naomi hirose met with the chairman of the nuclear regulation authority, shunichi tanaka. tanaka asked hirose how tepco managers planned to prevent more problems at fukushima daiichi following a series of radioactive water leaks. the president said he intends to send more workers to the crippled facility, including those now at another idled nuclear plant. he also said tepco plans to support the workers to ensure they can make full use of their skills. tanaka asked hirose to improve working conditions inside the fukushima plant, including for those who are dealing with the decontamination process. he reportedly said he wants the utility to carry out drastic long-term reforms. >>> members of the media on monday were given a chance to look at a tunnel in japan's north that will be used to test nuclear waste storage techniques. the underground facility was created by the japan atomic energy agency. the government-affiliated body is studying methods of nuclear waste disposal at the site in horonobe town. the research tunnel is in a sedimentary rock formation at a depth of 350

he met with the chairman of the nuclear regulation authority tanaka. tanaka asked hiro how they plan to prevent more problems at the fukushima daiichi following a series of radioactive water leaks. the president said he intends to send more workers to the crippled facility, including those now at another idle nuclear plant. he also said tepco plans to support the workers to ensure they can make full use of their skills. tanaka asked hiro to improve working conditions inside the fukushima plant, including for those who are dealing with the decontamination process. he reportedly said he wants the utility to carry out drastic long-term reforms. >>> lawmakers in japan are examining bills that would change how state secrets are protected and shared with allies. prime minister shinzo abe is pushing to create a national security council. he said it's necessary because the security environment in asia is getting more severe. lawmakers on a parliamentary committee are taking a closer look at the bill. the prime minister wants to build a body that's similar to t

tanaka says working together would help alleviate concerns among neighboring countries. officials with the authority have been testing sea water in different locations in fukushima daiichi's port. they say radiation levels are below the government safety standard, but a series of contaminated water leaks has sparked more concern among people in japan and abroad. south korea recently banned import of marine products from fukushima prefecture and elsewhere in japan. iaea officials say figures obtained and released by japanese officials alone would not convince the people the food was safe. the iaea plans to send a team of specialists in mid-november to study how to carry out the joint monitoring. >>> staff at a school in northern japan have come up with a two-wheeled plan to keep their students safe from tsunami. instead of heading to higher ground on foot or by car, the students will get there by bike. most students at this junior high school in the coastal city of misawi commute by bike. during a mock tsunami drill, 44 of them started pedaling to higher ground, roughly t

. >> tanaka says tepco staff should make sure they supervise what's going on because many workers come from subcontracting companies. >>> transport ministry officials have reprimanded two low-cost carriers operating in japan for failing to properly maintain their plaeps. the companies have been told to report back within two weeks of preventive measures. the officials say jetstar japan failed to fully inspect its seven airbus a-320s during regular maintenance checks between january and august. they say maintenance staff did not check part of an activator for the plane's horizontal stabilizers even though the company had been instructed to do so. the company flies domestic routes. 18 flights were subsequently canceled. the ministry issued a similar warning to air asia japan. officials say the company failed to properly conduct maintenance on the horizontal stabilizers of its three a-320s for up to seven months. >>> time now for a check on the market figures. ♪ >>> this song is about a girl who died as a result of the atomic bombing of hiroshima. the day the paper cranes fly is not as po

. >> tanaka ordered tepco to issue a report by the end of this week. >>> an exhibition highlighting the world's environmental problems is under way in southwestern japan. the event is a run-up to a u.n. conference that will convene later this week. the city is known for an outbreak of mercury poisoning more than 50 years ago. it caused a neurological syndrome that came to be known as the nimata disease. on one globe, white dots indicate areas affected by mercury pollution. on another globe, blacked-out parts show areas where the soil is deteriorating. >> translator: i hope the works by engo will inspire visitors to think about the fact that all kinds of environmental problems are affecting our world. what happened in minimata is still occurring today. >> the exhibition runs through monday of next week. the u.n. conference will start on wednesday. delegates are set to adopt a legally binding treaty regulating the use and trade of mercury. >>> more japanese teenagers are suffering from what's being called internet dependency. the popularity of smartphones is only making matters worse. peo

. >> tanaka says he ordered tepco to submit a report on safety management at kashiwazaki-kariwa by the end of this week. >>> japan airlines will be buying 56 mid-size passenger jets from european aircraft maker airbus. this is jal's first order for airbus planes. the two companies announced the deal in a joint news conference in tokyo. jal plans to introduce the a-350 planes over the six-year period from 2019. the carrier says they will replace u.s. maker boeing's 777s. >> translator: we've considered the aircraft safety and product quality in making this decision. >> as fuel costs rise, demand for fuel-efficient and long-haul aircraft is growing in the commercial aircraft market. the airbus a-350 and boying 787 dreamliner are competing for the largest market share. find out about the challenges china faces. on "newsline." >>> a white diamond the size of a small egg has sold for a record amount in hong kong. more than $30 million. two people spent about six minutes vying for the 118-carat gem. the auctioneer says the winner wishes to remain anonymous. miners unearthed the diamond two y

tanaka says he plans to hold a meeting with the utilities president soon. >>> the 3 month old future king of england made his first public appearance since he was introduced to the world. the occasion was the christening of prince george. the royal baby was baptized by the archbishop of canterbury, queen elizabeth and prince charles were among those who witnessed the event at the chapel royal in saint james. the prince's parents shunned convention by holding the ceremony outside buckingham palace. chapel royal is where the body of the late princess diana, and prince william's mother who dialed in a car crash in 1997, was kept until the day of her funeral. close friends of the prince and his wife attended as godparents, another example of how the couple has scrapped centuries of old customs while respecting royal traditions. >>> the editors of a newspaper in china are fighting back against media control by publishing a provocative front-page headline. they're calling on authorities to release one of their reporters who was arrested for exposing illegal activities at a state-owned comp

nra chief tanaka says he feels the organization is given a mandate that's beyond its abilities, but he said nra members will try their best. >>> the president of iran is making another move that could help peel away the layers of poor relations with the united states. hassan rowhani has directed his government to study the resumption of direct flights between the countries. the route has been frozen for more than 30 years. a senior government official in tehran says rowhani wants to examine the possibility of re-opening it. direct flights would make travel much easier for the more than 300,000 iranians who live in california and elsewhere in the u.s. the move is seen as another gesture by iran's new predent to reach out to american leaders. rowhani took a call from president obama last friday after he wrapped up his visit to the u.n. general assembly in new york. it was the highest level of contact between the nations since they cut off diplomatic ties more than three decades ago. but the head of islamic revolutionary guards says rowhani's conversation with obama was premature. he argu