CNN 2011-03-20

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Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East. We're going to hit them all in this globetrotting edition of CNN Student News. Guiding you through today's headlines, I'm Carl Azuz.

Heroes. That's what a group of about 180 Japanese power plant workers are being called. They're working at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, that's the one we've been reporting on this week; the plant that most people are being told to get away from. But these 180 workers are staying put, potentially putting their health -- maybe even their lives -- on the line. In these pictures, you can see some of the damage that these men are dealing¹ with. Fires, explosions² at the plant have threatened the stability³ of the nuclear reactors⁴. The biggest concern in this is that that extreme levels of radiation could leak out into the atmosphere. At one point on Wednesday, the radiation levels around the plant shot way up, and the workers were forced to get out of the area. But when the levels went back down again, the workers went back in.

Also on Wednesday, Japan's emperor made a rare TV appearance. The emperor is a ceremonial position; he doesn't have official powers. But he is an important figure in Japanese life. And this was the first time that this emperor made a speech like this during this kind of national crisis⁵. He said, "I truly hope the victims of the disaster never give up hope, take care of themselves, and live strong for tomorrow." He also added, "I want all citizens of Japan to remember everyone who has been affected⁶ by the devastation⁷ not only today, but for a long time afterwards."

Many people in Japan have been forced to leave their homes. Japanese media report that 450,000 people -- half a million -- are living in shelters like this evacuation center that was set up inside a junior high school's gym. Many others are trying to get out of Japan entirely⁸. Kyung Lah shows us the packed scene at Tokyo's airports and the deserted⁹ streets of downtown.