrapped. three have suffered meltdowns after the march, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. the other two, number 5 and 6, survived the disaster because of an emergency electricity system. tepco officials say both reactors are still stable, but local community leaders have demanded the company decommission them, too. people around the plant have mixed feelings about abe's words. >> all of my town's residents did come. it is natural for the leader of the country to ask for all the reactors to be dismantled. >> translator: that is natural. the world will laugh at us if we let the reactors restart after such a tragic disaster. >> translator: i do not think the situation in fukushima is under control as abe said.

. >>> the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has resumed decontaminating wastewater after fixing the system it uses to reduce radioactive material. >>> bashar al assad promises to comply to see his stockpile of chemical weapons eliminated. >>> in autumn the skies over china are usually a clear blue. but this year, a cloud of pollution is obscuring the view. >>> the operators of fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have resumed the operation of a system used to filter radioactive materials from water. it says human error caused the suspension last week. workers at tepco resumed their test run of the advanced liquid processing system, or alps, designed to eliminate radioactive materials from the water that is accumulating at the plant. they suspended operations on friday. they had just resumed it for the first time in a month and a half. the workers detected a reduction in the flow of contaminated water in a pipe that sends water to a storage tank. tepco officials said a loose rubber mat clogged the drain. they said workers forgot to remove it after inspecting the inside of the t

. >>> hope for a new filtration system at the fukushima daiichi plant has turned to disappointment. one day after starting aest run of the system that was hoped would hope to eliminate almost all of the radioactive materials and waste water, officials have shut it down. tokyo electric powom

region >> the japanese government is trying to dispel concerns regarding the situation at fukushima daiichi. prime minister abe has approved a $470 million budget to deal with the accumulation of hundreds of thousands of tons of contaminated water at the plant. the funds will enclose a site behind the barrier of frozen soil, a method whose effectiveness has yet to be demonstrated. >> reporter: an estimated 1,000 tons of groundwater is flowing from nearby mountains towards the plant every day. about 400 tons sweep into the basements of the damaged reactors, where the water becomes highly contaminated. tepco engineers are trying to stop the inflow of groundwater into the plant. but the company has been struggling to control the situation. experts say about 300 tons of contaminated water ends up in the ocean every day. in addition, several leaks have been detected in storage tanks. the japanese government has decided to intervene. >> translator: we've drawn up a basic plan to solve the problem of contaminated water. instead of reacting to each new problem as it arises. >> reporter: engineers p

the fukushima daiichi plant is still leaking radiation. government officials spent the last week trying to reassure the international community that the situation will be under control by 2020. the prime minister even left a g-20 meeting in russia early to fly to buenos aires to listen to the vote. >> i'll be frank i'm so happy, i'm overjoyed, i'd like to share this joy with the japanese people back at home. we've been given a lot of hope by the people at ioc and i would like to give a wholehearted thank you to all of them. >> japan's acceptance to the international community after its defeat in world war ii. this time it's about the nation's endurance and the people's able to rise above an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disaster. florence louie, al jazeera, tokyo. >> seems a celebration in tokyo. is they were chanting fanzai, a celebratary shout, and then formed the words thank you for the successful bid. >>> well still ahead, an easy win. australia's liberal national coalition end the party's rule. >> i think that the movie's fun bu

. >>> japan's prime minister has called on the leader of the fukushima daiichi plant to decommission the reactors. shinzo abe's appeal comes among growing concerns about water leaks at the plant. but tepco officials have not given a firm word on what they'll do. nhk world's yoshitaka hiranuchi reports. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe toured the area on thursday and talked about the request to executives of tepco. >> translator: i urged tepco executives to dismantle the number five and six reactors and deal on the series of problems, including leaking radioactive water. >> reporter: four reactors are set to be scrapped. three had suffered meltdowns after the march 2011 earthquake and tsunami. both reactors are still stable, but local community leaders have demanded the company decommission them too. people around the plant have mixed feelings about abe's words. >> translator: all of my town's residents cannot return home. if you think about that, it is natural for the country's leader to ask for all of the reactors to be dismantled. >> translator: that is natural. the world wil

a big step to restarting two idle reactors, the same type as those that melted down at fukushima daiichi. glue and relaxing restriction, a major hub of commerce in china hopes to boost foreign investment through free trade. >>> a major breakthrough has been made toward eliminating syria's stockpile of chemical weapons on the sidelines of the u.n. general assembly. the five permanent u.n. security council members have agreed on a draft resolution through a compromise. since the conflict began, three security council draft resolutions on syria have been voted down. nhk world's kunihiro yamamoto has the details. >> reporter: the draft was presented to the security council in a closed-door meeting on thursday night. it could be voted on as soon as friday. >> it is something which is working very pragmatically and strongly in support of this effort of the elimination of chemical weapons in syria. >> reporter: the draft stipulates that syria must follow a weapons disposal plan approved by the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons. it also calls for an international conference to

officials at the tokyo electric power company have warned of a potential new problem at the fukushima daiichiuclear plant. they say radioactive water that leaked from a storage tank last moh mahaveergewith grouwate tepco says it collected samples of ground water from a monitoring well about ten meters om the faulty tank. tests showed water contained high levels of radioactive substances. last month, tepco discovered more than 300 tons of contaminated water had leaked from the tank. company officials said some of that water may have reached the sea. >>> leakage of radioactive water from the fukushima plant is raising concerns around the world. people are worried about the safety of japanese food. nhk world has more. >> reporter: shortly after the accident imarc2011, radiation lels in more than 50% of fish caught off fukushima exceeded the government's safety limit. this figure has dropped dramatically but still remains at 2%. the japanese governmenis restricting coastal fishing, measuring radiation levels in fish catches. it is also restricting shipment of fish caught off shore. nevertheless,

. >>> managers at the damaged fukushima daiichi power plant are trying to resolve a problem that's been hampering the cleanup operation. they say they'll soon test a filtering system that could remove most radioactive substances from waste water

the nuclear crisis at the fukushima daiichi plant. damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2007. the plant is unstable. the prime minister gave ashurps that the situation will be under control by 2020. the japanese government says holding the olympics in tokyo will help to inspire the world. >> if turkey wins, it will be the first country with a muslim majority to host the olympics. it has been investing in it. this stadium was built 11 years ago and could be the centre. turkish government is proposing to invest more than $19 billion for the olympics and it is higher than what tokyo and others proposed. there are many challenges and issues to overcome for istanbul, is the traffic. another concern is the doping scandal which erupted this year, and, of course, the war in neighbouring syria. turkish government is trying to convince boaters that it's not a security threat since the boarder is more than 1,000km away frommist yist am bull. there is a lot to offer, but many changes to overcome. >> this is the first time that madrid bid for a game. they feel that 2020 is their time. desp

. >> reporter: their hometown is a few kilometers away from fukushima daiichi. 1,400 residents evacuated to the former school right after the disaster. they may never see their homes again. he showed us pictures of his hometown. >> translator: there were so many of them. it was really gorgeous. >> reporter: parade of the cavalry passing near his house. people cheering at a traditional festival. these are scenes of normal life before the accident. >> translator: we know we can't go back. it's just so cruel, from our point of view. >> reporter: they're trying to find apartments nearby. evacuees don't have to pay rent for the first two years, but after that, nothing is certain. this man is 91 years old. he says he wants a house where he can live the rest of his life in peace. if he can't go back home. >> translator: my life is so pathetic now. i feel like i've lost out by living so long. i would have liked to have died ten years ago. >> reporter: many residents say thed tee rather remain in the school than be scattered and isolated in yet more temporary housing. but he says he doesn't know

the people at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have another problem on their hands. fi officials say the levels of radioactivity in a storage tank have risen. more leaked last month of a tank. it is thought to have seeped into the soil. monitors have assigned more to -- they say the level of tritium rose to 64,000 becquerels per liter. more than twice the reading the previous day. the well is not located near where ground water is flowing and managers say most of the tainted soil around the tank has been removed, so they don't know how the water is getting con tame that ed. workers planted ground water and reroute it into the ocean before it passes through reactor buildings, but their latest finding may change that. the crisis has made headlines around the world, now, the french weekly newspaper has care a ried a car yakture mocking the crisis. a cartoon shows wrestlers fighting about. one wrestler has three arms and the other has three legs. two people in protective gear referee outside the ring. a comment says -- sumo was picked as an olympic sport, thanks to fukus

. >>> more tank leaks are found at the fukushima daiichi plant. part of the leak has escaped into the sea. fukushima's radioactive plume of water will likely reach u.s. waters in 2014, but will be significantly diluted by then. >>> diana nyad's fifth and final attempt to swim from cuba to florida looks like it's on the verge of success. her team tweeting just the past hour she was making her approach on to key west. the 64-year-old will be the first to swim from cuba without a shark cage if she is successful. go, diana. >>> a one-month-old not so giant panda made its debut at a zoo in southern china this weekend. zoo officials performing a physical and giving the little tyke the thumbs up. the first panda cub born in the southern region this year. looking good. >>> the beginning of football season, labor day, those are just two of the events that brings to mind one of america's greatest foods. the wing. the national wing festival in buffalo, new york, brings together thousands of wing lovers to taste hundreds of different flavors of wings. this ye

. >>> the people at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have a another problem on their hands. officials with tokyo electric power company say the levels of radioactivity in a monitoring well near a storage tank have risen. more than 300 tons of highly radioactive water lead to laked month out of i storage tank. managers have asigned mormon tors to check far radioactive materials in groundwater near the tank and say the level rose on tuesday to 64,000 becquerels per leader, more than twice the reading of the previous day. the well is not located near where groundwater is flowing and the managers say most of the tainted soil around the tank has been removed. so they don't know how the water is getting contaminated. workers plan to pump up clean 'groundwater and reroute it into the ocean before it passes through reactor buildings. but their latest finding may change that plan. plans to rebuild break waters in three prefectures of north iran japan hardest hit in the 2011 disaster are behind schedule. officials in local municipalities say more than 60% of the projects have still no

it follows leaks of radioactive water from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the head of the party requested the government to take further measures to ensure safety of food exports from japan and said government officials should consider banning imports of japanese products until the safety is confirmed. south korean owe firms asked japan to provide information about contaminated water leaks and south korean fish dealers are testing imports for radioactive contamination as consumers express concerns over safety. >>> officials from the u.s. marine corps say last month's crash landing of an osprey transport aircraft is a class-a mishap, the most serious type of accident. the tilt-rotor aircraft was on a training flight from a base in california when it was forced to make an emergency landing near a base in nevada. the aircraft caught fire, but none of its four crew members were hurt. marine officials say the crash landing damaged the aircraft beyond repair. a class-a crash applies when an aircraft is nearly destroyed or when damage tops $2 million. the crash la

did not disclose all the information on radioactive substances leaking into the sea from fukushima daiichi. but they've promised full transparency from now on. >> translator: disclosing accurate information is crucial, but the data we provided was not sufficient. >> reporter: the agency has uploaded data about water leaks and radioactive materials in the sea onto its website in english. it also plans to send the data to foreign correspondents and embassies in japan. nhk world, tokyo. >>> south korea isn't the only country to express concerns over marine products from japan. nhk world's yoichiro tataewa explains. >> reporter: shortly after the accident in march 2011, radiation levels in more than 50% of fish caught off fukushima exceeded the government's safety limit. this figure has dropped dramatically but still remains at 2%. the japanese government is restricting coastal fishing off fukushima and measuring radiation levels in the fish catches. it is also restricting shipment of fish caught offshore. nevertheless, safety concerns are growing abroad. following the accident, professor jota

. >>> the operator of the troubled fukushima daiichi nuclear plant says water used to decontaminate a drainage ditch may have reached the sea nearby. last month, more than 300 tons of highly radioactive water leaked from a storage tank. tokyo electric power company has been monitoring radiation levels at eight locations around the area to find out how the water has spread. utilities covered 80 becquerels per liter of cesium 137 in water samples at a location 30 meters from the sea. the density is close to the government's set tloesh hold allowed to be discharged. tepco says the decontamination work is under way at an upstream ditch. the utility concedes that tainted cleanup water may have flowed down the ditch and in to the sea. the power company says it had taken measures to prevent toxic water from escaping in to the sea but tepco admitted the steps were insufficient. it promised additional action to beef up inspection of the decontamination work. >>> japanese embassy in france has launched a protest with the french newspaper over a political cartoon about japan. the illustration jo

japanese prime minister shinzo abe has reassured world leaders that leaks from the water from fukushima daiichinder control. but marine scientists abroad say the operator, tepco, needs to do much more to improve things. nhk's world explains in today's nuclear watch. >> reporter: at last week's meeting of the oceanographic society of japan, experts offer a range of views the impact the fukushima accident will have on the ocean, but they were uncertain about how exactly to analyze the impact of radiation on the ocean. >> translator: tepco has collected data, but it is very difficult to understand. it's hard to find out what data tepco actually has and what we have found isn't helping us much with our research. >> reporter: the professor has been studying the impact of what's happening at the plant. he thinks those in charge need to take a different approach. >> translator: it's crucial that people with expertise in different fields come together, people who understand the impacts on the land and the ocean. we should work to create a forum where we can exchange information. >> reporter: u.s. exper

it comes amid concerns over radioactive water in the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant leaking into the pacific ocean. the head of the saenuri party, hwang woo-yea, requested the government to take further measures to protect food imports from japan. he said government officials should consider banning imports of japanese products until their safety is confirmed. south korean officials have asked japan to provide information about contaminated water leaks. fish dealers in south korea are testing imports for radioactive contamination. >>> territorial tensions between the philippines and china are heating up. philippine officials have accused china of building structures on the disputed scarborough shoal in the south china sea. but china's foreign ministry spokesperson said on wednesday that there's nothing to be sorry about. >> translator: china has a legitimate right to operate its vessels in the waters to protect its sovereignty and order. china has done nothing that warrants blame. t scarborough shoal is located about 200 kilometer west of the philippine island of luzon. philippine of

officials at the tokyo electric power company have warned of a potential new problem at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. they say radioactive water that leaked from a storage tank last month may have merged with groundwater. tepco says it collected samples of groundwater from a monitoring well about ten meters from the faulty tank. tests showed the water contained high levels of radioactive substances. last month tepco discovered more than 300 tons of contaminated water had leaked from the tank. company officials said some of that water may have reached the sea. a steam leak was reported at another one of japan's fluke leer plants on thursday, but it contained no radioactive substances. the ohi nuclear plant is located in fukui prefecture. an employee accidentally opened a valve that sent steam bursting out. witnesses say it was as high as three meters. 20 workers were evacuated. and no one was hurt. the reactor was shut down for regular safety inspections two days ago. he had been one of only two online reactors in the country. >>> policymakers at the european central bank have decided t

government is to compile a basic plan on tuesday to deal with a leak of radioactive water at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >> translator: we shouldn't leave this problem to the plant operator, tokyo electric power company. from now on the government will play an active role in dealing with the problem. previous measures tepco took were made on an ad hoc basis and we now need to take drastic steps. >> chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga says they will do all they can, planning a comprehensive package of measures on tuesday at a meeting of its nuclear disaster task force, which includes all cabinet members. contaminated water leaked from a storage tank at the plant and some of it may have entered the ocean. tepco detected a radiation level of 1800 millisieverts per hour. near another tank on saturday. that much radiation can kill a person within four hours after exposure. >> the only two nuclear reactors operating in japan are shutting down for regular inspections. they will leave all the country's nuclear power generators idle for the first time in 14 months. workers with kansai ele

." >>> the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant says a rubber mat has come loose in a tank of a new filtration system. this may be clogging the drain outlet. tokyo electric power company suspended a test run of the advanced liquid processing system on friday after having resumed operation earlier in the day for the first time in one and a half months. the system is designed to eliminate radioactive materials from the water that's accumulating at the plant. tepco had detected a decline in the flow of radioactive waste water in a pipe that carries the water to a storage tank. the rubber mat is used to protect the floor of the tank when carrying out inspections with a ladder. the utility will check other tanks for similar problems before resuming the test run. >>> authorities in sendai city say they have finished cleaning out the inflammable debris from the earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern japan in march 2011. the task was completed ahead of schedule. workers used heavy machinery to throw the last 50 tons of rubble into the flames in wakabayashi ward. the official