their home is 4.5 kilometers from fukushima daiichi. when she returned home, radiation levels in the area were high. 20 microsieverts per hour. >> translator: we just can't go home, it just can't happen. there's no way we can lead normal lives if we return. >> taki endo owns a precision instruments factory in the city of minamisoma. his factory is about 20 kilometers from fukushima daiichi. it's been closed since march. the radiation levels in the area are relatively low. 0.5 milliliters per hour, however, endo is worried that customers and workers will not return, even if the government revises the designation for the evacuation zones and his factory is able to resume operations. >> translator: large companies have already pulled out of the area. but i hope they will return to revitalize our town. >> our reporter, miho fukunaga joins us now. what does the prime minister say about the situation at fukushima daiichi? >> well, prime minister noda says in his declaration, says it's just the beginning of a decommissioning process that will

what does the prime minister say about the situation at fukushima daiichi? >> well, prime minister noda says in his declaration, says it's just the beginning of a sawadee ka commissioning process that will last for decades. >> translator: our fight over the nuclear accident is not over yet. we continue our efforts until the reactors are decommissioned. we reflected on how we disclosed information about the accident. from now on, i'll update approximately on what's going on at the fukushima daiichi plant. >> this announcement has been expected for weeks. on the other hand, we just heard some japanese are expecting expressing doubts about his announcement. tell us more about the kinds of reactions noda is getting right now. >> some nuclear experts say that a state of cold shutdown at fukushima daiichi does not have any meaning. the term is usually reserved for healthy but not damaged reactors. in reactors number one, all the nuclear fuel melted through the pressure vessel, much of it into the containment vessel. then it burned through parts of the concrete tha

the report says that that ultimately failed to prevent meltdowns at fukushima daiichi. panel members also criticized tepco's initial response to the accident. they say fire trucks should have been dispatched earlier to pump water into the reactors. that may have lessened the damage to the fuel rods, thereby reducing the release of radiation. the report also found the government's handling of the crisis problematic. a computer system that predicts how radioactive materials spread in the event of a nuclear accident was not used when evacuations were planned, and evacuation orders were not precise, so they failed to promptly reach the affected municipalities. a japanese nuclear expert is calling for further investigation. >> translator: it should be clarified whether the prime minister's office took effective action while the accident was in progress and the situation remained volatile. the investigation should access the crisis management system and comment on the matter in their final report. >> nhk world's mitsuko nishikawa joins us with more details. tepco issued a rep

it explains in detail the errors tepco workers made right after fukushima daiichi. they were late to respond to the problems to reactor number one. they fell behind in their attempt to cool down the reactor. they failed to use the only workable cooling system called the isolated condenser. after the plant lost its major power sources. the condenser uses steam it cool it down. but neither workers, task force on the site, nor officials at at headquarters, knew how to operate it at the time of the emergency. the report says as the operator after nuclear plant, tepco's lack of knowledge was extremely inappropriate yit. it says there could have been ways to slow down the case of melt downs and lessen leakage of radiation outside the plant. the committee is expected to finalize the report by summer 2012 after interviewing officials and ministers in chge during the time accident. the committee is calling for fundamental and drastic changes to nuclear safety and disaster response policy. >>> tokyo electric power company says it'll use an industrial endo scope to look inside

the japanese government appointed the panel to find out what went wrong at fukushima daiichi. its ins rim report blames tokyo electric power company and the government for their mistakes. the investigation started in june. ten members of the panel interviewed 456 people, including tepco workers and governmentficials. the report describes how tepco predicted in 2008 that a tsunami higher than ten meters could hit the plant. the utility failed to strengthen its anti-tsunami measures. the report says that inaction ultimately failed to prevent the melt downs at fukushima daiichi. panel members also criticized tepco's initial response to the accident. they say fire trucks should have been sent in earlier to pump water into the reactors. that may have lessened damage to the fuel rods, thereby reducing the leak of radiation. the report found problems with the government's handling of the crisis. a computer system that predicts how radioactive materials spread in the event of a nuclear accident wasn't used when evacuations were planned, and evacuation orders were not precise. so they

so experts are consulting a wide range of data. >> tepco built reactors at fukushima daiichi to power thousands of homes and businesses. now there's rot inside number one. analysts estimate all the nuclear fuel has melted through the furnace. much of it into the containment vessel. concrete covers the bottom of the vessel. it was up to two and a half meters at the thickest point, but high temperatures eroded parts of it. in the worst case, fuel may have melted 65 sent me ters into the concrete. in some places, leaving just 37 sent meters before a steel shield, the final barrier. company spokespersons increase the concrete in all three reactors stopped eroding. >> the bottom of the vessel is filled with water, so i don't change my view that the fuel in the reactors has been cooled down. >> nuclear experts have come up with several scenarios to describe what's going on inside the reactors. our reporter has been reporting on this since march 11th. he tells us how the recent analysis will effect the work to recondition the reactors. we will guide you with simultaneous interpretation. >> t

"nuclear watch" brings you insights and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis.the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> some breeders in japan have added a twist to an old tradition. for centuries, japanese have enjoyed watching ornamental carp or koi, swimming around in ponds, now they're appreciating these beautiful fish in a new setting. nhk world's akita morita has more. >> reporter: in hiroshima, you can see koi everywhere. >> reporter: hiroshima prefecture is the second-largest producer of koi in japan. autumn is the big season for taking the fish from their breeding ponds and shipping them to dealers. many people come to this dealer to check out the latest arrivals. >> translator: each fish has a different color and pattern. they're like living gems. >> reporter: recently, more customers are arriving from other countries. >> so beautiful. wonderful color and the size, i never see. >> japanese koi are number one in the world. >> reporter: koi are becoming popular in m

the japanese government appointed the panel to find out what went wrong at fukushima daiichi. its ins rim report blames tokyo electric power company and the government for their mistakes. the investigation started in june. ten members of the panel interviewed 456 people, including tepco workers and government officials. the report describes how tepco predicted in 2008 that a tsunami higher than ten meters could hit the plant. the utility failed to strengthen its anti-tsunami measures. the report says that inaction ultimately failed to prevent the melt downs at fukushima daiichi. panel members also criticized tepco's initial response to the accident. they say fire trucks should have been sent in earlier to pump water into the reactors. that may have lessened damage to the fuel rods, thereby reducing the leak of radiation. the report found problems with the government's handling of the crisis. a computer system that predicts how radioactive materials spread in the event of a nuclear accident wasn't used when evacuations were planned, and evacuation orders were not precise. so th

a former scientist of the fukushima daiichi has been diagnosed with cancer. doctors say it's unlikely his disease was caused by radiation exposure. he led the efforts to stabilize the plant after the nuclear accident in march. the company relieved him from his post last week. >> rachel ferguson is up next with weather. 5 >>> hi there. time for the weekend's forecast. we start in eastern asia where things are once again going to be dry and cold across much of the east asian continent. a few snow showers down towards the southwest of china and then further south we will find continuing rain showers over eastern indochina. mostly vietnam getting hit with those, and the then the philippines continuing to see heavy rain, particularly up here for northern luzon. as for japan, well, wintry precipitation coming to northern portions then actually quite far down the sea of japan side of the country. meanwhile, it will be nice and dry and sunny also for the pacific edge. temperaturewise, 9 forecast for tokyo on saturday. 2 in seoul with 5 in beijing. now, 5 is also fore

a former scientist of the fukushima daiichi has been diagnosed with cancer. doctors say it's unlikely his disease was caused by radiation exposure. he led the efforts to stabilize the plant after the nuclear accident in march. the company relieved him from his post last week. >>> farmer in a coastal area hit by the march tsunami will build one of japan's largest facilities for growing vegetables without soil. the seawater, one-third of farmland where about 1,800 sectors in the region. farmers in the area plan to build a facility that uses liquid nutrients and water instead of soil. they hope to start operations in 2013. rachel ferguson is up next with weather. >>> hi there. time for the weekend's forecast. we start in eastern asia where things are once again going to be dry and cold across much of the east asian continent. a few snow showers down towards the southwest of china and then further south we will find continuing rain showers over eastern indochina. mostly vietnam getting hit with those, and the then the philippines continuing to see heavy rain, par

japan gets set to announce a major step in bringing the fukushima daiichi plant under control. the government of japan is set to pass a milestone on its road to recovery. japanese prime minister noda is expected to announce during the day that the crippled reactors at fukushima daiichi are in a state of cold shutdown. the government and tokyo electric power company have been working for months to bring the plant under control. government officials say the plant meets requirements for a cold shutdown, and they can declare the second phrase of their operation is complete. they say temperatures at the bottoms of reactor pressure vessels anded in t ntsd the cont vessel have dropped below 100 degrees celsius. radiation levels at the perimeter of the compound remain low. now the government plans to review the no-go zones and evacuation areas set up after the accident. the operator of the plant has decided not to release decontaminated water into the ocean for the time being. tepco is in the process of decontaminating radioactive water that's collecting in the basements of the reactor

japan set to announce a major step in bringing the fukushima daiichi plant under control. the government of japan is set to pass a milestone on its road to recovery. the japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda is expected to announce during the day that the tripled reactors are in a state of cold shut down. the government and tepco have been working for months to bring the plant under control. government officials say the plant meets requirements for cold shut down and they can declare the second phase of the operation is complete. they say temperatures inside the containment vessels interest dropped below 100 degrees celsius. radiation levels at the perimeter of the compound remain below one millisievert per year. now the government plans to look at the area after the zept. >>> the operator of the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant has decided not to release decontaminated water into the ocean for the time being. tokyo electric power company or tepco is in the process of decontaminating radioactive water amassed in the basements of the reactor buildings. the wa

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> south korea's intelligence agency says north korea's new leader, kim jong un will soon become the country's supreme military commander, succeeding his late father, kim jong il. south korea's national intelligence service chief gave the news at a parliament committee on tuesday. north korea's ruling workers party. the paper used a title of supreme commander of the armed forces. the intelligence chief said this suggests that kim jong un will follow the instructions left by his father and move along the path of military-led revolution. whan said the title of the leader had been used for kim jong un immediately after the death of his father. he added that this suggests that young kim is making an effort to hasten his power transition. the title of supreme commander was not bestowed on kim jong il until six months after the death of his own father, kim il

concern about the safety of atomic energy has gone since the fukushima daiichi accident. the government is reviewing its nuclear policy. the nuclear power minister says the future of the project should also be reviewed. >> translator: some of the equipment is obsolete and various troubles have delayed the start of its full fledged operation. i think the project has now reached a turning point. >> decision on this future is expected next summer. there are a couple of things to consider. one, the delay in the schedule. according to the original plan, first breeder reactors were supposed to go into use between 1985 and 1995. but that timetable has been drastically revised. now the current status update is 2050. another factor is cost. the japanese government has already spent about $23 billion on research and development of first breeder reactors. some people say spending more on this project would be a waste of money. >>> nitrogen is being injected into the pressure vessels of the fukushima's crippled reactors. tepco says that the inert gas will prevent another hydrogen exp

"nuclear watch" brings insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis and "the road ahead" examines efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> a major japanese food company says it will replace 4,000 cans of powdered milk for free after samples were found to contain radioactive substances. 38 becquerels per kilogram was found in powdered milk produced between march 14th and march 20th, below the government safety limit of 200 becquerels per kilogram, but they decided to replace all the powdered milk it produced during that period. the product was tested after consumers questioned its safety last month. all the powdered skim milk used as a base for the recalled product was processed before the march 11th disaster. some came from hokkaido in northern japan and a large amount was imported from australia. the final product was processed in a facility near tokyo after mar 11th -- march 11th. meiji says radioactive cesium from the fukushima daiichi plant may have entered the facility when it was vented during the

. >>> workers at the fukushima daiichi plant are rushing to meet an impending deadline. they want to bring reactors there to cold shutdown by the end of the year. the fuel inside three reactors has melted to the bottom of their surfaces. today's "nuclear watch" plant operators try to identify where all the fuel has gone. they can't check it firsthand, that's too dangerous, so experts are consulting a wide range of data. >> reporter: tepco built reactors at fukushima daiichi to power thousands of homes and businesses. now there's rot inside number one. analysts estimate all the nuclear fuel has melted through the furnace, much of it into the containment vessel. concrete covers the bottom of the vessel. it was up to two and a half meters at its thickest point. but the high temperatures have eroded parts of it. in the worst case the fuel may have melted 65 centimeters into the concrete. in some places that would leave just 37 centimeters before a steel shield, the final barrier. company spokespersons insist the concrete in all three reactors has stopped eroding. >> translat

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> it's a warm and pleasant morning here in tokyo. let's go to sauk ski open chee who has the big weather picture for us. >> and welcome back to your weather update. getting a look at weather conditions across east asia, first off. for japan we're talking about a typical winter weather pattern going on today. really clear skies for tokyo as well as much of the pacific side of the country. southern japan too enjoying nice sunshine. it is pretty wet and chilly for this northwestern flank here. we've got a lot more moisture coming in off the sea of japan. it is producing quite a bit of snow as well as some gusty conditions. looks like that's going so continue throughout the day before easing off in the evening hours. instead from evening into tuesday morning we'll start seeing moisture coming in from the south. southern japan may feel a couple of showers.

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> the u.s. declared that its war in iraq is over. president barack obama made the announcement wednesday saying the nine-year u.s. deployment has come to an end. in the iraqi capital of baghdad, defense secretary leon panetta attended a solemn ceremony. >> thank you for your loyalty to the future of iraq. your dream of an independent and sovereign iraq is now a reality. >> at base in southern iraq u.s. troops handed over security duties to iraqi troops on thursday. the war started in march 2003. nearly nine years of chaotic conditions saw 1.5 million soldiers deployed and 4,500 of them killed. as of now, just over 5,000 remain but almost all are expected to leave by the end of this week. iraqi citizens suffered through the war and terrorist attacks have mixed feelings about the president's declaration. >> translator: i am very happy. almost everybody oppos

back to exporting its nuclear technology, even as it continues to deal with fallout from the fukushima daiichi accident. >>> welcome to "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo. before the march 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered a crisis in japan, the government was focused on technology. that stance has not changed. but there is a new sense of caution. on the one hand, the government is considering future deals with other countries. on the other hand, it is honoring what it has already signed. a foreign affairs committee gave the go ahead on friday to several nuclear cooperation treaties with georgia, russia, vietnam and south korea. it will allow exportation and transfer related technology. >> translator: it would be meaningful for japan to offer safe nuclear technology to countries that request it. japan could also monitor conditions in the recipient countries and ensure the nonproliferation and peaceful use of nuclear power. >> japan also has a duty to share the lessons learned from the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >>> the lower house of japan the diet will vote o

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline. >> investigators in japan are trying to figure out how optical equipment maker olympus was able to cover up losses for more than a decade. we spoke to a former company executive to get his take on the story. >> reporter: miato served a z a board member at olympus between 1995 and 2006. he says he knew nothing about the coverup. >> translator: i am ashamed to say that most directors including myself were unable to see through the coverup. >> reporter: independent panel set up to investigate the scandal has pointed out that some top olympus officials were concealing the losses. it criticized senior management saying its core was rotten. miyata says he and others were too preoccupied to keep an eye on the company's finances. >> translator: all the directors tended to focus on their own areas of business. they have this idea that as long as they were doing a

back to exporting its nuclear technology, even as it continues to deal with fallout from the fukushima daiichi accident. >>> welcome to "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo. before the march 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered a crisis in japan, the government was focused on technology. that stance has not changed. but there is a new sense of caution. on the one hand, the government is considering future deals with other countries. on the other hand, it is honoring what it has already signed. a foreign affairs committee gave the go ahead on friday to several nuclear cooperation treaties with georgia, russia, vietnam and south korea. it will allow exportation and transfer related technology. >> translator: it would be meaningful for japan to offer safe nuclear technology to countries that request it. japan could also monitor conditions in the recipient countries and ensure the nonproliferation and peaceful use of nuclear power. >> japan also has a duty to share the lessons learned from the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >>> the lower house of japan the diet will vote o

"nuclear watch" brings insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and the road ahead examines the efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead." >>> the japanese government decided its next generation fighter jet will be the stealth capability f-35. the aircraft is jointly developed by u.s. company lockheed martin and partners in eight other countries. >> reporter: the plane is a cutting edge fighter with high tech abilities to obscure it from radar. it won approval from the government and ruling party to acquire the aircraft. defense minister on tuesday said the f-35 sophistication helped it beat out its challengers. >> translator: basically the most critical factor is the aircraft's capabilities. >> reporter: three other candidates included the fa-18 engineered by boeing. but this plane is said to have less stealth capabilities than the f-35. another possibility was the euro fighter typhoon by a con sort shum of companies from britain and germany and italy and spain. some ministry officials were cautious about it

roonchts active water from the fukushima daiichi plant earned the operator a reprimand. it was the second seepage in less than ten days. tepco says 30 liters of water leaked from the device, but it remained in the facility. the outvalve was stopped after valves were tightened. the agency warned tepco geps using the equipment. the agency asked the company to investigate the cause. earlier, water containing strontium liked into the ocean. the >>> the fukushima government released some results of radiation health checks in the prefecture. the information shows that exposure levels of most residents near the damaged nuclear plant are low with little health impact expected. the prefecture has been checking the health of its nearly 2 million residents. on tuesday it released the estimated external exposure levels of around 1,700 people from 3 municipalities designated as evacuation zones after the nuclear accident. fukushima says 97% of people are thought to be exposed to less than 5 millisieverts of radiation. of that number 63% have received less than 1 millisievert. the cou

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and impact on the fukushima daiichi crisis and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> radioactive water leak from the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has earned the operator a reprimand. it was the second seepage from the plant's desalination equipment in less than ten days. tokyo electric power company says about 30 liters of water leaked from the device, but it remained inside the facility. the outflow is stopped after valves were tightened. the nuclear and industrial safety agency warned tepco against using the equipment. the agency also asked the company to investigate the cause and take steps to prevent a recurrence. earlier this month, about 150 liters of water containing radioactive strontium leaked from the same equipment into the ocean. leaders of french nuclear energy giant areva say they will cut up to 1,500 jobs over the next five years, and they will suspend several projects. they say the accident at fukushima has made it difficult for those producing nuclear pow

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> south korean coast guard officers can now shoot guns to defend themselves in confrontations with illegal fishermen. their commanders held an emergency meeting to respond to the killing this week of an officer. a chinese fishing boat captain stabbed him after he boarded a boat. the commissioner general of the maritime police agency mo kang in said that it had threatened the sovereignty of south korea and hurt the people's pride. he said from now on groups of armed fishermen in south korean waters will be viewed as criminal rings and will be treated harshly. coast guard officers will be allowed to shoot anyone who threatens them with a weapon below the thighs. officers involved in shootings will not be held accountable. the south korean government is expected to come up with comprehensive measures as early as next week to deal with illegal chinese fish

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> investigators are trying to figure out how olympus was able to cover up more than a billion dollars investment losses for more than a decade. we spoke to a former company executive to get his take on the story. >> he served as a board member at olympus between 1995 and 2006. he says he knew nothing about the coverup. >> translator: i am ashamed to say most directors, including myself, were unable to see through the coverup. an independent panel set to investigate it found out some officials were secretly concealing the losses. it strongly criticized senior management saying its core was rotten. he says he was unable to detect the wrongdoing because he, like other directors, was too preoccupied to keep an eye on the company's finances. all the directors tended to focus on their own area of business. they had this idea that as long as they were doing a

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> next we go do pachari raksawong in bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> in the southern philippines, suffering continues in areas devastated by flash floods following a tropical storm almost a week ago. more than 1,000 people have so far been confirmed dead. help is finally reaching those in need, but the united nations is calling for a greater response from the international community. local authorities say the death toll had reached 1,010 people as of thursday, with 51 still missing. the storm swept away countless homes on the southern island of mi mindinao, more than 640,000 people have been affected. they face additional threats, including shortages of food and medical supplies. meanwhile, international donations are arriving in the disaster zone. the japanese government has provided aid supplies worth nearly $320,000, including

and those calls have grown louder since the march accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. the government has been working on the development of fast-breeder reactors since the late 1960s. it says the reactors can produce plutonium from used uranium. plutonium is a key element in the generation of nuclear power. the plant began operating in 1994 and a sodium leak shut it down. the public questioned the future of this next-generation reactor, named after a buddhist saint of wisdom. last month, some members of the government's panel said it would be difficult to win the backing of citizens for the resumption of operations at monju. >> nhk world's hajimi, why does japan need fast breeder reactors? >> mostly because it has limited resources, securing long-term energy sources has always been an issue for japan. last year, 14 years after the accident at monju, the experimental reactor resumed operations. but more accidents led to a decision to shut it down again. the monju project was the foundation of this country's plan to put fast breeder reactors into practical use. but nothi

japan's prime minister says it's achieved a cold shutdown at its fukushima daiichi nuclear power plan the. that means temperatures in the reactor have stayed below boiling point for some time. experts say it will take decades to fully clean up the nuclear disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami in march. >>> the coastal fishing village in southern china is still under siege. police surrounded the village after nearly a week of protests. people say the local government took their land, sold it to developers and kept the money. >>> residents say food and supplies are running low and they fear police might storm the village. >>> u.s. military officials now admit its u.n.-man droned was looking for suspected nuclear sites in iran. one official says it was on a cia mission, tehran put the aircraft on display after it was brought down recently on iranian soil. >>> prolific writer and social critic christopher hitchens has died. he often skewed the elite in his writings. his 17 books took aim at everything from the cancer that ravaged his body to waterboarding to religion. christopher

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> next we go to pachari raksawong in bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> in the southern philippines, suffering continues in areas devastated by flash floods following a tropical storm almost a week ago. more than 1,000 people have so far been confirmed dead. help is finally reaching those in need, but the united nations is calling for a greater response from the international community. local authorities say the death toll had reached 1,010 people as of thursday, with 51 still missing. the storm swept away countless homes on the southern island of mindinao, more than 640,000 people have been affected. they face additional threats, including shortages of food and medical supplies. meanwhile, international donations are arriving in the disaster zone. the japanese government has provided aid supplies worth nearly $320,000, including mat

he said japan's government made the right decision in declaring last week that the fukushima daiichi's reactors have been brought to a state of cold shutdown. he said temperatures inside its reactors are low enough that there's not enough energy left to discharge radioactive material. >>> japan is thinking of buying chinese government bonds for the first time. >> translator: i think it would benefit both countries if they bought each other's government bonds. >> the purchase of chinese government debt, japan is apparently hoping to assist china in its toward make its currency, the yuan, an international currency. china has already been buying japanese government bonds. prime minister yoshihiko noda is expected to officially inform chinese leaders of japan's plan at a meeting scheduled for this coming sunday. >>> japan and australia have resumed talks on a bilateral trade deal after a ten-month pause following the march disaster. representatives from the two countries met on tuesday in canberra, australia, to discuss the economic partnership agreement. tariffs are expected to be the foc

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis.nd "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> south korean coast guard officers can now shoot guns to defend themselves in confrontations with illegal fishermen. their commanders held an emergency meeting to respond to the killing this week of an officer. a chinese fishing boat captain stabbed him after he boarded a boat. the commissioner general of the maritime police agency mo kang-in told commanders that the killing had threatened the sovereignty of south korea and hurt the people's pride. he said from now on groups of armed fishermen in south korean waters will be viewed as criminal rings and will be treated harshly. coast guard officers will be allowed to shoot anyone who threatens them with a weapon below the thighs. officers involved in shootings will not be held accountable. the south korean government is expected to come up with comprehensive measures as early as next week to deal with il

tepco is the operator of the fukushima daiichi plant which had the nuclear meltdown. the stock now down just a shade under 90% this year in talk of nationalization, obviously, unsurprisingly spooking investors. now, meanwhile, releasing reams of data this morning. and on the whole it paints a pretty downbeat picture for the month of november. starting with industrial production, down 2.6% in the month of november from the previous close and down 4% on the same period last year. the flooding in thailand hitting many of japan's biggest exporters in recent months. inflation was also up today, and core inflation prices which exclude the cost of fresh food fell compared to a year earlier, was in line with expectations. but it does continue to raise the issue of deflation in japan. meanwhile, the unemployment numbers were out. they remain steady at 4.5%. that, too, was in line with expectations. elsewhere, household spending fell by more than 3% from 2010. retail sales also fell. but charles, seeing that spending by japanese households is something that they'll obviously be

. >>> the utility running the fukushima daiichi plant says it has to raise rates to stay afloat. the utility has not said how much rates will be increased. >>> back in the u.s., power plants are being told to clean up their act. u all the coal fired plants must comply. most of the 1200 plants are in the midwest. they switched to cleaner natural gas or shut down. >> 4:43. good news to report when it comes to the nation's economy. some analysts are ruling out another recession. they say the job market is healthier. many analysts believe the rate will grow. that's the fastest pace since pring spring of last year. let's turn to jackie deangeles, live at cnbc world headquarters. >> the futures are higher following a mixed session with the markets closing off the worth levels of the day. they missed the forecast for the first time in a decade. europe is higher. in the u.s., investors will be inundated. we'll get reports for new filing on unemployment, consumer sentiment and the final estimate on gdp. or how much the economy did or didn't grow. the nasdaq to close at 2577. toyota is lik

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline. >>> nitrogen is being injected into the pressure vessels of the fukushima plant's crippled reactors. tepco says the inert gas will prevent another hydrogen explosion. in late october, tokyo electric power company found hydrogen in the number two reactor at a density of 2.9%. since then the operator has been pumping nitrogen into the vessel. it began injecting right into containment vessels of one, two, and three reactors. it's believed the density of hydrogen accumulating in the vessels is below 4%. above this level, an explosion could occur. tepco says the nitrogen injection would push out hydrogen and reduce its concentration. >>> this week we've shown you interviews with leaders on the indian economy. on wednesday the indian government said gdp in the latest quarter grew at a slower analyzed rate of 6.9%. yet leaders we spoke to remain confident. today

. >>> japan's nuclear agency has ordered the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant to explain the cost of the latest leakage of radioactive water into the ocean. it also demanded to hear how they plan to prevent a reoccurrence. ha leaked from a purification device at the plant. the water leaked through a cracked wall into a gutter that drains into the pacific ocean. tepco says it took workers about 21 hours to notice the leak. it says the contaminated water contains cesium and stroncium. it will take two weeks to analyze the level in the water. a senior agency official said tepco must review its inspection system given that cracks occurred in recently-installed equipment and it took too long to notice the problem. the japanese government has banned shipments of rice harvested this year from part of a fukushima city after radioactive contamination was discovered. inspections last week found up to 590 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram from rice in three farms. that's over the government limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram. the government says the ban effects 406 ric

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis.nd "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> japanese fishery high school students training at sea are set to help track millions of tons of debris drifting in the pacific ocean in the wake of the march 11th tsunami. japan's environment ministry plans to conduct simulations and analyze satellite photos to see which rim countries could be affected by the up to 3 million tons of debris from japan's northeastern coast. the military sought the cooperation of japan's fishery high schools whose students do fishing and maritime survey training in the pacific ocean. the schools training vessel will save fuel meaning they are likely to encounter floating debris. the students will report what they see. >> translator: the survey will be part of their fishery studies. it will be educational for students. they will go into work in the fishing industry. >> people across japan know about the grea fishing along

nuclear watch brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis and the road ahead examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss nuclear watch and the road ahead on newsline. >>> one of the world's biggest auto shows is in tokyo this weekend. our business team was able to get a sneak peek ahead of the official opening. so you got to ride some of the cars at the tokyo motor show. >> i sure did. it was a lot of fun. i must tell you, i wasn't the only one having a good time. car buffs around the world get really excited about this motor show as global manufacturers come here to unveil their latest models. what can we expect on the roads? what changes are on the hordes on? let me take you around. 2011 has been a tough year for japanese automakers. despite the headwinds, all of them are here at the tokyo motor show with their latest innovations. let go and take a look. mobility can change the world. that's the team of this year's show. the focus is not only on cars but also the lifestyles of people who drive them. this concept car for example is

fukushima crisis. a japanese government panel says a lapse in communications contributed to the explosion at th fusma daiichi nuclear plant. panel members are investigating the accident last march. they say operators halted reacr number three's emergency cooling system without informing the plant director. th speioon march 13th allowed the reactor to heat up for nearly seven hours. it led to a hydrogen explosion the next day. neemrsayhe operators stopped the cooling system in the early hours of the day. the operators tried to use fire pumps instead. they were afraid the st's batteries might lose power. the members say the operators could not pump water into the reactor because there was no power topen the reactor's valves so they could not reduce the inside pressure and pump water in. the operators gave up on the pumps and tried to stc bk to the cooling system, but it wouldn't restart. they finally managed to pump water into the reactor seven hours latersiaratteries to open the valves. panel members say the director was only informed about the suspension more than an hour after it occurred. >>> a u.s. nuclea

. >>> overseas, the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant severely damaged by a tsunami is no longer leaking stn inin inii amounts of radiation. the power plant is now stable and has reached a so-called cold shutdown. japan's prime minister made that announcement this morning, but it is expected to take 30 years or more to fully decommission the power plant and a 12-mile zone around the facility is expected to remain off limits for years. >>> meanwhile, the first from debris from japan's earthquake and tsunami has washed away in washington. they found a big buoy with japanese markings. experts say a million tons could wash up on the west coast containing parts of houses, ships, cars, and even human remains. >> i'd like beachcombers to be humble and treat it with respect, as if it were 9/11 debris. they have lost 20,000 people, ten times 9/11. >> it may take another year or more for most of the debris to wash up on the west coast. >>> well, a russian fishing ship is in major trouble off the coast of antarctica. the sparta with 32 crew members is taking on water in rough seas. some of

country's nuclear plants ever since the march 11th earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdownsed a fukushima daiichi. we have some updates to tell you about regarding that story. beginning with the plans to control the damaged plant. japan's nuclear watchdog has approved measures to be implemented by the tokyo electric power company over the next three years to insure stability at the fukushima plant. the nuclear safety commission on monday approved the firm's mid-term safety procedures, including ways to prevent hydrogen explosions at the plant. the utility plans to implement the steps to complete the second phase of the timetail to put the plant under control. the environmental ministry says it will delay until march the start of full decontamination work no-entry zones and the government-designated evacuation zones in the fukushima prefecture. the ministry said it would start the work in january, but it revealed on sunday thatted decontamination of farmland and houses will begin in late march. the ministry said it will start by dekcontaminating infrastructures in late january. >>> japan's largest

using $13 billion in public money to secure compensation funds for the nuclear accident at the fukushima daiichilear power plant. now, this means the utility could effectively come under state control. tepco is facing financial difficulties and is uncertain whether operations of the nuclear reactor will resume. thermal power plants are being used instead and this is pushing up fuel costs. under the proposed plan, tepco will apply to the state to raise electricity charges next april. the government and utility are working to compile a new business plan by next spring. >>> a leading japanese credit rating agency has downgraded japan's government debt for the first time. rating and investment information or r&i on wednesday downgraded japan's sovereign debt by one notch to aa plus. that's down from a top aaa rating. the agency said this is due to the country's fiscal instability. r&i cites possibility there may be no review of expenditures for fiscal 2012 including social security expenses. it also says the consumption tax may not be raised as planned. japanese government bonds have already been do

government wants to build facilities to temporarily store radioactive soil in the district where the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant is located. the environment minister has officially asked local officials for permission. environment minister goshi hosono met governor yuhei sato. hosono said the district was chose on for the interim storage sites because areas exposed to over 100 million millisieverts per year are concentrated there. the governor said he would discuss the plan with municipalities in the affected district. the facilities would be used to hold radioactive soil removed from contaminated areas. the government believes the waste would be stored at the sites for up to 30 years before being taken out for final treatment. hosono on wednesday met with the mayor of eight municipalities of futaba district to ask for permission. >> translator: it is like being given a serious assignment the manner concerns the entire district. we must examine it thoroughly. >>> iran threatened to block the strait of hormuz if the west imposes embargo on its oil exports. the narrow passage in the persian gulf is

the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant in japan came a lot closer to a full meltdown than we first thought. the company that runs the plant said today that the radioactive core inside reactor one burned through a concrete containment barrier and nearly reached the soil below. the plant was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in march, and lucy craft reports that in many in japan are worried about what it does to their food. >> toshiko yasuda lives 170 miles away from the nuclear plant. worried about radiation she buys little at the grocery store nowadays. she says, "radiation- contaminated beef has turned up in the market. broccoli and spinach and shitake, too." all discovered after they were on sale. i don't trust the government anymore. she worries even trace radiation might hurt her eight-year-old daughter aimi. nowadays she obsesses over meal preparation with most ingredients purchased online. she tells me she buys eggs and other fresh foods from suppliers in distant southern japan, and as far away as the u.s. for fishermen and farmers across eastern japan, the public fear of

natural gas is growing because many of japan's nuclear power plants went off line after the fukushima daiichi accident. >>> japanese retailers plan to hire talented people from other asian countries to expand their businesses in the region. the move reflects a shrinking domestic market. a subsidiary of fast retailing, the operator of the casual clothing chain set up scholarship funds for chinese university students. fast retailing wants 80% of new recruits to be nonjapanese to open more stores outside the country. they hope the scholarships will encourage the brightest graduates to work for the company. >>> meanwhile, super market operator eon signed a contract with universities in vietnam in september. the retailer will provide scholarships and accept interns. they hope to make arrangements with other universities to recruit their students. >>> now let's check the markets. the dow-jones average rallied on friday, making it a four day gaining streak on the back of a tax cut extension and favorable housing date a for more on trading, ramin mellegard is at the tokyo stock exchange. a few more t