(LinkAsia: April 12, 2013)
Thuy Vu:
More bad news for Japan's nuclear energy industry. Radioactive water is leaking out of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and crews are rushing to contain it before it spills into the ocean. For more on the story, here's NHK.

--

NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: April 9, 2013

Reporter:
This plant has sprung leaks, and lots of them. Water is seeping in from underground through walls damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Once inside it's contaminated, so workers are forming a seemingly dangerous task removing the water to temporary storage tanks and underground pools.

Masayuki Ono:
There have been leaks since a state of cold shutdown was achieved, but the recent case is probably the largest ever.

Reporter:
The pools sit about 800 meters from the shore. But Ono says there's no fear that the water leaked directly into the ocean. TEPCO investigators suspect the problem rides with the design and construction of storage facilities. Each pool is six meters deep. Three layers of water proof sheets cover the sides and bottom. Crews poked a hole in the sheets so that they could insert a sensor to monitor any leakage. Spokespersons say the holes themselves became the problem. The water pressure pulled the sheets down and widened the holes, allowing the water to leak out. Trade and industry minister, Toshimitsu Motegi asked the TEPCO president Naomi Hirose, to fix the problem.

Toshimitsu Motegi:
I would like you to make sure that contaminated water won't leak into the sea.

Reporter:
The assurances from TEPCO have not calmed residents.

Fusayaki Nanbu:
The leaks should never have happened in the first place. Regardless of whether or not the water has reached the ocean. TEPCO should deal with the matter more seriously.

Reporter:
Crews face another challenge too. They are running out of space. They've been filling up the seven pools and hundreds of tanks. But the tanks are nearly full. And now, the integrity of the pools is in question. So the people who run the plant are searching for somewhere else to put water that just keeps on coming.

(LinkAsia: February 1, 2013)
Thuy Vu:
After a major meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi two years ago, Japan shut down the country's nuclear power plants. The government of the day promised to make the country nuke free. But the newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it a top priority to reverse that policy saying Japan needs energy. In preparation for getting Japan's nuclear reactors up and running again, new safety measures have been announced. For more on the story, here's Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

--

NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: January 29, 2012

Reporter:
An expert panel within the authority finalized the guidelines to be passed into law by July. The new regulations will define active faults as formations that have moved in the past 120,000 to 130,000 years. But that could be extended to 400,000 years ago if faults are hard to identify. The guidelines will force plant operators to prepare for the highest possible tsunami for all of the reactors. The operators will have to implement safety measures like sea walls to protect the plant from tsunamis and minimize flooding.

--

Thuy Vu:
There's still a lot of work to be done to safeguard the country's nuclear reactors from another disaster. And researchers have just discovered that one reactor in central Japan may be resting directly over an active fault. Once again, here's NHK.

--

NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: January 28, 2012

Reporter:
The experts drafted a report on the newly found fault under Tsuruga plant site in Fukui prefecture at a meeting on Monday. They said it might have moved after 120,000 to 130,000 years ago. The draft says that fractures direction and other  factors suggest that another fault could be directly under the plant's number 2 reactor. And could be active. Authority official Kunihiko Shimazaki expressed readiness to hear opinions on the matter from other experts and the plant's operator. Japan autonomic power company. He said learning from others would be helpful in compiling a thorough report. Government guidelines prohibit building key nuclear facilities directly above active faults.

(LinkAsia: January 25, 2012)
Thuy Vu:
Japan was shocked to learn that at least nine of its nationals were killed in Algeria last week. They died during a battle between the Algerian army and Islamist militants at a gas factory in the Sahara desert. Thirty-nine foreigners and dozens of Algerians died after the militants took over the gas plant and the army stormed it. With a tribute to two of the Japanese victims here's NHK.

--

NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: January 23, 2013

Reporter:
Rokuro Fuchida ran building sites around the world. He was 64 years old and retired. Then his former bosses asked him to lead one more project in Algeria. He wrote about it on Facebook before he left: "I am working all over the world to see the twinkling star-lit sky. Next I will see the stars from the desert in Algeria." His brother, Mitsunobu, heard about the hostage taking, then waited, day after day for a call from Rokuro. It never came.

Mitsunobu Fuchida, Brother:
Rokuro was kind, and a good brother. I just want to hug him. That's the only thing I want
to do.

Reporter:
Fumihiro Ito worked near Fuchida in Algeria. He had spent years developing energy resources. He led a project to develop gas fields in Sahara desert. Ito came from Minamisanriku, a town devastated in the tsunami two years ago. Now, his 82-year-old mother lives alone in temporary housing. She says, she has no mementos to remember her son. He and his former classmates were planning to get together next month to celebrate their 60th birthdays.

Takaaki Yokuyama, Former Classmate:
Ito said he would join the party, but would not stay overnight, because he wanted to visit his mother and stay with her. I want the news to be a mistake. I still think Ito will show up at the party.

Reporter:
Yokoyama was looking forward to seeing his old friend. Instead, he and the others will take a moment to remember.

(LinkAsia: September 21, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Turning to Japan, not everyone supports the government's promise to halt the nation's dependence on nuclear energy by the year 2030. Japanese businesses are adamantly opposed. They say that electricity would just be too expensive without nuclear power. Here's Japanese broadcaster NHK with more.

--

NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: September 18, 2012

Hiromasa Yonekura:
We are united in opposing the idea of ending the reliance on nuclear power generation. It's extremely regrettable that our view has been completely ignored.

Reporter:
The three officials spoke with one voice against the government policy. Hiromasa Yonekura who heads the Japan Business Federation, or Keidandren, said pursuing the policy would hurt employment.

Yasuchika Hasegawa of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives noted that it would hamper the country's energy security and people's lives.

Tadashi Okamura, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce Industry, said shutting down all nuclear reactors would boost bills and lower national strength.

(LinkAsia: August 3, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
In India, two massive blackouts left 600 million people – half of India’s population and about twice the number of people in the United States – without power for two consecutive days. And as Japanese broadcaster NHK reports, the government is being blamed.

--

NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: July 31, 2012

Rumio Sugaya, NHK World Reporter:
Indian power grids collapsed suddenly on Tuesday afternoon. Total 20 states and union territories in the north and east of the countries are affected. Rail and subway services ground to a halt, causing chaos as travelers tried to continue their journeys by bus. Concerns are mounting about patients in hospitals that don’t have generators. Minister of Power Sushil Kumar Shinde says the authorities are likely to restart idled hydropower stations as a solution. India faces a chronic power deficit. The nation’s infrastructure can’t keep up with rising demand. This week’s failures are said to be the worst in a decade.

Subway Passenger:
This is the failure of government policy, properly. Because they have no any second measurable solution that if anyone, if suddenly this problem will come to pass, what will be the quick solution for this.

Rumio Sugaya, NHK World Reporter:
The massive blackouts have exposed the venerability of India’s power grid. Voices questioning the responsibility of the government seem likely to grow.